Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Daniel Qin-Dong '17 figured he had submitted a worthy paper for the International Conference on Political Science, Sociology and International Relations when the organization referred to him as Dr. Daniel Qin-Dong in an acceptance letter.

Daniel, with the guidance of Mr. Sean McGrath '07 of the English Department, will present his interpretation of "Midnight's Children" at the sixth annual global conference in Singapore Sept. 26-27.

"When they emailed me back they addressed me as Dr. Daniel Qin-Dong, which is kind of interesting," Daniel said. "I don't think they recognized I was in high school. I might be the only high school student there.

"Being accepted to the conference was totally unexpected. I think I was at Rice's when my dad texted me and told me I was accepted. I submitted it such a long time ago; I almost forgot I submitted it. This will be a great experience. I want to get the experience from the conference."

Daniel wrote a sociology paper for Mr. McGrath's Honors English 10 class a year ago. He took the suggested edits, worked on the paper some more and showed his dad, who is a sociology professor at Westfield State University. Daniel's dad told him if he kept working on the paper, he could submit it to a conference. Daniel took his dad's suggestion and was later accepted for the PSSIR conference, which draws university professors, business owners and government officials from throughout the world.

"All the professors are researching things I want to research in college and in the future," said Daniel, who plans to pursue a career in international relations or political science.

Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Lucas Roos '17 left a leadership workshop with good news and bad news: the good news was he learned just how special the Academy is when it comes to accepting people; the bad news, though, was there are a number of students who struggle with social justice issues on a regular basis.

With Dean of Students Tiffany Alrefae serving as chaperone, Lucas was joined by Nick Leone '17 and Ikas de Brito Trindade '17 at the Social Justice Leadership Institute, which was hosted by Boston Mobilization at Northfield Mount Hermon May 14-15.

"WMA really doesn't have problems compared to the students I met from other schools," Lucas said. "Before I went to the workshop, I didn't think racism was really deep into people's minds. But at the conference, there was a clear distinction between how the white people behaved and the blacks and others, who were more restrained. It was visible. They were less secure. They didn't talk as much and weren't comfortable."

The workshop drew students from Milton Academy, Phillips Andover, St. Paul's School, Berkshire School, Worcester Academy, Cushing Academy and Lawrence Academy. The two-day event hit on a pair of hot topics: race and gender.

"The workshop had elements of Civil Rights era momentum, dealing with modern issues such as gender identifications, what it's like to be a person of color and how that's different than before, especially what it's like to be an Asian-American compared to the Civil Rights era, when there weren't many Asian-Americans," Nick explained. "We also delved into classism, which kind of hinted at advocating for socialism. Overall, I came out of it learning something new and how to be a leader in a social justice community and how to respect other people."

One thing Nick learned was a new term, and it was a term he didn't like.

"Something that stuck with me is how micro-aggressions affect people of color or Latinos and Asian-Americans," he said. "I didn't know having a joke geared toward you or a minor stereotype implied on you hurts to the extent that it actually does."

Mrs. Alrefae said the WMA students stood out at the conference due to their global background, specifically with Lucas from Brazil and Ikas from Angola.

"It was focused on issues in the United States, and our students brought an interesting focus of a global lens, which was excellent," Mrs. Alrefae said. "While the group leaders from other schools were focused on the U.S., our students were able to chime in and say it's different in Brazil or Angola so it was wonderful we could insert our global mission."

The seniors on the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Baseball team picked a great time to play their best game of the season.

With a berth in the playoffs at stake, the Titans beat undefeated Cheshire Academy 3-1 May 14 to qualify for the postseason for the third season in a row.

WMA, which lost by a run in the final in 2015, will play at Berkshire School in a Western New England Prep School Baseball League semifinal May 21 at 2:30 p.m.

"I'm very proud of the guys," Coach Jim Irzyk said. "The seniors stepped it up, namely Steve Fleury '16, Andre Marrero '16, Tom Quinn '16 and Joey Mack '16. It was our best game of the year. I think we're going to give it a good run."

Steve pitched a complete game for the Academy, striking out seven and walking none. Joey ripped a two-run double to score Andre and Tom, and also made a key running catch in right field to save two runs in the fourth inning.

"It was a huge win," Tom said. "We played well. We made our plays in the field. We got hits with runners on base and it was an overall great performance by everyone. I like our momentum going into the playoffs and we feel we have a pretty good shot of going to Berkshire and winning."

Emma Kindblom '17 reached a few milestones this season that are reserved for the elite of the elite in regards to the Softball program at Wilbraham & Monson Academy.

Emma is certainly among the elite . . . and she still as a full season to go.

Emma reached two major milestones within the last three weeks, reaching the 100-mark for runs scored and hits in a career.

"By being able to get on base and produce runs, and being able to do that consistently for so many years, she's been able to reach that 100 runs scored mark, which is a compliment to her being able to play day in and day out regardless of injury, and that same ability has resulted in her being able to get her 100^th hit," Coach Erik Kindblom said. "She's resilient and consistent, and she's a real tough out for opposing teams."

Emma touched home plate for the 100^th time in her career April 25 in a win against The Bancroft School, and five days later she notched hit number 100 in a victory against King School. In both cases, she didn't know she was approaching the historic numbers.

Emma has worn a Titans' Softball uniform for six seasons. The Division I Manhattan College-bound shortstop made the tough decision to start playing at the high school varsity level in sixth grade.

"I was looking forward to it," she said. "In sixth grade I could have played up in the town league but I could have had one more year in U12. But playing high school softball as a sixth grader helped me progress as a player in general. It helped me pick up the speed of the game."

Emma is also approaching 100 runs batted in for her career.

Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Carly Venditti was happy just to have the opportunity to play in the Western New England Prep School Softball All-Star Game at The Ethel Walker School May 15.

Carly was even happier after the game as she was named the event's Most Valuable Player.

"It didn't process that being an MVP was even an option," Carly said. "I was just happy to be there."

Carly was sharp in the field and at the plate. She started the game at pitcher, throwing two scoreless innings and striking out three. She also made some nice plays in the outfield and first base. At bat, she continued to hit for power this season, cracking a double.

"I was really honored and surprised to be named MVP, especially to have a few teammates and coach and family there," she said. "It's humbling and really amazing to be noticed as an MVP of an all-star game. Just to be invited to an all-star game was exciting for me because I had never been. As a senior I've been working hard and to see all this come up with 12 days left to graduation feels great. It gets me going and gets be exciting about playoffs the Senior Game."

Carly has been going all season for the Titans, with her leadership and performance in the circle, in the field and at bat putting the team within reach of qualifying for the postseason for the third straight season.

Matt Naumec '15 is one (great) day away from playing in the U.S. Open.

The three-time MVP of the Wilbraham & Monson Academy golf team has advanced to the sectional qualifying round for the national championship.

"I know I'll be going up against the best players, many of them from the PGA Tour, at the sectional round,'' the freshman at Boston College said. "It's going to take one of those special days, that pop up maybe once or twice a year. I'll prepare myself mentally ... and whatever happens, happens.''

Naumec's shot at the U.S. Open got off to a great start when he was medalist at an 18-hole qualifier at Longmeadow Country Club on Monday. The Wilbraham resident carded a 2-over-par 72 to lead four others who qualified from a starting field of 85.

"I really had no expectations,'' Naumec said. "I came back from school on Friday and I wasn't really hoping for anything. I made a couple of birdies and I knew there'd be some bogeys out there because it was really tough with the wind.''

Naumec advanced to the 36-hole sectional qualifying round, set for 10 sites nationwide on June 6. His playing site has not been determined.

Naumec had only played Longmeadow CC once in competition, but said he was helped by the company of caddie and former WMA teammate Jack Dowding.

"I feel comfortable with him out there with me, we played golf together for two years at school (WMA) and he'll be with me at sectionals,'' Naumec said of the St. Anselm College freshman. "That made it even better, with Jack.''

Naumec continues his first attempt at qualifying for the U.S. Open when he competes at one of 10 sites scheduled to host 36-hole sectional rounds on June 6. The U.S. Open takes place June 16-19 at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club.

Naumec, a three-time WMA team MVP, capped a solid freshman year at Boston College by tying for 31^st place at the ACC Championships earlier this month. The former Massachusetts Junior Amateur champion plans a full summer schedule of state and regional-level tournaments.

Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Erin Demers '16 had one thing to say about the Softball team headed into the playoffs: "Go Titans!"

For the third season in a row, the Titans have qualified for the Western New England Prep School Class B Softball Tournament. The Academy will host King School of Stamford, Conn., May 21 at 2:30 p.m. The winner will advance to the final, which will be played May 22 at a site and time yet to be determined.

"I'm proud of the girls this year," Erin said. "We really stepped up. We've been a team throughout the whole season."

The Academy finished its regular season 10-3, with a remarkable balance of strong pitching, powerful hitting and excellent fielding.

"We are strong in every dimension of our game, and the opposing coaches have mentioned that and complimented us," Coach Erik Kindblom said.

WMA secured the #2 seed by beating Cheshire 4-3 May 18. A loss, though, could have meant the Titans heading out for an away semifinal game.

"This is the third year in a row we've qualified for the playoffs, and the second time in those three years we've had a home playoff game so that's a nice testament to the team," Coach Kindblom said. "They knew going into the Cheshire game a win would secure a #2 seed and the home field advantage and a loss would result in us being the away team in our semifinal. The team rose to the occasion against Cheshire under pressure, which is always a good test before you get there."

Courtesy of Ikas de Brito Trindade '17, a club with the framework of Amnesty International will be formed at Wilbraham & Monson Academy next school year.

Ikas received an email from Amnesty International earlier in the school year, and after doing some research he thought it might be good to start a group at the Academy. To be safe, Ikas attended a conference held by the global organization in Boston May 16 with some fellow students to learn more. Following the info session, and after meeting in a small group with the regional representative, "The next step is definitely to structure positions of a club at WMA," Ikas said.

Jordana Irzyk '17, Daniel Qin-Dong '17, Emma Kindblom '17 and Ms. Deb Levheim also attended the conference.

With more than seven million members, Amnesty International is the world's largest human rights organization.

"We're going to call our club 'Harmonia,' which will be the umbrella organization that would promote multiculturalism human rights here on campus and around the world," Ikas added.

The conference in Boston focused on the current war in Yemen, particularly how the United States is involved. The students also learned how they could make a difference.

"We discussed some opportunities we could bring to campus," Jordana explained. "Some options include 'Writes for Rights,' where you write letters in hopes of freeing people who had their human rights violated. Some prisoners have been released and are in Washington D.C., and they can talk to students and tell their stories. Another thing was 'Get on the Bus,' where you literally get on a bus and travel to New York City for the day and have a peaceful protest and explain why you are protesting."

"We also learned you have to inform yourself, inform the community and then lead people to action," Ikas added.

While Amnesty International is a global organization, there is also a local scope, including a dialogue regarding gun violence in the United States.

"The power of Amnesty International is in numbers," Ikas said. "It has passed laws in the United States and United Nations so it can make a difference."

Wilbraham & Monson Academy Softball Coach Erik Kindblom has been, in a sense, playing cards all season.

And in the biggest game of 2016, against the top-ranked team in the region, Coach Kindblom finally played his ace – and his ace proved to be the trump card.

Pitcher Ashley Michanczyk '16 pitched a five-hitter and allowed just one earned run as the Titans topped The Ethel Walker School 5-2 in the Western New England Prep School Softball Association Class B final May 22 in Simsbury, Conn.

Ashley didn't pitch against Ethel Walker in a 16-9 regular season loss, nor did she pitch in the league all-star game against any of the Walker batters. Ashley kept Ethel Walker's potent lineup from finding any kind of groove, holding the tournament's #1 seed to its fewest run total of the season.

Lead-off batter Emma Kindblom '17 was hit on the first pitch of the game and scored on a two-out single by Marissa Fabbo '17 to quickly put the Titans ahead 1-0.

The Academy came right back in the second inning and added three more runs, with Alexa Fleury '18 scoring on a error, Ally Faulstick '16 easily touching home on a sacrifice fly by Erin Demers '16, and Emma scoring from second when the relay through home got away from the catcher.

WMA tacked on another run in the fourth when Emma scored on a two-out stand-up triple by Erin.

Marissa finished 3 for 4, and Emma went 2 for 3 and scored three times.

Ashley Michanczyk's '16 softball season couldn't have started any worse.

The ending, though, couldn't have gone any better.

Ashley, whose pitching helped Wilbraham & Monson Academy win its first softball championship in school history, was named the Titans' Most Valuable Player.

"I think, overall, I did well," Ashley reflected. "I had a few ups and downs but overall I performed pretty well, considering in the offseason I didn't really have much of a chance to practice, and coming into the season, with my dad being sick, I literally hadn't touched a softball in three weeks. So, considering that, and with the help of the defense, we were pretty-much unstoppable."

One thing did stop Ashley at the beginning of the season. Her dad, Matt, was diagnosed with cancer, forcing Ashley to miss time from school and the team.

Once she returned, though, with the exception of one game, Ashley was dominant. She went 7-1 in 10 appearances, striking out 68 and allowing just 39 hits in 52.1 innings.

"I had one bad game against Westminster, and that definitely wasn't my best, but other than that I felt confident going into every game and the outcome was always good," Ashley said.

The outcome was great at the end of the season for Ashley and the Titans. She pitched three scoreless innings of relief in a 7-1 win over King School in the Western New England Class B semifinal, and came right back the next day to lead the team to a 5-2 win over top-seeded Ethel Walker School with a brilliant pitching performance in the final.

"Winning the championship was amazing," said Ashley, who allowed one earned run in the championship. "Not many words can describe what I was feeling then. It was an amazing experience with an amazing group of girls. It was surreal. It still hasn't really hit me what we did. To leave a mark on the school and bring home a banner was amazing."

Along with the playoff performances, a highlight for Ashley – and the team - came on April 30. An hour after being discharged from an intensive care unit, Mr. Michanczyk arrived at WMA in time to watch Ashley deliver a 14-strikeout performance against King.

Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Nica Bernardo '15 was named Rookie of the Year for the Suffolk University's women's soccer team at an awards banquet May 2 in Boston.

Click here to read the story.

Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Sydney Liptak '16 desperately wanted the Field Hockey team to finish with a record above .500 in her senior season.

The team came a few wins short of that goal, but Sydney is comfortable knowing she helped bring the program to new heights and left the program headed in the right direction.

"Even though we didn't have the best record, we brought up the program and helped make it better, and I'm happy to be leaving that program on a high note," Sydney said.

Sydney left the Academy on a high note, earning the Phil Shaw Award, given annually to the female athlete who demonstrates outstanding performance and a great desire to improve in athletics.

"I'm extremely surprised to win this award," she said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity I had to be with all of my coaches and every single teammate who helped me become the best player I could possibly become."

Sydney, who will play field hockey at the University of New England, a Division III powerhouse, was at times unstoppable on the field hockey field. Her intelligence, skill and vision allowed her to control large chunks of games. She was also versatile, playing every position except goalie.

"Sydney was a starter her freshmen year and grew into one of the best players who has come through our Field Hockey program," Coach Liz Fontaine said. "Over the course of her four years, she's played a variety of positions, taken on a multitude of tasks, and learned countless strategies. She was always the player we could count on to pull through and make the defensive play we needed. At the end of a game, when we were up by a goal, I wanted the ball with Syd."

Syd played Field Hockey and Girls' Lacrosse for four seasons, serving as captain of both teams her senior year. She played Girls' Basketball her freshmen year, and Winter Track her sophomore and senior years.

Ms. Lindsie Lavin coached Sydney for two seasons: in the fall as an assistant coach for Field Hockey and in the spring as Head Coach for Lacrosse.

Wenyen Gabriel '16 is the most decorated Boys' Basketball player in the history of Wilbraham & Monson Academy.

The day before he graduated, to his surprise, he added one more piece of hardware to his collection.

Wenyen was named the winner of the Phil Shaw Award, given annually to the male athlete who exhibits remarkable performance and a great desire to improve in athletics.

"It was an honor," said Wenyen, who received the award May 27 at WMA's Prize Day. "I wasn't thinking about the award. I was always just trying to do my best. But I ended up doing what the award describes just by trying to do my best. I didn't know it was going to come my way."

Plenty of accolades went Wenyen's way during his senior year. While being wooed by the best basketball programs in the country, Wenyen earned a spot on the USA Basketball Junior Select Team, was one of just 21 high school players in the country picked to play in the Jordan Brand Classic and climbed all the way to #15 on ESPN's list of top players in the Class of 2016. He was also selected as a McDonald's McScholar Athlete. He verbally committed to the University of Kentucky during a live broadcast at ESPN.

"It's fitting that Wenyen ends his high school career winning the Phil Shaw Award," Boys' Basketball Coach Mike Mannix said. "The award highlights his personal athletic achievements as well as his fine character. I was very happy for him. He's worked very hard to earn all of the recognition that has come his way. He has left his mark and legacy on the basketball program with his dedication to the game and now he leaves the Academy with a legacy as one of, if not the most accomplished athlete in the Academy's history."

Along with two years of Boys' Basketball, Wenyen was a goalie for Water Polo his junior year before turning himself into a fierce Boys' Volleyball player his senior year.

"I wanted to be competitive at those sports," Wenyen said. "I like the opportunity the school gave me to play those sports.

Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Craig Green '16 finished with a New England title, but it sure wasn't the New England title he was expecting.

Long proven to be one of the fastest sprinters in the region, Craig won the javelin at the New England Prep School Track Association Division III Championship Meet May 21 at the Hyde School in Connecticut.

"We entered Craig in the javelin, 100 and 200, and it was a pleasant surprise to hear Craig won the javelin, about 10 feet short of the school record," Coach Paul Ekness said.

Craig battled an upper-leg injury for the final few weeks of the season. He did everything he could to be healthy enough to run at a high level at the New England meet, which he had been focused on since arriving at the Academy as a post-graduate. After running the 4x100 relay, though, the leg was still too sore to compete. Luckily, Craig had entered the javelin.

"As soon as I ran the relay and felt it, I knew I couldn't continue, so I'm glad I threw the javelin," he said.

On his final attempt, everything came together. As soon as the javelin left his hand, he knew it was his best throw ever.

"That was the second time I've thrown the javelin this year, and I've never thrown farther than 130 feet," said Craig, a former high school quarterback. "The fact I threw 163 feet surprised me a lot and everyone else.

"As soon as I let it go, I thought, 'If this can stick, I'm going to win it.' And then I saw no one else was throwing that. When the top kid fouled, I couldn't explain the feelings because I couldn't run and I wanted to go out during my last year with a title. Having won a state title (in public school) and now a New England title for prep school, I don't know how to put that into words."

"Craig is probably the best all-around track athlete I've coached in 25 years," Coach Ekness added. "He was jumping over 19 feet, he could throw the javelin, and he could compete in the 100, 200 and 400. I could see Craig doing well in a decathlon-type contest because he had a lot of strengths in a lot of areas."

Craig will attend and run track at the University of Kentucky next season.

Wilbraham & Monson Academy has a history of doing very well on the National Latin Exam, and this school year followed that trend.

Thirty-five percent of the Academy students who took the 2016 exam were recognized with awards for their performance.

"Our students in Latin have traditionally had strong results on the national exam," explained Mr. Kevin Kane, Chairperson of the World Languages Department. "Our consistent results have always been great reinforcement for the quality of our program, and great recognition for students who may not always be in the limelight."

More than 150,000 students from all 50 states, as well as 19 countries, took the 2016 exam. Thirteen WMA students garnered honors, including two students – Brendan Kane '17 and Min Kyum "Jonathan" Kim '17 - receiving the highest award possible.

"Brendan and Jonathan took the exam seriously and used the knowledge they had learned and showed they have a good mastery of the language," longtime WMA Latin teacher Don Kelly said.

Even though the students didn't specifically study for the national exam, Brendan said he felt very prepared.

"The knowledge we had going into the exam was very good," said Brendan, who took the Latin 1 exam. "Still, it caught me by surprise how much I knew on the test. I knew after I turned it in that I had done a good job, but I didn't think I'd win an award."

Below is the list of all of the WMA award recipients:

Summa Cum Laude certificate and gold medals

Brendan Kane '17, Latin 1

Min Kyum "Jonathan" Kim '17, Latin 2

Maxima Cum Laude certificate and silver medal

Peter Stoute '18, Latin 2

Magna Cum Laude certificates

John Kennedy '19, Latin 1

Lauren Foley '17, Latin 1

Gordon Hertel '19, Latin 1

Mary Sparago '17, Latin 4 Poetry

Cum Laude certificates

Sofia Tosato '16, Latin 4 Poetry

Logan Bell '18, Latin 2

Erin Demers '16, Latin 2

Enming "John" Zhang '17, Latin 1

Anna Axas '19, Latin 1

Dylan Lattell '17, Latin 1

Fantastique!

For the second year in a row, Wilbraham & Monson Academy students excelled at Le Grand Concours, aka the National French Contest of the American Association of Teachers of French.

"We're getting a lot of reinforcement for the quality of our program because so many of our students do well on the regional level and on the national level, so that speaks well for our French program," World Languages Department Chairperson Kevin Kane said. "We see that as a positive sign for what we've been doing in the past and where we want to go with the program."

Nineteen students earned recognition for their scores on the national exam, including four students receiving national awards: Sofia Tosato '16, Charlotte Derose '21, Jeremy Dubois '21 and Rimma Khaziullina '21.

Sofia, who took the French 5 exam, which is the highest level, placed fourth in the nation and first in her region.

"Sofia came here for a year," French teacher Fabienne Dubois said. "She had a good foundation but she said she learned a lot this year. The AP curriculum is very challenging. We build vocabulary and we practice with tests. The AP is great preparation for that level test. She's a very hard worker. She worked hard all year, was very consistent and never missed a homework assignment. She's an amazing student."

"It was a real honor," said Sofia, who began taking French as a middle school student in Italy. "I'm happy because I learned so much this year. Ms. Dubois was really happy for me, and that makes me happy."

Jeremy was one of the 16 Middle School students to earn honors. After placing 12th last year, he finished second in the country and first in the region on his exam. He said his teacher, Ms. Dubois, who is also his mom, had him fully prepared.

"We do games on the computer in class," Jeremy said. "If you win a game she gives you a surprise. Students try hard so they can get a prize. She makes the class fun."

More than 80,000 students in the United States took the 2016 exam. Below is the list of WMA award winners:

Upper school

Division 5A

Sofia Tosato '16: gold medal, ranked first in chapter, fourth nationally

Lilianna Brook '16: honorable mention

Division 5C

Nicolas Dubois '18: silver medal

Middle school

8th grade

Lindsay Briggs '20: bronze medal

Liam Garrison '20: bronze medal

Nolan Lorenzana '20: bronze medal

Claire Thomas '20: honorable mention certificate

Sara Troy '20: honorable mention certificate

7th grade

Division 01A

Charlotte Derose '21: silver medal, ranked second in chapter, 11^th nationally

Division 01B

Rimma Khaziullina '21: gold medal, ranked first in chapter, second nationally

Ian Brook '21: honorable mention certificate

Jack Perenick '21: honorable mention certificate

Division 01C

Jeremy Dubois '21: gold medal, ranked first in chapter, second nationally

6th grade

Lainey Gilmartin '22: honorable mention certificate

Genna Miccoli '22: honorable mention certificate

Gabrielle Zebrowski '22: honorable mention certificate

The last Wilbraham & Monson Academy Boys' Lacrosse player to be named to the Western New England Division II All-League team was John Tierney '15, who later earned a college scholarship to Division I giant University of Massachusetts.

So, when Jack Robinson '19 was named to this year's all-league team, well, that's saying something.

"Not too many freshman get picked for all-league," Coach Mike MacDonald said. "It's voted on by the coaches in the league."

Jack joined WMA's Spencer Marocchini '16, Zach Mann '17 and Ryan McNeill '17 as 2016 all-league selections.

"It's an honor," Jack said. "You hear about the big names who get named all-league. Being a freshman, it's a big deal. I couldn't have done it without my teammates, Ryan McNeill and Spencer Marocchini, on my line."

After making the Varsity team as an eighth grader, Jack started every game at attack for the Titans this season. He did more than hold his own, serving as a great compliment for Spencer and Ryan with 23 goals and 31 assists in 14 games.

"Jack had a really good year for us," Coach MacDonald said. "He started every single game. He came in with minimal varsity experience under his belt and he performed for us like a veteran.

"It was good to see someone at practice every day making good decisions, not only making good decisions on the lacrosse field but in the WMA community as well. We're looking forward to the next three years and hopefully he can build on this year and use the sport of lacrosse to help him get into the college of his choice."

Jack said the leadership from the 2016 captains and being on the team as an eighth grader helped him have a strong freshman performance.

"As a freshman, Coach Mac was thinking big things from me and I had big shoes to fill," he said. "I went out and did my part every game, trying to help the team win.

"We had a good team, and we have a strong group returning and a strong recruiting class coming in so it should be a good year next season."

Click here to read a story on Bryant University's Carly Cronin '13 being named the top Scholar-Athlete in the Northeast Conference for women's lacrosse.

Click here to read a story on Boston College's Matt Naumec '15 being named Division I Rookie of the Year.

Click here to read a story on Maodo Lo '12 earning a spot to play in the NBA Summer League for the Philadelphia 76ers.