Woodstock Academy closes out fall season with fall sports awards
Fall athletes gathered for a final time together at the Loos Center for the Arts on the South Campus of Woodstock Academy Tuesday for the annual Fall Sports Awards Night.
It’s the traditional final event of the fall season and comes just as the winter sports programs begin practice for their upcoming seasons.
The night is highlighted by the awards given by the coaches of the individual sports.
The coach’s awards go to athletes who demonstrate a hard-working, unselfish, positive and competitive attitude and, in the eyes of their coach, is a model participant that other athletes should aspire to be like.
The 2022 fall sports coach’s awards recipients at Woodstock Academy were:
Boys cross-country
Varsity: Vincente Bastura, Colton Sallum
JV: Garrett Poitras
Girls cross-country
Varsity: Lauren Brule, Sydney Lord
JV: Elizabeth Morgis
Fall Cheerleading
Varsity: Kathryn Guillot, Catherine O’Brien
Volleyball
Varsity: Leila MacKinnon, Sophie Gronski
JV: Jacqueline Dearborn
Freshman: Alexa Delmonaco
Field Hockey:
Varsity: Abigail Converse, Ava Basak
JV: Audrey MacPherson
Football:
Varsity: Jared Eaton, Trevor Savoie
JV: Aiden Brailsford
Unified Soccer:
Athlete: Deven Santa Cruz
Partner: Isabella Sorrentino
Boys Soccer:
Varsity: Noah Page, Wyatt Robbie
JV: Christopher Kirkconnell
Girls Soccer:
Varsity: Paige Owens, Rebecca Nazer
JV: Madison Bloom
In addition to the Coach’s Awards, fall athletes who achieved All-State and All-Eastern Connecticut Conference status were also recognized.
Senior soccer player Grace Gelhaus was named a Class L All-State performer by the Connecticut Girls Soccer Association; fellow senior Morgan Bonin was a Connecticut High School Coaches Association Class L All-State performer and sophomore Christian Menounos, who became the first Centaurs boys cross-country runner to compete in the New England championship since 2004, earned CHSCA All-Stater honors for his performance in the CIAC State Open championship.
Gelhaus and fellow senior Wyatt Robbie were both selected to play in the girls and boys, respectively, Soccer Senior Bowl matches and Bonin was selected to play in the CHSCA Senior Class LL and L All-Star volleyball match.
Gelhaus was named Eastern Connecticut Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player as she guided the Centaurs to the league Division 1 title.
Athletes who were named ECC Division I All-Stars included:
Girls soccer: Grace Gelhaus, Freya Robbie, Leah Costa
Volleyball: Morgan Bonin, Liliana Bottone, Sophie Gronski
Football: Braiden Saucier, Carter Saracina, Kenny Brown, Marcus McGregor, Evan Roy, Seamus McDermott, Austin Amlaw, Jacob Lizotte.
Boys Cross-Country: Christian Menounos, Vincente Bastura
Girls Cross-Country: Lauren Brule, Julia Coyle, Olivia Tracy
Boys soccer: Wyatt Robbie
Several other athletes received ECC honorable mention awards:
Girls soccer: Lennon Favreau.
Football: Trevor Costa, Henry Wotton
Boys Cross-Country: Colton Sallum
Boys Soccer: Noah Page, Jeffrey Phongsa
The ECC also names a Scholar-Athlete and Sportsmanship Award recipient from each member school from each sport.
The Woodstock Academy recipients were:
Scholar-Athlete
Girls Soccer: Lennon Favreau
Volleyball: Leila MacKinnon
Football: Jackson Gallagher
Boys Cross-Country: Vincente Bastura
Girls Cross-Country: Lauren Brule
Field Hockey: Sophia Petrella
Boys Soccer: Brian Jameson
Sportsmanship:
Girls Soccer: Kayla Leite
Volleyball: Ellie Nunes
Football: Jared Eaton
Boys Cross-Country: Garrett Poitras
Girls Cross-Country: Sydney Lord
Field Hockey: Chloe Nason
Boys Soccer: Owen Tracy
The girls soccer team was recognized for having the top collective grade point average among the fall sports programs for the first quarter of the academic year. The volleyball team was selected as the best-dressed team for the event.
It was the last awards night for Woodstock Academy boys cross-country coach Peter Lusa as it was announced that he was stepping aside as both boys cross-country and outdoor track head coach.
Lusa has been at the helm of both programs for the last 14 years.
“It was just time,” Lusa said. “Looking at the end of teaching in a few years and I have friends who have retired who are asking me to do things. I just thought it was time.”
Lusa said it was a difficult decision but one that was actually made some time ago.
“I made it early in the season and just tried to make sure that I got things done through the end of the season. I will still be around at meets, but not the day in and day out grind. We have to make way for new blood. We have to grow the sport by growing coaches,” he said.
