Community and Competition Shine at Fall Athletics Celebration

Citizen-scholar-athletes gathered with their coaches and athletics staff Friday evening to celebrate the culmination of a fruitful fall season and to recognize the hard work of individuals and teams at the annual Northfield Mount Hermon Fall Athletics Celebration.

This year’s ceremony featured some notable changes from past events. Rather than splitting the evening into a banquet followed by a ceremony in Memorial Chapel, the 2025 Fall Athletics Celebration took place entirely in Raymond Hall in the Rhodes Arts Center.

Team members, dressed in special-occasion attire, gathered in the lobby to socialize before having their photos taken on the “blue carpet” leading into the auditorium. The event also adopted a new moniker this year: the NMH “HOGSPYs,” a play on ESPN’s annual ESPY Awards.

The evening began with an introduction from interim Athletics Director Michael Shelton, who praised the fall teams’ “hard work, growth, and spirit” and highlighted key achievements and milestones from the season.

“At NMH, we pride ourselves on developing citizens, scholars, and athletes,” Shelton said. “This fall, you, our student-athletes, showed how character fuels competition, how commitment in the classroom strengthens leadership on the field, and when the pursuit of excellence extends far beyond the scoreboard.”

Head of School Brian Hargrove praised the commitment NMH athletes show every day, regardless of skill level or personal recognition.

“I’ve seen how you all pour yourselves into sports at NMH. Though many of you may not get that big accolade or that award, you're out there contributing anyway,” Hargrove said. “I want you to know that I see you, I appreciate that, and I believe that’s what makes you really a wonderful citizen, scholar, and contributor in this community.”

With those words, the awards portion of the evening began. Shelton began by announcing several seasonal award winners:

• The “Contest of the Year” award went to the boys’ and girls’ crew teams for their performances at the George Dirth Regatta in October, where they combined for five medals and each boat placed in the top 10 of its category.
   
• “Breakthrough Athlete of the Year” was awarded to Mills Costello ’27 of the boys’ varsity cross-country team.
   
• “Best Performance by an Individual” went to girls’ varsity soccer player Amanda Minatel ’27.
   
• “Play of the Year” was awarded to girls’ varsity field hockey player Lily Adams ’27 for her reverse goal against Taft.

Costello, a former soccer player who recently switched to cross-country, said receiving the “Breakthrough Player” award helped validate his decision to follow his heart and switch sports.

“Receiving this award cements in my mind that committing to the decisions you make — even if you're still skeptical it was the right one — can make all the difference in whether it turns out to be a decision you’re proud of,” Costello said.

Reflecting on her award, Adams said she was grateful for the recognition and the doors field hockey has opened for her.

"NMH itself was an amazing opportunity that field hockey gave to me," she said. "Being a fall sport, it also helped me establish myself at NMH early into my freshman year [and make] many friends early on that I still have today." 

Next, student speakers Ethan Huang ’26 and Bryanna May ’26 stepped to the stage to reflect on their athletics experiences at NMH.

“When I came to NMH, tennis was all I cared about,” said Huang, a member of the boys’ varsity rowing and tennis teams. “But as time went on, I realized there was more to discover.”

Huang would eventually join the rowing team, which he credited with helping him broaden his worldview and form new friendships. He advised classmates to “embrace the unknown and give it an honest try.

“Rowing showed me that you can always find more people to lift you up, more teammates to share the struggle and the triumph,” Huang said. “It taught me pride in the work I’ve put in, and it inspired me to keep striving. And that’s what athletics and really everything at NMH and in life is all about: discovering new communities, learning from challenges, and carrying forward the lessons of resilience, teamwork, and connection.”

May, a captain of the girls’ varsity cross-country team, shared the life lessons she has gained from four years of running at NMH.

“Lessons on how to get up after a fall, ... how to find the fun in repetition, ... the grit it takes to continuously choose to keep going even when it gets hard,” May said. “Being on cross-country these last four years has taught me lessons about how to succeed, not only in cross-country but in life. As [coach] Barry Auskern would say, ‘If you put in the work now and just keep going, the rest takes care of itself.’”

She encouraged teammates to “celebrate the little things and find the fun in the mundane action of putting one foot in front of the other. At some point, the course will come to an end, and the feeling of satisfaction that comes from crossing that finish line is like nothing else.”

Coaches Awards were then presented to the following students for their contributions on and off the field, water, court, and trails:

• Girls’ JV cross-country: Sofiya Mansurova ’29
   
• Girls’ varsity cross-country: Bryanna May ’26
   
• Boys’ JV cross-country: Daein Kim ’28
   
• Boys’ varsity cross-country: Eric Zhou ’26
   
• JV field hockey: Anna Lazorina ’26
   
• Varsity field hockey: Chloe Corbin ’26
   
• Mountain biking: Liann Mejia ’28
   
• Boys’ novice rowing: Michael Kim ’29
   
• Boys’ varsity rowing: Spencer Hirschey ’26
   
• Girls’ novice rowing: Tilly Dulles ’29
   
• Girls’ varsity rowing: Daphne Botero ’26
   
• Girls’ JV soccer: Anna Chechile ’26
   
• Girls’ varsity soccer: Brielle Evensen ’27
   
• Boys’ thirds soccer: Thomas Brooks ’29
   
• Boys’ JV soccer: Alan Galym ’26
   
• Boys’ varsity soccer: Porter Beaule ’26
   
• Thirds volleyball: Liv Wooten-Forman ’26
   
• JV volleyball: Mia Soriano ’27
   
• Varsity volleyball: Mira Franzoso ’26

The Excellence in Coaching Award, presented to a coach who exemplifies the core values of NMH athletics and serves as a transformational influence, went to Hadleigh Weber, the newly appointed head coach of the boys’ varsity crew team. 

Weber credited the athletics department, former boys’ rowing coach David Reeder, and her student-athletes for their support in her first season leading the team. 

“I would not be the coach I am today without David's mentorship,” Weber said. “This award is a reflection of the hard work of all of the boys' rowing athletes this fall. I’m honored to be able to work with such wonderful and committed athletes every single day.”

The ceremony closed with a highlight video celebrating the season’s triumphs and the sense of fellowship that defines NMH athletics.

“The real story of NMH athletics is not just the medals, the personal records, the championships, or the headlines,” Shelton said. “It's the relationships built during tough practices; it's the moments when you all chose resilience, humility, and courage; it's learning that standard is who you are every single day, not just on game day.

“Tonight, we celebrate teammates who lift each other up, coaches who care, and a community that shows up for each other. From the bottom of our heart, thank you for representing NMH with your head, your heart, and your hands.”

— Max Hunt

Photos by Ben Barnhart Photographs. See more scenes from the 2025 Fall Athletics Celebration and HOGSPYs awards ceremony on Flickr.