NMH Closes Year in Athletics with Spring Hogspys Awards

With the end of the 2025–26 school year closing in fast, Northfield Mount Hermon's citizen-scholar-athletes, coaches, and athletics staff gathered to celebrate an exciting end to the year in athletics at the 2026 Spring Hogspys Awards ceremony.

The event began with a banquet for spring sports teams in Alumni Hall, where students and coaches shared a meal and posed for photos. They then made their way up the hill to Memorial Chapel for the awards portion of the evening, where they enjoyed a highlight video of the spring season, remarks and reflections from staff members and students, and the announcement of seasonal and coaches awards.

"Tonight is about recognizing something special," said Athletics Scheduling and Event Coordinator Kelsey Roberts. "Yes, we celebrate the wins, the records, the accomplishments — those things matter, and we should be proud of them — but what makes NMH athletics meaningful goes beyond the scoreboards. 

“I want us to think of the captain who made another player feel included; the athlete who's battling injury and still shows up with their teammates at all their practices and games; the manager who's not asking for any recognition; and the coaches who give their time, energy, and knowledge to their team every single day. These are the things I hope you remember in years to come, and that you take resilience, accountability, and pride with you from NMH athletics."

Head of School Brian Hargrove recounted his thoughts while visiting with alums in  Chicago and Pittsburgh.

"I was overwhelmed by the sense of gratitude to be a part of a place so much bigger than one person and one idea," Hargrove reflected. "Our students who participated in sports this spring play an important part in that, pouring their joy, their hard work, even some of their frustrations and their tears, into making this community what it is, and I thank you for that."

Interim Athletics Director Michael Shelton echoed Hargrove's message of gratitude, thanking students, coaches, and athletics staff for showing up and giving the very best of themselves throughout the year. "It's really been a blessing for me to see you all grow throughout this entire season, and it's going to be exciting to see all the kids that come back to do it again next year."

With that, Shelton began the evening's awards portion by announcing the spring seasonal award winners in the following categories:

• This season's "Breakthrough Athlete of the Year" was Jemma Jacobs '28, who recorded her 100th career save as a member of the girls' varsity lacrosse team.
• "Best Performance by an Individual" went to varsity golfer Marko Huo '26 for his top-10 finish in the Independent International Invitational junior golf tournament.
• "Play of the Year" was given to Efe Iyahen '27, whose 6'8" high jump nearly broke his own school record.
• The "Contest of the Year" award went to the boys' varsity lacrosse team for their 16-11 win over Exeter Academy.

Following the seasonal awards, seniors Joey Dellacroce and Hisu Kang reflected on the lessons they learned through participating in athletics. Dellacroce spoke of his transition from a hockey academy to NMH, where he found unexpected joy in playing golf as a second sport. The emotional outlet and opportunities for growth that golf provided opened his mind to the importance of trying new things and stepping beyond one's comfort zone, he said.

He encouraged his fellow athletes to take advantage of the opportunities NMH offers to branch out and try something new. "Try and take this approach for whatever you do next, whether it's a job, person, or a new place. Allow yourself to have an open mind, take the risk even if it seems crazy, because without risk there's no movement. Do what's uncomfortable for you.… [I]f you don't, you might miss out on some of the most memorable moments in life and rob yourself of a connection you never knew was there."

Kang spoke about the quirks of scoring in tennis and how it has taught her that winning and losing are as much about one's response to difficulties and disappointments as they are about the numbers on the scoreboard.

She referenced the 20 seconds that a player is allowed after a point is scored — "not to fix everything, just to reset" — drawing an analogy to how to approach life's challenges. "We're not going to win every point, but the scoreboard has never been the whole story anyway. So take your 20 seconds, then show up for the ones that matter — and be proud of how you played the rest."

Next up was the announcement of the spring coaches awards. The following students were recognized for their contributions to their teams, the athletics program, and the school:

• Varsity Baseball: Layne London '27 
• JV Golf: Hank Shao '29 
• Varsity Golf: Joey Dellacroce '26 
• Outdoor Team: Coleman Schatz '29 
• Boys' JV Lacrosse: Nick Chien '28 
• Boys' Varsity Lacrosse: Liam Newell '26 
• Girls' JV Lacrosse: Eliza Jessen '26 
• Girls' Varsity Lacrosse: Chloe Corbin '26 
• Boys' Novice Rowing: Gray Hmieleski '29 
• Boys' Varsity Rowing: Leopold Kuhlefelt '26 
• Girls' Novice Rowing: Joanna Zhou '29 
• Girls' Varsity Rowing: Avery McGowan '26 
• Varsity Softball: Bailey Barnett '28 
• Boys' JV Tennis: Lucas Chin '28 
• Boys' Varsity Tennis: Caleb Chung '26 
• Girls' JV Tennis: Talia Baron '26 
• Girls' Varsity Tennis: Ceylan Kutman '26 
• Boys' Track & Field: Will Higgs '26 
• Girls' Track & Field: Ellie Pinkham '26 
• Boys' Varsity Ultimate: Tony Zhang '27 
• Girls' Varsity Ultimate: Mia Soriano '27 
• Boys' JV Volleyball: Shane Adams '29 
• Boys' Varsity Volleyball: James Wareham '26

"I did not think that playing sports at NMH would change my life," said Corbin, who also won coaches awards during the fall and winter seasons. "Although I have definitely improved as a player, they have also shown me how to be a better student, peer, and overall person off the field. If I hadn't played team sports for all my years here, I would not be the person I am today."

The awards portion of the evening ended with the presentation of the Excellence in Coaching Award, given each season to a coach who exemplifies the core values of NMH athletics and serves as a transformational influence. The spring season award was presented to Katie Clarke, girls’ varsity lacrosse coach.

Shelton closed out the Hogspys by calling for one final round of applause for the senior class, which he thanked for their contributions to the athletics program and the school at large. "You guys have been leaders on and off the playing field, and we can't wait to see what you do in the future."

As students streamed from the chapel towards the front lawn of Bolger House, where they enjoyed refreshments and ice cream, senior Will Higgs paused to reflect on how athletics impacted his NMH experience.

"Everywhere I've been, I've tried to buy in fully to whatever it is I want to do in that given moment, whether it's class or athletics," Higgs said. "Being somewhere where I have the opportunity to do [multiple sports] and a coaching staff that wants me to go and succeed and be great, it means a lot."

—Max Hunt

Photos by Charlie Li '28, Allen Liu '28, and Harry van Baaren. See more scenes from the 2026 Spring Hogspys Awards on Flickr.