Athletics Highlights

Last Fall saw the long-awaited return of an entire season of competition across all sports. The campus was swarming with student-athletes as they practiced, competed, cheered, and supported each other. Our athletes and coaches clicked back into gear as if they had never been away, with five Varsity sports and five Junior-Varsity sports at full capacity, hosting games and attending away trips.

Field Hockey and Volleyball teams led the way with post-season participation. Field Hockey qualified for the NEPSAC Class B Tournament. The #5 seed, following a 12-5-0 record, the team lost a fiercely fought quarter-final, 2-1, versus a stellar Thayer Academy team. In Courtney Collins debut season as Head Coach, Volleyball advanced to the NEPSAC Class C Tournament as the #3 seed with a 144-0 record. Following a triumphant 3-1 quarter-final victory, Cushing finally fell to #2 seed and eventual champions, St. Luke's School.

• Sammy Taber '23 (All-NEPSAC) • Grace McGovern '22 (All-NEPSAC) • Rylie Jones '23 (All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention) • Lily Wilcox '22 (All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention)

• Turram Toussaint ’22 (WNEPSSA All-Star) • Henrique Menezes ’22 (WNEPSSA All-Star) • Zachary Becker '23 (All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention)

• Lilly Corso ’23 (Boston Globe All-NEPSAC,

NEPSAC Junior All-Star) • Caroline Lilley '23 (NEPSAC Junior All-Star) • Courtney Lilley '24 (All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention)

• Grace Ardito ’22 (All-NEPSAC) • Akadia Ndur '23 (All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention) • Skyla Grenier ’23 (All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention)

Field Hockey scores a goal in the NEPSAC Class B tournament. Video here bit.ly/3Lkqnwn

Volleyball was the #3 seed in the NEPSAC Class C tournament. Here the team poses before a Breast Cancer Awareness Month fundraiser.

While not competing with the Cross Country team, Stone Evans '24 used his Fall season to successfully try out and be selected for the United States U15 Indoor Lacrosse Team. This tremendous accomplishment came after several rounds of tryouts and practices, and we are excited to support Stone in representing his country. We were excited to add two new coaching staff members to our Fall Sports, Courtney Collins and Alex Macpherson, Head Coaches for Varsity Girls' Volleyball and Varsity Girls' Soccer, respectively.

Coach Collins joined Cushing from Pinkerton Academy, where she coached both the boys' and girls' programs. A stand-out player, Collins' competed for Keene State College and Rivier College and still competes at Open, Beach, and Grass Nationals.

Coach Macpherson came to Ashburnham from UMass Lowell Women's Soccer, where he was an Assistant Coach for two years. He brings a wealth of collegelevel experience with him, having held roles at Boston University, Wentworth Institute of Technology, and Franklin Pierce University. In addition, he possesses his USSF 'B' Coaching License and positively impacted the program immediately.

Getting involved with the Golf Tournament is a great way to give back to Cushing Academy, as all proceeds raised support the school as a whole through the Cushing Academy Annual Fund and our Girls’ and Boys’ Hockey programs.