Between the Hills and River Shore

On a very wet day, students planted trees between the Springs Center and the “natural” hockey rink alongside Route 341.

Campus Welcomes New Trees, Birds

Chirp, chirp. Campus is awash in birdsong thanks to the addition of new trees and birdhouses. In the fall and spring terms of last year, students teamed up with Trout Unlimited International and the Housatonic Valley Association in a project to improve the habitat of Macedonia Brook. Part of that effort included planting trees. During the Third Form Day of Service in October, students planted fifty trees, in addition to more in the spring term. During the spring, birdhouses were installed behind Old Main and the Schell House on Chapel Hill below the Rectory.

National Latin Exam ’21 Results

LATIN 2 HONORS STUDENT: Magna Cum Laude LATIN 3 HONORS STUDENTS: Gold Medal (Summa Cum Laude); Silver Medal (Maxima Cum Laude); Magna Cum Laude (2); Cum Laude.

Library Student Leaders Announced

For the current academic year in the John Gray Park ’28 Library, Luju “Julia” Zhang ’22 will serve as president of the Student Library Advisory Council; Annie Yang ’22 as peer tutoring marketing coordinator; and Charlotte Cochener ’22, Zoe Werner ’22, Elsa Batalden ’22, and Youngju “Anna” Jang ’22 will serve as peer tutoring team captains.

Four Students Compete in Science Fair

Four students worked independently outside of school time to develop projects presented at the (virtual) Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair held at Quinnipiac University in March. They included Yuanqin “Albert” Dai ’22 (finalist) with Wildlife Recognition from Camera Trap Data Using Computer Vision Algorithms; Shaun Gu ’22 with Influence of Magnetic Field on the Viscosity of Fluids Doped with Conducting and Non-conducting Particulates; and Youngju “Anna” Jang ’22 (finalist) with Examining the Energy Efficiency of Variations of Synechocystis Nigrescens and Shewanella Oneidensis Bioinks in Biophotovoltaic Cells. Siyi Lucy Lu ’23 placed third for high school physical science and earned the Lockheed Martin Physical Science Award for Exoskeleton Hand Based on MMG Signals for Partially Paralyzed Patients.

Historic Results for Math Team

Jessie Wang ’23, Viraj Shah ’23, Howard Hua ’23, and Kevin Zhang ’22 competed in the second round of the American Mathematics Competition, with Wang reaching the number two spot among the top five test-takers in all of New England. At the New England Math League Competition, Shah finished fourth overall with an historically high score for a Kent student. And at the Johns Hopkins Mathematics Competition, a team consisting of Shah, Hua, Lisa Popova ’23, and Eric Teng ’24 tied for first place among 93 teams in the competition.

Dr. Ann Meng Retires

ON PRIZE DAY 2021, Head of School Mike Hirschfeld announced that Dr. Ann Meng would retire at the end of the year. Dr. Meng taught four sections of Chinese in the Modern Languages Department for seventeen years and was a resident of Case Dormitory during her entire tenure. Whether writing tests or exams or designing listening quizzes and classroom activities, Dr. Meng was known to be both creative and entertaining. In addition, Dr. Meng considered all her students to be “her children.” With gratitude, we wish Dr. Meng a healthy and fulfilling time in her post–Kent School years. Godspeed.

Passing the Baton

Board Chair B. Waring Partridge retires; James Lawrence succeeds him

AFTER SERVING FOR 10 YEARS as the Chair of the Board of Trustees at Kent, and a collective 24 years as a member of the Board, B. Waring Partridge ’62, P’23 stepped down from his role this past spring, passing the baton to James “Jim” Lawrence P’15.

Mr. Lawrence is chairman of Lake Harriet Capital LLC, a private investment firm. Previously, he served as chairman of Rothschild North America and as co-head of global investment banking, among other positions. Mr. Lawrence earned a bachelor’s in economics from Yale University and an M.B.A. with distinction from Harvard Business School. Since 1990, he has served on 18 public company boards, several private company boards, and numerous nonprofit boards.

Mr. Partridge has been a senior business manager, entrepreneur, public servant, management consultant, inventor, investor, and naval officer. He graduated from Yale College as a Navy ROTC midshipman with a bachelor’s in economics. He is also a graduate of Catholic University’s Law School and a member of the Washington, D.C., bar. He has also served on numerous boards.

As Mr. Partridge neared the end of his decorated tenure at Kent, he began to consider his successor. He was impressed with Mr. Lawrence’s deep commitment to the School, and Mr. Partridge suggested he take on the role. The Board unanimously agreed.

“I’m very pleased that Jim is taking the seat,” Mr. Partridge said. “I’ve watched him on the Board. He was an effective leader. It takes someone who can pay attention, and who has a fresh set of eyes. Jim certainly has the skill and the background to step right in and do a great job.”

Mr. Lawrence’s appointment was slightly unconventional. He’s not an alumnus of Kent, but rather a parent of a former student, Thomas, who died at the age of 22 by his own hand while attending Yale University in 2018. Mr. Lawrence and his wife, Mary, have been outspoken about Thomas’s five-year battle with bipolar disorder, and they credit Kent for being a bright spot for their son during that time.

Thomas’s struggles surfaced during his junior year at the Lawrenceville School, and Thomas and his family were searching for a new school to anchor him. Kent stepped up, welcoming Thomas and allowing him to finish his junior year online and then return to campus his senior year.

“I considered it an unbelievable act of Christian forgiveness and charity,” Mr. Lawrence said. “We were enormously grateful. We feel that Kent held him with us two times. When Father Schell asked me to join the Board, I said, ‘Of course,’ because I felt like I had an enormous debt to pay.”

Mr. Lawrence acknowledges that he has big shoes to fill. “Waring really drove the School to get better and better,” he said. Now, he sees his role, and the role of the Board, as helping Head of School Mike Hirschfeld make decisions that will fundamentally change the School.

“When there are potential decisions that will outlive Mike and extend beyond his tenure, we’ll be involved in formulating the strategy,” he said.

As Mr. Partridge reflects on his time leading the Board, he says it feels as though he’s “stepping down from a job.” His accomplishments are many, including helping former Headmaster Father Richardson W. Schell ’69 unify the two campuses and undertake vast renovations over the span of several decades; securing a healthy endowment; and leading the Head of School search committee that ultimately tapped Mr. Hirschfeld.

“Every school needs to have enough of an endowment to operate successfully in the face of things like the pandemic, and we’ve done that,” he said. “And we’ve created a professionally managed organization that is focusing on tracking and moving the needle on multiple metrics at one time. Kent is poised for significant growth, and I’m very proud of that.”

And Mr. Partridge has faith in Mr. Lawrence to propel the School forward. “It’s a very complex thing to figure out how to educate people for the rest of their lives,” he said. “I think Jim has the patience for it, and eventually, if he’s successful, people will call it wisdom.”

B. Waring Partridge ’62, P’23 James “Jim” Lawrence P’15

100 Bikes Donated

Inspired by the U.S. Flying Tigers of WWII—the pilots who provided foreign aid to China, led by Gen. Claire Lee Chennault of Louisiana—the US-Sino Youth Leadership Initiative aims to give back to the community. The group has grown from three founding Kent School students, Oscar Wang ’22, Nathan Liu ’23, and Eric Teng ’24, to include thirteen students hailing from four states in the U.S. and three other countries. This year, the Initiative raised funds, and assembled and donated 100 bicycles to children of National Guard officers stationed in Louisiana. Future efforts are planned to aid the local Chambers of Commerce in Louisiana.

(LEFT TO RIGHT) Eric Teng ’24; Nathan Liu ’23; Mayor Friday Ellis of Monroe City, Louisiana; Nell Calloway, Chennault Aviation Museum CEO and granddaughter of Gen. Chennault; Oscar Wang ’22; and Lifeng Mao, volunteer advisor.

PRIZE DAY ADDRESS 2021

Toward a Brighter Future

FORMER HEADMASTER AND RECTOR THE REV. RICHARDSON W. SCHELL ’69 DELIVERED THE PRIZE DAY 2021 SPEECH, EXCERPTED HERE.

“THE LOVELY VALLEY LAND of Kent comes forth in light to hail her Lord!” I greet you with these words of the School Song written by Kent’s Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Robert S. Hillyer, Class of 1913. The valley land—our Valley—has never been lovelier or more exalted than it is today, filled with pride and gratitude, humility, and love.

Pride in your accomplishments through these years, gratitude for the sacrifices made by your parents and grandparents, teachers, coaches and advisors, and alumni and trustees, who made all this possible; humility in our personal and collective trials; and an abiding love for each other, and for God to whom we give the glory.

Thank you for the honor to congratulate on behalf of all of us—you, the great Class of 2021—and offer some thoughts on our shared human condition with those of you who are here in the Valley and with those of you joining us throughout the country and around the world.

The losses we have all suffered are incalculable. We pray for so many families and people who are hurting here and everywhere around the world. Our lives have changed, so it’s not surprising we are more anxious than usual. But even as we keep up our guard until this ordeal is over, we can see the promised land of a brighter future on the horizon.

I speak for all of us in commending the leadership at all levels of our beloved Kent School community: school leaders and faculty members, prefects, Senior Council, the Sixth Form, and especially today our own School physician, Dr. Suzanne LeFebvre, as well as the health center and operations teams, maintenance, technology, dining hall, and others, for skillfully navigating these uncharted waters and getting the School successfully to this day of arrival. Thank you for keeping the Kent community safe. I am very proud of Kent and grateful to God for our School community now more than ever.

Our Founder, Fr. Frederick Herbert Sill, OHC, would be proud of his great School today. Because of his vision, Kent has always been good. The very act of founding Kent—what was called then “a young man’s dream” because of Fr. Sill’s unique “sliding-scale tuition” intended to make a first-rate Kent education possible for students of families of modest means—was itself a way to reduce inequality in American society. Kent from the beginning of its existence aspired to equity. The challenge to realize this dream in all its dimensions continues in your generation. It will be a lifelong project for you and your families to keep Kent “on mission” by means of your loyalty and philanthropy.

It has always been a big accomplishment to graduate

from Kent, but this year you have done what very few classes have done before you—that is, except in time of war—to earn the Kent diploma and at the same time hold the School together through great adversity during a global emergency.

You, members of the Class of 2021, well led by Aay-Janae and Miki, were tested in all the usual ways and then some. As leaders in the fall, it was up to each of you to set an example for following social distancing and safety protocols that would not only keep everyone healthy, but also allow in-person instruction to continue. You and your teachers rose to the occasion whether in-person or online. Despite limited outside sports competition, you adapted well to the circumstances, and the Kent banner of excellence in the realm of athletics continues to wave proudly. You endured a difficult quarantine period during winter, but more recently you enjoyed the fruits of all of your efforts, a Sixth Form spring term with its attendant celebrations: Rock Day, Sixth Form Skip Day, Ring Banquet, Sixth Form Recognition Ceremony, and now Prize Day. The community relied on you to lay the groundwork and then lead us into a place of increasing light and hope… as you leave the School better than you found it.

Your self-discipline, self-sacrifice, and leadership have paid off. You are ready for college. The finest colleges and universities in the country and around the world have recognized your talents, your work ethic, your character, and your potential to contribute to the common good. I know you will make the most of the opportunity—and responsibility—next year and beyond.

My hope for you is that you will continue to choose to live a life that reveres the inestimable value of human life and that as you grow in knowledge you will also grow in your passionate commitment to care, to respect in word and deed the dignity of every human being, including yourself. “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Cum Laude Society

CLASS OF 2021: INDUCTED PRIZE DAY 2021

Nyamekye Akosah Madeline Briddell Nicole Chan Rebecca Cohn Dusan Cvetkovic Graham Dietz Youssef ElSobaihy John Garbi Xinyan “Emily” He Kelly Hooper Tzung Ying “Dennis” Hsieh Che Rim Kang Henryk Kania Edward Kim Alexander LeBlanc Yikai “Jason” Li Ziqing “Sunny” Li Ziqi “Anna” Liu Hayden Myer Nicole Namath Minyoung “Julia” Park Carlos Paya Barrachina Alexia Pryor Anna Roeloffs Irina Romanova Kaitlin Shannon Aay-Janae Taylor Mikaella Tortusa Kyla Wilson Haoyang “Andy” Xu Emily Yemington

2021 College Matriculation List

Babson College (3) Bellarmine University Bentley University Boston College (3) Boston University (7) Brandeis University Bucknell University Case Western Reserve University Castleton University Chapman University Christopher Newport University Clark University Colby College (3) College of the Holy Cross College of William and Mary (3) Columbia University (4) Cornell University (2) Drexel University Emerson College (2) Emory University Fordham University (2) Franklin and Marshall College George Washington University (2) Georgetown University Hamilton College (7) Harvard University (2) Hobart William Smith Colleges Hofstra University Indiana University-Bloomington Johns Hopkins University (2) Lehigh University Marist College Marymount University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Middlebury College Montana State University New York University (5) Niagara University Northeastern University (6) Northwestern University Purdue University Quinnipiac University Rhode Island School of Design (2) Rice University Roanoke College Santa Fe College Skidmore College Southern Methodist University (3) St. Lawrence University (3) Stonehill College Syracuse University (5) Temple University Texas Christian University The New School Trinity College (6) Tufts University (2) Tulane University Union College United States Air Force Academy United States Naval Academy University of British Columbia University of California-Irvine (4) University of California-Los Angeles University of Chicago University of Denver University of Illinois at Urbana-

Champaign University of Miami University of Michigan-Ann Arbor University of Pittsburgh University of Richmond University of Rochester University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of St Andrews (2) University of Tampa University of Texas at Austin University of the District of Columbia University of Vermont (3) University of Virginia University of Washington-Tacoma University of Wisconsin-Madison Vanderbilt University Villanova University (2) Virginia Polytechnic Institute Wagner College Wake Forest University Washington and Lee University Washington University in St. Louis Wellesley College (2) Wesleyan University (2) Williams College Worcester Polytechnic Institute Yale University

Gap Year (3) Junior Hockey (1) PG Year (1) Undeclared (1)

Senior Council 2021–2022

SENIOR PREFECTS: Alden Lineberger and Harry Song BLUE KEYS: Zoe Werner and Bao Pham

CLUBS PROGRAM STEWARDS: Megan Woodworth and Ian Lehman

PREFECTS: Anna Jang (Hoerle), Jordon Benjamin (North), Tiffany Chan (Case), Eli Rice (Borsdorff), Liv Oyen (Case), Junsung Lee (North), Mariya Novosad (Hoerle), Chris Kim (MDS), Annie Yang (Field), and Cole Watson (Borsdorff)

SACRISTANS: Kaitlyn Aliciene and Max Foote VERGERS: Dagny Peters and Philip Choi CLASS REPS: Ais Bacon-Blaber and Wyatt Mills

The Pin Ceremony

On September 24, members of the Class of 2022 gathered in Mattison Auditorium for the annual VI Form Leadership Commissioning Ceremony. Head of School Mike Hirschfeld exhorted the entire class—not only those tapped to the Senior Council—to embrace all aspects of servant leadership in the year ahead.

Conceived a number of years ago by former Dean of Students Cathe Mazza ’76, each class member is presented with a sterling silver lapel pin (the idea inspired by trustee Magalen Crane Webert ’69, P’98). The pin features the Christogram Chi-Rho, crafted by Homer Smith, a Native American retired schoolteacher who lives in Puget Sound, WA.

New Faculty Appointments

During the summer of 2021, Head of School Mike Hirschfeld made the following appointments to address new needs, fill vacancies, and implement new priorities and initiatives.

Jamel Bonnello, LCSW Director of Counseling and Student Wellness Kali Brown History Department Fellow Brian Cheney Associate Chaplain/ History Department Hillary Clifton ’08 Science Department Alexander Coyle History Department

Tiffany Doerr, MSEd. School Counselor Torrey Hall Assistant Director of Athletics Charles Hayes Manager of Campus Safety and Security Rebecca Kurish ’02 Modern Languages Department Dr. Kevin MacNeil Academic Dean

Cathe Mazza ’76 Alumni Secretary Stuart McKenzie Science Department Cate O’Dwyer Dean of Faculty Amy Ober Director of Admissions Deborah Pendal Music Department Chair

Toni Presti English Department Carlie Robbins English Department Madeleine Schade History Department Ryan Tolfree Mathematics Department Chair Kaitlyn Tsuyuki Mathematics Department

Dr. Travis Tucker Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Mike Wang Modern Languages Department Tyler White Dean’s Office Christine Wilson English Department Michael Wright ’81 Admissions

Shakespeare in Action!

Kent School Dance Ensemble presented Shakespeare Spring, featuring faculty member and student choreography encompassing a wide array of dance styles, including ballet, contemporary, hip hop, modern jazz, street dance, and tap. In addition, talented student actors were featured performing selected Shakespearean texts.

Walkway Gallery Highlights Black History

In March and April, the Walkway Gallery featured A Moving Story to highlight the importance of Black history for America. Curated by Eyiwunmi Ajao ’21, the exhibition featured works by herself and Vito Escudero ’23, Neely Ewy ’22, Alexander Hantman ’24, Owen Rokous ’21, AayJanae Taylor ’21, Anthony Zhang ’21, and Jack Zimmerman ’23.

Eyiwunmi Ajao ’21

Students’ Artwork Recognized

Out of more than 100 submissions, fourteen works of art in various media created by Kent School art students were selected for the juried exhibition presented by the Washington (Connecticut) Art Association. Anthony Zhang ’21 earned a monetary scholarship award for his creation of a carved ceramic table (at right).

Connecticut Scholastic Art Awards

During the winter term, thirteen students’ artworks were selected for inclusion in the (virtual) Connecticut Scholastic Art Awards competition. Gold Medals were awarded to Yubin Hyung ’24 (drawing, “Streaks of Positivity”), Anna Jang ’22 (sculpture, “Grit”), and Kevin Zhang ’22 (mixed media, “A Target for All”); Silver Medals to Anna Liu ’21 (digital art, “Self-portrait”) and Rebecca Voss ’22 (sculpture, “My Human Cocoon”); and eight Honorable Mentions. To view the exhibit online, visit ctartawardsexhibit.net.

Take to the Stage

In April, Kent Theatre presented the musical Working, by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso. The musical is based on Studs Terkel’s best-selling book of the same title. Terkel interviewed American workers, spotlighting many careers we take for granted, from millworkers to housewives to phone operators. At Kent, the musical was performed adhering to social distance guidelines, and was streamed virtually.

Q&A

Winning Gold

ROWER CHRISTINE ROPER ’08 TAKES HOME THE GOLD MEDAL FOR CANADA.

Christine Roper, a tall, athletic swimmer hailing from Jamaica, needed to play a spring sport her Third Form year at Kent. She chose rowing, not at all sure what she was getting into, and the rest, as they say, is history. “I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for Kent,” Roper said just weeks after winning a gold medal in the women’s eights boat at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

After rowing at Kent, Roper competed for the University of Virginia, and was then invited to join Canada’s national team in 2010. In 2016, she was named to Canada’s 2016 Olympic team as part of the women’s coxed eight, and the team placed fifth in Rio—a defeat that ultimately inspired Roper to dig deeper and learn more about herself over the last four years as she prepared for Tokyo.

Can you walk us through the gold-winning match?

Because of the pandemic, we hadn’t raced against anyone in two years. I knew that we were fast. I’ve been rowing long enough that I know what a fast eight feels like. The biggest question mark is what our competitors had been up to over the last two years. Those circumstances forced us to stay quite internal and row our own race. Our strategy was to get out fast and have everybody reacting to our race plan, not us reacting to everyone else’s. And that really helped us.

The final was our third race in that regatta. In the first heat, New Zealand nipped us at the line, so we raced the repêchage and didn’t win that either. Romania nipped us at the finish line. That highlighted that we needed to focus on our finish, but also be more aggressive off the start. By the time we got to the final, we had those two races to learn from.

In the final, we got the start we wanted. We were always keeping an eye on the people behind us, especially New Zealand. We were up, but teams had had some incredible sprints, and we didn’t want to get caught off guard again. We just needed to keep doing what we were doing to stay ahead. When we came into the last 400 meters, I could feel that everything was clicking and we were absolutely crushing it. I started to think, “There’s no way that they can catch us now.” And I was also thinking, “Holy moly, is this real life? Don’t mess up.”

Our coach, Jamie Robinson, did a really good job of highlighting that each person in the crew had their particular strengths and weaknesses. That helped me to realize that it’s not just about working hard, but also about the relationships that you build with your coaches and teammates.

What did it feel like to receive the gold medal?

It felt really surreal because it was a moment I’d thought about as a professional athlete and as a kid. I love being in an eight because it’s a big boat, and I was surrounded by my teammates, who are also my best friends. Then they were raising our flag and playing our anthem, which made it even more surreal. It happened very quickly, but it also happened in slow motion at the same time.

How did placing fifth at the 2016 Olympics impact your drive for gold?

Now that Tokyo has happened, I look back on Rio with a lot more appreciation. It could have been the best thing that ever happened to me, but at the time it was extremely heartbreaking. I struggled after Rio because going to the Olympics and just participating wasn’t enough for me. I felt like I was letting everyone down, and I knew we were capable of winning. But then I began to realize how hard I was on myself, and how much value I placed in my result, when I should have been emphasizing a lot more of the journey. My motto going into 2021 was: “I want to be able to come dead last and still walk away with my head held high.”

What did your Kent coaches instill in you?

What separates Kent from a lot of other programs that I’ve even ever been involved in is the amount of tradition that’s embedded in Kent School and in the KSBC. You begin to understand the history of the program, and how successful it’s been throughout the years. Our coach, Jamie Robinson, did a really good job of highlighting that each person in the crew had their particular strengths and weaknesses. That helped me to realize that it’s not just about working hard, but also about the relationships that you build with your coaches and teammates. Julie Saxton and Kat Sullivan were the assistant coaches, and I love girl power, so I really enjoyed having female coaches I could relate to.

What are the pros and cons to being a professional athlete?

When I first joined the national team, I was quite young and my body bounced back very easily. It’s now been a little bit over ten years, and I have to pay better attention to my body to make sure that I don’t get injured. Focusing on nutrition and my mental health have become extremely important. It’s also hard to miss my family and friends. I live and train in Victoria, British Columbia. I miss things like weddings and birthdays and babies being born. I feel like I’m the queen of FaceTime. On the flip side, I got to work out for a living, and I spent every day with some of my best friends. We traveled the world and competed in some pretty cool places. I’ve met and built relationships with people from all around the world. Every time I think about all the challenges, I flip it and think about all the positives that have come from what I’ve done as well.

What’s been the most gratifying part of your journey?

Ending it with the win is like this is the icing on the cake. But I think for me, it’s the lessons that I’ve learned along the way that it’s not so much the end goal that’s important, but how you get there. Life is process driven, and anything that you have going for you, it’s all about how you get there, not if you get there and what happens once you get there.

Spring Athletic Highlights

Boys Rowing

Covid restrictions meant that the boys rowing team had an abbreviated training season and fewer experienced in-person rowers. Nonetheless, in-person rowers dealt well with the multiple adversities and showed perseverance during practices when the crew could not go on the water owing to weather and the racing schedule’s uncertainties. The initial two races of the season—first against Noble and Greenough School and then against Fairfield Prep—produced mixed results, but the final weekend of the shortened season, racing Salisbury School in eights on Friday and Berkshire School in fours on Saturday, was a great end to the season. The top two eights found their footing by beating Salisbury in the second boat by eleven seconds and the first boat by six seconds. The third boat, made up of novice rowers, put together a terrific and competitive first 500m before Salisbury’s more experienced boat moved away for a decisive win. On Saturday, Kent’s first boat, consisting of the stern four of the eight, had a close race with Berkshire for the first 900m before finding its stride and winning by ten seconds. The second four, consisting of the bow four of the first eight, won convincingly by twenty seconds. The second eight also split into fours by bow four and stern four to race Berkshire’s third four, and this race was awarded to the Bears after a series of mishaps that included hitting a buoy and losing an oar.

Girls Rowing

This team focused on improving boat speed, completing meters on the ergometer, and building more strength during lifts, but they also prioritized team bonding, team discussions, and coxswain meetings. Rowers made strides with their blade work and power on the water, and coxswains developed more technical and racing calls. The Lions raced against Nobles on the Housatonic River and competed against Greenwich Academy on the Mianus River Pond before taking a trip down to Mercer Lake in New Jersey to go head-to-head against Lawrenceville Academy. To wrap up our season, they welcomed a few alumnae “back” via Zoom for the Chariots Dinner.

Girls Varsity Tennis

The Girls Varsity Tennis team finished with a strong 3–1 season, recording wins over crosstown rivals Berkshire and Miss Porter’s School. The team was led by singles and doubles #1 and captain Lexy Pryor ’21, who finished the season undefeated. The team benefited from the singles play of #2 and captainelect Isabella Tang ’22, #3 Carolina Thoenes ’23, and #4 Serena Lowy ’24. Doubles #1 and captain-elect Anna Jang ’22 led the team in her doubles play. She was supported by Kingsley Tucker ’21 and several newcomers, including Tara Abuyazid ’23, Taylor Elms ’23, Amy Jirakulaporn ’24, Megan Jirakulaporn ’22, Natalia Pastoukhova Valdez ’24, Dora Wang ’23, and Lulu Ransom ’23. The team maintained Zoom contact with veteran senior players Meera Rao ’21 and Emma Turner ’21. The team is excited to welcome back Paula Lanius ’23, a top returning player.

Equestrian

The Kent School Equestrian Team enjoyed a great spring term. While the change in the school calendar had the team inside more than usual, the new three-van schedule allowed for longer lessons with smaller groups in the indoor arena. Several riders focused on learning to ride more than one horse, riding two horses each day. The team also had several novice riders join for the spring term, and they all made great progress, learning to trot and canter unaided.

Boys Varsity Lacrosse

Kent lacrosse played six games over the course of its six-week season. The team played its best lacrosse in the last game of the season, against Berkshire, holding a lead for most of the game against a team that had beaten them by 14 goals the day before. Harry Laferriere ’22 played every minute in the goal and was named Team MVP. Ben Raskind ’22 and Eli Rice ’22 shared the award for Most Improved. The Don Gowan ’66 Award was presented to Dante Batista ’21.

Varsity Golf

This season, the golf team played on its home course three times, hosting its other matches and practice rounds on Stony Brook School’s course. Led by captain and MVP Nicole Chan ’21, the season ended with a 3–2 record, with home wins against Avon Old Farms, Berkshire, and Trinity-Pawling School, and away losses to Avon and Berkshire. Tiffany Chan ’22 has been elected captain for 2022. Ben Michaud Bang ’22, Luca Alfonso Dukcevich ’22, Graham Dietz ’21, Eli Weinberger ’23, and Sam Booth ’24 rounded out the line-up, each posting solid scores on several occasions. Dietz earned the Coaches Award this season for his tenacity and focus during practice, steady improvement in competition, and unquestionable commitment to the group. Sam Booth earned Most Improved honors.

Varsity Softball

This squad entered the season with hopes of competing for another Founders League Championship. Unfortunately, due to Covid concerns, the Founders League regular season was canceled and replaced with a six-game schedule. Despite the many challenges, the team surged ahead, making the most of its time on the field together. This was undoubtedly Kent’s most talented group of softball players, and they certainly would have been strong contenders for a run at the New England Championship. With several gifted newcomers and three returning players from the 2019 Founders League team, they quickly formed a strong connection on and off the field. All-Founders League pitcher Teagan Graham ’21 and All-Founders League shortstop Jessica Greene ’21 led the way in the early part of season practices. In their first game, the Lions came out swinging against Miss Porter’s, with catcher Erin Donlan ’22 crushing a bases-clearing homerun in her first at-bat of the season. The team tallied 13 hits in its first game, winning 18–0.

In their second game, the Lions ran into a stronger pitcher from the Lawrenceville School and lost a wellfought battle 5–3. In their final three games, the Lions played a talented Suffield Academy team, taking two of the three games and winning the series. Kent’s outfield leader, Kyle Morano ’23, had a great weekend with several key hits and defensive plays. The team finished the season with a 4–2 record. The future looks bright as several talented starters will be returning in 2022. The team will certainly miss VI Formers Brigid Garrahy, Graham, and Greene. Garrahy is attending Franklin & Marshall College, while Graham is attending and playing softball at Hamilton College. Greene is at Hofstra University, where she will be playing Division I softball.

Varsity Baseball

This season, the players were able to get back on the diamond to compete, playing an eight-game schedule over three

weekends. The season’s 0–8 record did not match the team’s ability. In games against Avon, Trinity-Pawling, and Berkshire, the team faced NCAA Division I college-level pitching. The program has made incredible strides over time, largely owing to VI Formers Cass Hough ’21 and Brendan Stewart ’21, who brought the program to a new level of intensity and campus pride.

Girls Varsity Lacrosse

After waiting 688 days since their last interscholastic competition, the girls were fired up to compete again against Suffield. Although the first few minutes saw some nervous energy and dropped passes, the team jelled and found its rhythm by halftime. Newcomer Francesca DeSisto ’22 led the offense that day with six goals. Helen Deretchin ’21 was steadfast in net, along with defenders Megan Woodworth ’22, Lauren Ferrari ’23, Morgan Clarke ’23, and Mina Exnerova ’21, who held Suffield’s attack at bay the second half to come away with a 14–6 victory.

Next up, Kent traveled to play Miss Porter’s to secure a decisive 19–8 victory. Leading the attack that day were tri-captains Mallory Mauracher ’21 and Hannah Kent ’21, who each notched an impressive five goals. Kent then hosted Lawrenceville for their first home game of the spring. Midfielders Mauracher and Kyla Wilson ’21 worked hard on both ends of the field, but Kent came up short. It was the team’s only loss of the season, providing the girls with an opportunity to improve and respond to adversity.

The season culminated with two games against Berkshire. In the first match, the girls came out strong with the offense making excellent passes, coming away with a 11–6 hard-fought victory. In the final game, the Lions were again victorious over Berkshire, this time by a score of 10–6. With 11 girls graduating, the team will lean heavily on the core group of returners. Megan Woodworth and Sophia Darras ’22 were voted as captains-elect, with Darras earning the Most Improved Player Award. Departing captain Wilson received the Coaches Award for her spirit and dedication to the team. Mauracher earned the Most Valuable Defender Award, and leading scorer Hannah Kent earned All-NEPSAC honors, as well as the team’s Most Valuable Attacker.