New-Look Lineup for Athletic Dept.
Douthett ’03 Golden in World Cup Lax
As Peddie ushers in a new era with its versatile turf field and soon-to-be-open pool, a dedicated new Athletic Department lineup is in place. Susan Cabot has returned as the leader of the Athletic Department in the role of interim director of athletics, a post she held for nine years from 1997-2006. She replaces Geoff Harlan, who, after three years as athletic director, decided to return to New England with his family and serve as the director of the annual fund for the Hillside School in Marlborough, Mass. “I am so pleased that Sue was willing to return to this role and guide the department as she has done so capably in the past,” said Head of School John Green. “With as many moving parts in our athletic program as there are today, including completing the renovation and expansion of our athletic center, there is no one who knows this area of the school better.” In addition, Peddie has also named Marc Buchner ’92 assistant director of athletics. A member of the Peddie mathematics department since 2004, Buchner has coached lacrosse, basketball and tennis at the junior varsity level. The departure of Harlan also left a head coaching vacancy in the Peddie football program, which will be filled by Frank deLaurentis. No stranger to the role, deLaurentis walked the Peddie sidelines as head coach of the football program from 1996-2005 and as defensive coordinator the past three seasons under Harlan. “I was honored to be asked by John Green if I would consider returning as head coach,” said deLaurentis. “I stepped away because I needed time away from the responsibilities of being the head coach. I learned a great deal the past three years and have been able to recharge my enthusiasm for the game.” Another new member of the team is Mike Volkmar, Peddie’s new strength and conditioning coach. Volkmar spent the last three years at Apex Academies, the International Performance Institute in Bradenton, Fla.
Whitney Douthett ‘03 and an untested group of World Cup lacrosse rookies journeyed to Prague, Czech Republic, and came away with gold. A defensive midfielder, Douthett helped Team USA capture the FIL Women’s Lacrosse World Cup 2009 Championship with an 8–7 victory over defending champion Australia in June, capping a 7–0 run through the tourney that included two one-goal wins over the Aussies. The victory avenged a defeat at the hands of Australia, which beat the U.S. in the 2005 final in Annapolis, Md. Douthett, the former Dartmouth All-America who played in two NCAA Final Fours with the Big Green, was part of a unique, 18-woman U.S. National Team, as it was the first World Cup for every player on the squad. She scored five goals, added an assist and collected 11 groundballs in the tourney. She is a sales associate for Majestic Research, an equity research company in New York, lives in New York City and plays lacrosse with the New York Athletic Club. “It’s much harder to train once you are out of college,” she said. “When I was in school, training was built into my schedule, but now that I’m out and have a full-time job, it’s a big commitment, and there were times when it was difficult. It took a lot of time and work, but making the World Cup team has made it worth every minute of effort I put into it.” During her four-year career at Peddie, Douthett led the soccer and basketball teams to four consecutive state championships and guided the lacrosse team to its last state title in 2003.
University of Pennsylvania
Union College Baseball
Wellesley College
Softball
Jamie Boccanfuso ’08 had an impressive rookie campaign at shortstop as she registered a team-high 49 hits in 44 games for the Quakers’ softball team, including two home runs and six doubles, for a .353 batting average. For her efforts, she was named to the All-Ivy second team. The freshman’s 49 hits ranked her sixth in the Ivies this season and the most by any freshmen. For Peddie, she registered a career average of .560 with 15 home runs.
A jack-of-all-trades on the baseball diamond, Shawn Johnston ’05 played the outfield, caught and played third base. In 2007 he was named to the Liberty League All-Academic team. He hit .325 his junior year and closed out his senior year with a .317 average, including four home runs and 21 RBI. His Peddie teammate Ryan Bowes ’05 started 78 games behind the plate for the Dutchmen and batted .297 his senior year.
Capping a stellar pitching career for the Blue, Barbarajean Grundlock ’05 was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association All-New England team. The senior pitcher and captain finished 2009 with a 14–9 record and a 2.20 ERA. She also racked up 192 strikeouts, while opposing batters hit only .220 against her. Grundlock, an economics/anthropology major, ended her career at Wellesley with a 31–17 overall record and two no-hitters.
Softball
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