News from the Nest: Winter Athletics Assembly

Several of our teams (Grades 6-8) enjoyed winning seasons this year:

6 Boys Basketball “Graland”- 2-1

6 Boys Basketball “Green”- 2-1

6 Boys Basketball “Eagle”- 2-1

7 Boys Basketball- 8-1

8 Boys Basketball 7-2

8 Girls Basketball 7-1

Congratulations to these students who were recognized with Eagle Awards for outstanding sportsmanship, leadership and athletic skills demonstrated during winter sports. See below for the coaches’ citations.

Boys Basketball (GRALAND) with Coach Kinney: Oliver Hatzidakis

Boys Basketball (EAGLE) with Coach Brown:  Josh Patterson

Boys Basketball (GREEN) with Coach O’Malley:  Quincy Coleman

Girls Basketball (GREEN) with Coach Mayo: Ilsa Borgen

Girls Basketball (EAGLE) with Coach DeBoe: Eliana Carr 

Girls Basketball (GRALAND) with Coach Kochevar:  Anaba Grimm

Girls Basketball with Coach Chavez: Anne Hawley

Boys Basketball with Coaches Hill and Brown:  Ryan Mandes

Girls Basketball with Coach DeBoe:  Eve Weiner

Boys Basketball with Coaches Kinney and O’Malley:  Rex Corkins

Oliver Hatzidakis:  An intense competitor, this year’s recipient of the Eagle Award in Basketball takes no prisoners.  At both ends of the court, he was always in the fight for the rebound. When given the basketball, you could see the look of determination on his face as he looked for ways to attack the basket.  Always in the flow of the game, always anticipating an opponent’s next move, always willing to sacrifice as he put his team first, the Eagle Award recipient hit timely jump shots, ran the fast break, and stood tall in and around the basket.  There is a look of contentment, and pure joy when he is competing on the court. His teammates value his unselfish style of play, his dedication and work ethic, and the fact that he plays winning basketball. It is a great pleasure to present the Eagle Award in basketball to Oliver Hatzidakis.

Josh Patterson:  Though we had several players who performed well and were positive teammates; one player stood out as the clear choice for this year’s Eagle Award. Josh Patterson is an obvious basketball talent. His ability to easily create space from his defenders and score from short and long-range makes him a threat anywhere on the court. Not only did Josh lead our team in points, but just as important, he was the leader in assists. Dedicated, hard-working and humble, Josh is an excellent teammate who makes the players around him better. Congratulations, Josh Patterson!

 

Quincy Coleman:  If I ever needed a backup coach, or someone to inspire our team, it was you!  Always eager to learn and develop your skills, you play the game of basketball with passion.  Your dedication and enthusiasm were contagious as your actions roused greatness in others. You are an “impact” player, someone our team could always count on to anticipate passes to intercept, and make clutch shots on the offensive end.  Always supportive of others, you were selfless in your actions, always putting the success of the team first. It has been an absolute pleasure coaching you and I hope you never lose your thirst to learn the game of basketball. Congratulations to this year’s Eagle Award recipient, Quincy Coleman.  

Ryan Mandes:  This year's Eagle Award recipient practices a LOT, and therefore has the confidence to shoot the ball from just about anywhere on the court. His hard work has led to honing those skills and believing in himself at all points of the game. He can take over during clutch moments which he did several times but especially during our close game against St. Mary’s. He knocked down a late 3 plus hit several free throws in the last minute to lead us to a 2-point victory. His mechanics are spectacular. He can create quality shots for himself and others. Teams paid a price if they left him open; which they rarely did, but he still made them pay. He makes great decisions and protects the ball under pressure. He rebounded well on both sides of the court, and energized our team offensively and stabilized us on defense. Congratulations, Ryan Mandes!

Rex Corkins:  This year’s Eagle Award recipient embodies all the qualities you look for in an athlete.  He is relentless on defense, uncanny in his ability to be in the correct position on the court, dynamic on the boards, keenly observant, and always one step ahead of the opposition.  Unleashing a burst of intense energy, this year’s Eagle Award recipient is always on the move, terrorizing the opponents into mistakes, while shutting down the opposition’s best player.   There is an inevitability to his game, an overriding sense that he will find the open space, steal the pass, rebound the basketball, or make the shot. He brims with confidence, he is eager to learn and improve, he plays with limitless enthusiasm, he solidifies the defense, and he does the little things to help his team achieve success.  Most importantly, he honors the essence of the game while providing leadership, integrity, and sportsmanship. It is an honor and a privilege to present this year’s Eagle Award In basketball to Rex Corkins.

Anaba Grimm:  Team Graland’s Eagle Award recipient checks all the boxes when it comes to the characteristics of this award. Going into the season and during the first few practices, this honor seemed up for grabs, and many players exhibited traits that deemed them worthy of the Eagle Award. However, this player surprised not only us, but I think herself, with her persistence, flexibility and specialization on the court. A quick learner, she studied and inquired about ways to improve at her position. Her practice paid off and her skills improved vastly as she learned to transition quickly, establish her territory at the post, and put her hands up. Sounds simple, but when these hands went up, no one could reach them. Open for a pass or not, a simple high pass near the basket usually found its mark – the target above the rest, and a pivot and bank shot usually sealed the deal. There’s a niche for players like this year’s Eagle Award winner, and she embraced it wholeheartedly, with curiosity and effort throughout each game and practice. The ingredients for her success were there all along – it only took a few trips to the store to buy some extra confidence. We are proud of the confidence you’ve gained this season and the dedication you gave to your position and team. Congratulations Anaba Grimm.

Eliana Carr:  This year's Eagle Award recipient was a constant, positive presence on our team throughout the season.  Through her quiet, tenacious efforts, she came to practice each day with a clear sense of purpose, dedication to do her best, and to set a positive example for each of her teammates.  Eliana worked tirelessly to further develop her shooting, passing, and ball handling skills. She has a keen sense of defensive positioning, often gaining possession through steals. She recognizes open lanes on offense as she drives to the basket for a shot, and she finds open teammates to pass the ball to, setting them up for a score.  When asked to fill in on another team who was short players for their game, she exuberantly obliged. With a bright future in this complex game, I am honored to present this year's Eagle Award to Eliana Carr.

Ilsa Borgen:  The Eagle winner of the Green team was extremely focused and determined in every situation and was a great example to others.  She always came to practice dressed ready to play, and gave 100% in every practice and game. She is extremely smart and was able to read the court well and maneuver past her opponent.  There is a true athletic fire that burns inside this young athlete. She is intense, determined, and extremely quick. It is such a pleasure to coach someone with such a huge heart. It is my pleasure to give the Eagle Award to Ilsa Borgen.

     

Anne Hawley:  This year’s Eagle Award winner just wanted to play the game, and play as much as possible. She was always eager to fill in whenever someone was absent, often running me over in the lab. I think the moment that stands out the most was a close 5 point loss. Only moments before, we were down close to 16. She decided to take it upon herself to try and will the team to victory. In true Reggie Miller fashion, she scored a bucket, stole the inbounds pass, scored a bucket, stole the inbounds pass, stepped back for a three, and well, with a little more time on the clock, I’m pretty sure we would have ended up on the winning side of that contest. But ever since that moment, our team not only began to believe in Anne, but believe in each other, and realize that they could take the fight to any team on their schedule. Thank you, Anne, for helping to galvanize this team and bring them all together. Your heart, dedication, and willingness to fight rubbed off on everyone and made us all a better team.  Congratulations, Anne Hawley.

Eve Weiner:  With unmatched dedication, focus, integrity, and tenacity, this young lady set the bar at practices and games.  Eve works tirelessly on her skills, learning and understanding each and every offense, defense, inbounds play, and strategy of this complex game.   She reads opponents offenses, and shoots into the gap creating turnovers. As she gains possession of the ball, she then executes her practiced dribbling and lay up skills, sprinting towards the basket for a score.  Selflessly, Eve is always looking for opportunities to set up her teammates for a score with her precise passing. Eve leads by example with her genuine kindness, empathy, respect, and sportsmanship she exhibits, not only on the court, but in everything she pursues.  She is always willing and ready to lend a helpful hand, It is all of these genuine characteristics that I present the Eagle Award to Eve Weiner.