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Wellesley's Wonderful Weekend

Wellesley Athlete of the Week: Boys’ hockey’s Reagan O’Neil

February 11, 2022 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley Athlete of the Week is made possible with sponsorship support from Deland, Gibson Insurance. The family-owned and operated business has carried on this Wellesley tradition for over 30 years.


Athlete of the Week: Reagan O’Neil

Sport: Boys’ hockey

Siblings: Older brother, Aidan

Favorite class: Metals Intensive

Pump-up song: “Dreams and Nightmares” by Meek Mill

Game day meal: Egg-and-cheese sandwich on an English muffin and nutella and banana on another English muffin


The Wellesley High School boys’ hockey team is on a roll so far this season with a record of 10-2-3. As of Feb. 9, they were ranked sixteenth in the Division 1 power rankings, and eleventh in the All-State rankings from the Boston Globe. They’ve beaten top-20 opponents, as well Bay State Conference rival Needham twice. 

Junior goalie Reagan O’Neil has been integral to this success. Saying he hopes to be “the anchor of [the] defense,” O’Neil has come up big in important games, posting a shutout against then top-ranked Belmont to help the team to a 2-0 win, and only allowing one goal in a 3-1 win against top Bay State Conference opponent Braintree. 

hockey Reagan O’Neil
Wellesley High Junior Reagan O’Neil makes a save. Photo by Maura Wayman.

 

O’Neil said he “has always wanted to be a goalie since I first really saw hockey, which was when my mom took my brother and I to watch Babson College play a game,” in first grade. He has come a long way since then, honing his skills to boast impressive statistics like an average of 2.07 goals against per game and a .918 save percentage last year. 

“My greatest achievement as an athlete so far is making varsity freshman year,” said O’Neil. Although he was a backup goalie that year, O’Neil assumed the starting position as a sophomore and has impressed since. Teammate and fellow goalie Austin Herlihy says that O’Neil’s most admirable quality is how focused he gets during games and in practice. “When he’s in the zone, there’s no getting through to that kid,” said Herlihy. “I learn a lot from watching him play. I don’t think everyone realizes how good he actually is.”

O’Neil’s goal for this year is clear: to win a state championship. Unlike last year, where playoffs did not happen due to the ongoing pandemic, the team has a goal to look forward to, and O’Neil said “we really feel that we can make a run at it.” He cites how the team has been able to control the game particularly well and play their best against their toughest opponents as proof the team has the ability to go all the way. O’Neil’s role in this? “I hope that even in games we don’t control, I can keep my team in them so that we can pull out a win anyways,” he said. 

For O’Neil, the highlight of the hockey season is the games. “I play my best when I am loose and enjoy it, so I have a lot of fun during games. I love the feeling of making a save,” he said. Even though being a goalie has special pressure as it’s the last line of defense, O’Neil says he actually enjoys this feeling and is motivated by it. 

On game days, O’Neil prepares by listening to a variety of music across different genres. “Katy Perry is a pregame staple,” he said, “but once I’m at the rink, I listen to more traditional pump-up rap.” This includes the same mashup of the songs UCLA, Colors, and Antidote that he’s listened to before every game he’s started in high school. He juggles off the wall of the rink to warm up his hand-eye coordination before the game, and practices saving shots taken by teammates during team warm-ups. 

Outside of hockey, O’Neil plays tennis and golf as well, in addition to playing the guitar and singing for fun. He would like to play hockey in college, most likely at the club level. 


Article written by The Bradford’s Caroline Thornton.


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Wellesley Athlete of the Week: Ryan Keyes

December 10, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Wellesley Athlete of the Week is made possible with sponsorship support from Deland, Gibson Insurance. The family-owned and operated business has carried on this Wellesley tradition for over 30 years.


Athlete of the Week: Ryan Keyes

Sport: Golf

Year: Sophomore

Favorite Golfer: Jordan Spieth


Sophomore Ryan Keyes is a star on the Wellesley High School golf team, but he only began taking the sport seriously a little over two years ago. Today, he is not only one of the best players on the team, but is also one the finest golfers in the entire state after winning the individual Massachusetts Division 1 championship this fall at Wentworth Hills Golf Club in Plainville. The team finished second overall in the tournament.

ryan keyes
WHS golfer Ryan Keyes

“I was the first golfer from Wellesley to do that and it was the highest Wellesley had finished in the state tournament, so it was a win-win I guess,” Keyes said.

Senior teammate Andrew Ng loves how much energy Keyes brings to the team.: “He can be calm and very collected on the course when he needs to be, but he can be very high energy at the same time.” 

Keyes looks forward to building his golf career through high school and into college, where he hopes to compete for one of his dream schools.  But right now he just wants to have fun on the course.

“My most memorable moment as a golfer was when I had my first hole out and my best friend, Lincoln Blake, and I bolted towards each other to celebrate, ” Keyes said.

While there’s no question that Keyes has fallen in love with the sport,  his favorite part is the work that it requires. 

“You can’t fake being a good player, the hardest worker will be the best, and my strength is probably my mind because, in golf, one bad hole can ruin a day,” he said. “But I like to think I am good at handling adversity.”

Wellesley High School Gold coach Ken Bateman is amazed by Keyes’s talent and dedication.

“Ryan was a great player for our team all year, from the first match until the last. He led the way at the state sectional tournament and the state tournament. He listens to recommendations about course management and works very hard to be the best he can be. Not only is he a great golfer, but he is also a leader on and off the course. Many players already look to him for guidance, and he is only a sophomore.” Bateman said.

During the offseason, Keyes finds creative ways to keep his skills sharp, such as by practicing putting in his basement. Yet during the season, he is able to have a much more rigorous practice regime. 

“In the season I always make sure to be playing golf once a day for around two hours in the school year and closer to 5-7 hours in the summer,” he says.

There’s no question that Keyes is a hard-working and gifted golfer, and coaches and teammates wonder what else he can accomplish before he graduates.

“I cannot wait to see what the next two years have in store for him,” said Coach Bateman 


Article written by The Bradford’s Ben Galligan.


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Wellesley Athlete of the Week: Lily Jin

December 3, 2021 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley Athlete of the Week is made possible with sponsorship support from Deland, Gibson Insurance. The family-owned and operated business has carried on this Wellesley tradition for over 30 years.


Athlete of the Week: Lily Jin

Sport: Cross Country/Track and Field

Year: Sophomore

Pump-Up Song: Salute by Little Mix or New Romantics by Taylor Swift

Favorite Class: Pre-Calculus

Siblings: Younger brother in seventh grade


Lily Jin started running in middle school, when after the mini marathon in sixth grade she realized she could run longer distances, and was fast as well. She soon joined the local Waltham Track Club, where she began running competitively.

“I didn’t even know competitive running was  a thing,” she said, “but I really liked it so I continued on the middle school track and cross country teams and then at the high school.”

Last year, Jin made it to the All-State Championship during the outdoor track season in the mile race, which she cites as her greatest athletic accomplishment. Not only did she just participate, she came eleventh in the state with a 5:09 mile as just a freshman. 

lily jin
Wellesley High School sophomore Lily Jin had a standout cross country season, most recently placing sixth at the Division 1 All-State Championship. Photo courtesy of Bay State Running.

 

This year, the girls’ cross country team came third in the state with Jin as their top runner. Last year, as a freshman, Jin ran a blazing 19:44 5K, and this year, she set her sights even higher. She won the sophomore race by almost a minute at the highly competitive Twilight Invitational, came in third at the Bay State Conference Championship, won the Division 1B Championship, and came in sixth in the Division 1 All-State Championship, where she obliterated her previous personal record by more than a minute by finishing the 5K in 18:30. 

Jin is a determined hard worker who gives 100% effort in every race and workout. “Crossing the finish line is the best part of running when you can see the culmination of all your hard work,” she said.

In addition to being a standout runner, Jin encapsulates what makes a great teammate. “My favorite aspect of running is the team element,” she said. “When you have a great team, that’s all that matters.”

Junior cross country captain Grace Wheelan sees Jin as a leader by example. “Lily is such a positive person to have on the team and comes to every single practice with a smile on her face. She works so hard consistently and inspires everyone around her to give 100% effort,” she said. “[Jin] also cares so deeply about every single one of her teammates and makes everyone feel like a valued part of the team.” 

On meet days, Jin likes to eat a hearty and healthy breakfast filled with carbs and ride with her mom to the race. “I warm up with the team 45 minutes before the race and then I roll out and stretch. I make sure to triple tie my shoes and have everything prepared the night before to make sure my warmup goes smoothly” she said. 

Outside of running, Jin likes reading, watching movies, spending time with friends, and taking walks. 

Jin looks up to many “local legend” runners like Natick’s Grace Connolly, who now runs at Stanford, Holliston’s Carmen Luisi, and her friend Ellie Shea from Belmont. She hopes to continue running throughout her life, saying, “I hope to run competitively in college and someday, when I’m older, run the Boston Marathon. That’s a big goal of mine.” 


Article written by The Bradford’s Caroline Thornton.

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Wellesley Athlete of the Week: Pati Cerda

November 12, 2021 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley Athlete of the Week is made possible with sponsorship support from Deland, Gibson Insurance. The family-owned and operated business has carried on this Wellesley tradition for over 30 years.


Athlete of the Week: Pati Cerda

Year: Senior

Sport: Volleyball

Role Model Athlete: Courtney Thompson

Pump-Up Song: Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

Favorite Class: AP Psychology


Pati Cerda tried a lot of different sports when she was younger, but none of them clicked until she picked up volleyball in sixth grade. “My dad used to play [volleyball], so we stared playing in my backyard. I did a bunch of summer camps and I honestly fell in love and didn’t want to do anything besides volleyball,” Cerda said.

Cerda is a setter for the Wellesley High School volleyball team and she is very proud of learning to love the position that is so integral to the game. In volleyball, a setter is in charge of passing to their teammates and setting up hitters to hit the ball back to the other side.

Pati Cerda, volleyball wellesley high
Senior captain Pati Cerda
(Photo by Liv Rodrigue)

Cerda has an average of about 34 to 36 assists per match. Her coach, Fabian Ardila, said this is very important to “create an opportunity for a hitter, and to be the one person that touches the ball more than anyone else in the game, she does that very well.”

Ardila was especially complementary of Cerda’s ability to jack the ball, meaning hitting it from the back corner to the front by the net for a hitter to be successful. He remembered her doing this in a match against Natick, which helped them win the point and eventually the match.

“She’s very intelligent in the game of volleyball, which allows her to understand where the ball is going to go before it actually happens. She places herself on the court in a very easy manner. She understands how the defense on the other side can be compromised based on which player she sets, which makes her extremely valuable for us,” Ardila said.

One of her favorite volleyball memories was from the Natick match this season.

“Everything just clicked. We were a team and we were all playing really well, and it was a very satisfying moment for me, especially as a captain, to see something we’ve all worked really hard on actually working, ” Cerda said.

Cerda’s emphasis is always on teamwork. As a setter, her job is to make plays for hitters, so communication is vital. She prepares for each game by getting mentally prepared with her team by knowing the quirks and minor details of each different opponent and making sure to communicate that to the rest of the team. Cerda takes inspiration from Courtney Thompson, a former setter for the US National Team who preaches mental toughness and always being there for the team.

The team made it to the state tournament, winning its first-round game, but bowing out in the Round of 16 vs. Lincoln-Sudbury. Cerda’s approach to the tournament was that the team “put our heart into it and play our best.”

Cerda will play volleyball at Hamilton College and hopes to study psychology. She would like to go into sports psychology and help athletes struggling with mental health issues. Cerda also enjoys singing and is a member of Keynote Singers and Inchordination A Capella at the high school. In her free time, she coaches volleyball for younger kids.


Article written by The Bradford’s Caroline Thornton.

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Wellesley Athlete of the Week: Brooke Bovie

October 29, 2021 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley Athlete of the Week is made possible with sponsorship support from Deland, Gibson Insurance. The family-owned and operated business has carried on this Wellesley tradition for over 30 years.


  • Athlete of the Week: Brooke Bovie
  • Year: Sophomore
  • Sport: Diving

Brooke Bovie began diving last year when she joined the freshman team. She had a background in dance, and although there are correlations with techniques, she had no prior diving experience.

Bovie’s first season of diving was riddled with restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but she was still able to pull off a stellar start to her career. Her goal this season is to qualify for regionals, which means scoring higher than 180 in at least 2 meets.At her last meet, she scored 166. She hopes to continue improving throughout the season to get to the 180 mark.

“I really like being on a team, and encouraging my teammates around me,” Bovie says. “I also enjoy trying new out new tricks.” 

brooke bovie
Brooke Bovie, mid-dive (photo by Ben Galligan)

 

On a typical meet day, Bovie arrives at the pool at around 5pm for warm-ups and stretching. Depending on the size of the other team, participants go back and forth on the board and practice.

Bovie’s most memorable moment from being on the diving team was bonding day. The team went to a ropes course at the beginning of the season when they didn’t know each other very well.

“It was a great time to get to know each other better and create a better team bond,” Bovie said.

She also readied for the season by watching diving on TV during the Summer Olympics. That gave her a sense of what judges like and don’t like. Now her TV sports viewing has turned to the Patriots. 

The sophomore’s sports interests are many. She used to play soccer in the fall but moved to dive. She’s on the ski team in the winter, and plays lacrosse during the spring. Bovie dances year-round. 

Bovie’s greatest accomplishment in diving has been picking up the basic skills and gaining a solid understanding of where to go from there.

More: Read last week’s Wellesley Athlete of the Week article


Article written by The Bradford’s Ben Galligan.

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Wellesley Athlete of the Week: Georgia Spangler

October 22, 2021 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley Athlete of the Week is made possible with sponsorship support from Deland, Gibson Insurance. The family-owned and operated business has carried on this Wellesley tradition for over 30 years.


  • Athlete of the week: Georgia Spangler
  • Year: Junior
  • Sport: Swimming
  • Pregame Meal: Bagels
  • Pump-Up Song: Anything played on the bus on the way to an away meet
  • Pre-Race Routine: Stretching and relaxing
  • Favorite School Subject: Math or Keynote Singers

Georgia Spangler is a friendly, outgoing junior at Wellesley High School, in addition to being a standout on the girls’ swim team. She learned to swim when she was three years old, and began on a swim team at age six. This will be her third year on the high school swim team, and her tenth swimming competitively. 

“My most memorable moment from swim was my first meet as a freshman when I realized how supportive the team is to everyone and how much we all cheer for each other. It was so different from my club swim meets, just the amount of support I had from my teammates was super memorable.”

Spangler
Georgia Spangler swimming in a relay for Wellesley High (Photo courtesy of Spangler).

As an older member of the swim team, Spangler leads by example. “I try to have a positive attitude, especially when practice gets hard. It’s really difficult to stay positive when it’s impossible and it hurts to do the set, so it’s important to have a good attitude. It’s also important to cheer for [younger members] and make them feel supported because I know my freshman year I was nervous, but when older kids supported me I felt much better.”

Her team members can definitely feel her radiating positive energy. “Georgia’s always laughing, always bouncing around, never in a bad mood, and I think that really brings up the energy of the whole team. She never misses a practice,” says team captain Iris Xia, a senior. “Georgia hosted our first team dinner, and the energy that she provided at her home made for a great team experience. I think a lot of the younger girls look up to her as well.” 

Her meet day routine is simple: taking care of herself. Getting a good night’s sleep, eating well, and relaxing are her keys to success. As for the moments before the race, Spangler makes sure to do her stretching routine on the blocks and tells herself to relax so she can swim her best. 

“My goal this season is to put 100 percent of my effort into every practice and to really be committed to the swim team. Last year was very different and a lot harder because of COVID, but this year is much better,” she says.  

Spangler has already made the time necessary to qualify for the State meet in the 500 freestyle. Her other favorite events are the 100 freestyle and the 100 backstroke. She has not yet decided whether she will continue her swimming career in college.

Outside of swimming and school, Spangler enjoys singing and playing the piano. She is also a part of the Keynote Singers, a selective choral group at the high school. 


Article written by The Bradford’s Caroline Thornton.

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