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: Garrett Briggs

Sport: Basketball

When & how you got involved in basketball:  I started playing in 5th grade metro west

What you love most about basketball: I love how competitive it is, and the people that I have met.

Pre-game routine: I don’t really have any pre-game rituals, but I listen to Music and do the same warm up before every game.

Top goal for this season:  To make playoffs for the first time in years.

Thoughts about this year’s team:  We got off to a rough start but after Christmas we turned our season around and got a lot better giving us a good chance at making playoffs.

An accomplishment that you’re especially proud of: I am proud of beating Walpole this year and how I played.

A funny or inspiring story related to your involvement with this team: A fun and inspiring moment for me was last year being able to play with my brother.

Interests outside of basketball: I like to go to the gym and spend time with friends and family
 
Coach Paul Seaver on Garrett Briggs: “Garrett has been off to a fantastic start to his senior season, improving each and every day as we now move into January. His consistent hard work has been paying off more and more, as his mentality and approach to our team and culture continues to provide great stability in our rotation, as well as locker room and practices. What continues to impress me the most about Garrett is his commitment to the little things, his attention to detail and his overall heart and desire to compete each and every day. He is a great asset to this team and program and an absolute joy to coach.”
 
(Athletes of the Week are nominated by their coaches.)
 
Past Athlete of the Week profiles
 

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: Maria Gianarikas 

 

 
Sport/position: Basketball/point guard

When & how you got involved in basketball: When I was in 3rd grade my parents signed me up for Wellesley hoops and ive been playing ever since.

What you love most about basketball: The relationships I’ve built with teammates and the competitive nature of the game.

Pre-game routine: Before every game I drink a smoothie and take 3 deep breaths.

Top goal for this season: To have a fun season and work on getting everyone better.

Thoughts about this year’s team: We’ve been doing a great job despite a very tough schedule, and it hasn’t stopped us from continuing to fight. Everyone brings strong energy and talent to the team, which makes us better every day.

An accomplishment that you’re especially proud of: I’m very proud to have been nominated as a junior captain. I’ve worked extremely hard, and I’m grateful to see that effort paying off.

A funny or inspiring story related to your involvement with this team: We were down by like 30 points and Kaitlyn hit a half court buzzer beater and everyone went nuts.

Interests outside of basketball: Hanging out with family and friends, traveling, going to the beach.

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: Paige Griffith

Sport/position: Alpine Ski Racing – Giant Slalom and Slalom

When & how you got involved in skiing: I’ve been skiing since I was 3 in Stowe, Vermont since my parents grew up skiing.

What you love most about skiing: I love the feeling of being in control of my speed and having the ability to go very fast.

Top goal for this season: To improve as a racer.

Thoughts about this year’s team: I’ve enjoyed the races and meeting new people.

An accomplishment that you’re especially proud of: I am proud of getting top 10 in the first varsity race this year.

A funny or inspiring story related to your involvement with this team: I raced for 3 years when I was younger but stopped because I didn’t have the time to continue over the weekends, and now I have picked it back up and am learning a lot of new techniques while still remembering the old.

Interests outside of skiing: I enjoy hanging out with my friends.

What other sports do you play, if any? Soccer
 
Coach Cory Tusler: “Paige won the JV giant slalom at Ski Ward and the team will be expecting more great runs from her. Paige is a serious competitor who has been through preseason training and is ready to ski.”
 
Athletes of the Week are nominated by their coaches.)

Past Athlete of the Week profiles

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: Cooper Munro

When & how you got involved in soccer:  When I was like 6 or 7, during my first year of elementary school my parents signed me up.

What you love most about soccer:  I love hanging out with all my friends who I’ve played soccer with my whole life.

Pre-game routine: Before every game I always listen to “Pop Out” by Big Boogie.

Top goal for this season: I want to have a great time and be so happy.

Thoughts about this year’s team: I think we are doing spectacular! Such great wins and everybody’s so happy and content I could not be more satisfied with the season right now, but as Kobe says “Job’s not finished.”

An accomplishment that you’re especially proud of: I am so proud of scoring a goal in 3 of my games, they were pretty random goals but it is such a great feeling.

A funny or inspiring story related to your involvement with this team: On the soccer team there was this guy named C-Ports. The ball was coming at him and instead of kicking the ball he turned around and cleared the ball with his behind.

Interests outside of soccer: I like to clean things, it so great when things are clean.

What other sports do you play, if any? Skiing and Lacrosse

Athlete of the Week: Grace Sullivan

 

 
Sport/position: Soccer, defense

When & how you got involved in soccer:  I started playing when I was in first grade, because many of friends did soccer as well, and once I was in fourth grade I started to played club soccer.

What you love most about soccer: I love the community and friendships that come along with the sport. Not only am I able to be a part of an amazing team, but it has allowed me to make so many amazing friends. I also love the outlet that it gives me to get a break from school.

Pre-game routine: I always listen to music on my way to games.

Top goal for this season: Our top goal for this season is to keep improving and getting better every day so we can reach our goal of winning again. That means holding ourselves to a high standard, pushing each other in practice, and focusing on the details that matter. If we stay consistent, work together, and keep building, the results will take care of themselves.

Thoughts about this year’s team: Because our team is so young, we’ve faced a lot of obstacles this year. We’ve had to grow up quickly, learn from every challenge, and push through in hard moments. But those experiences have only made us stronger. Instead of letting these challenges set us back, we came together, supported one another, and turned them into opportunities to improve.

An accomplishment that you’re especially proud of: I’m proud of getting honorable mention my freshmen year.

A funny or inspiring story related to your involvement with this team: We gave up a goal in the last minute, but we stayed focused and managed to come back with a win to advance to the state championship game.

Interests outside of soccer: Traveling, hiking, hanging out with my family and friends.

What other sports do you play, if any? Basketball

Coach Dave Wainwright on Grace Sullivan: “Grace has been a steadfast player for our program since day one of her freshman year! Grace has consistently proven that she’s one of the best defensive players in the league and continues to impress every match.” 
 

 
Athletes of the Week are nominated by their coaches.)

Past Athlete of the Week profiles

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: Emma Tuxbury

Sport: Cross country (captain)

When & how you got involved in running:  I got involved my freshman year. Although I did some 5k’s in elementary school, I became serious about it during my freshman year, when I was 14, and i first got involved because my older sister was doing it.

What you love most about cross country: I love most that I was able to do it with my siblings, it has made my whole experience in the sport much better and makes it much more fun and competitive.

Pre-race routine: I don’t have any specific rituals but I always eat a rice crispy treat before every race.

Top goal for this season: My top goal is to break 18 and get top 10 at states.

Thoughts about this year’s team: So far, I think the team has really come together more than we have in other years, which is really nice to see.

An accomplishment that you’re especially proud of: I’m proud of being the Hoka athlete of the month.

A funny or inspiring story related to your involvement with this team: When I got stung by a bee on my toe on the same day as my race and I couldn’t run because my foot was too swollen.

Interests outside of running: Traveling and hanging out with my pets, hiking and surfing.

What other sports do you play, if any? Indoor and outdoor track.

Coach John Griffith on Emma Tuxbury: “This season Emma has proved herself to be not only an incredibly hard working and talented athlete but also an exemplary role model and team captain. Every day at practice Emma pushes herself to the limit, and also shows her teammates how to get out of their comfort zones and compete at a high level. This hard work and dedication is what has enabled her to be considered one of the top distance runners in Massachusetts.”

Athlete of the Week: Sami Juma

Sport: Cross country (captain)

When & how you got involved in running:  I first started running competitively during my freshman year of high school after my brother, a senior at the time, encouraged me to join the cross country team. As a child, I sometimes ran with my parents on the weekend, but never actually enjoyed the sport until I got to high school.

What you love most about cross country: My favorite part of the sport is how fulfilling it feels after you have a fast race. The training itself can definitely be very physically and mentally challenging, especially since a large portion of the training consists of long, hot runs over the summer. This makes running a fast race incredibly rewarding, since I know it’s a direct output of all the work I put in.

Pre-meet routine: I don’t have a strict pre-meet regime, though I like to listen to music on the bus to calm down my nerves.

Top goal for this season: My biggest goal this season is for our team to win divisionals and place within the top 5 at states.

Thoughts about this year’s team: We have a very deep team this year, and I think we’ll be able to surprise some of the other teams by the time championship season comes around.

An accomplishment that you’re especially proud of: I’m proud of winning the Bay State Invitational Varsity 5k. Leading up to the race, I had been dealing with some nagging injuries and even thought I might be out for the season at one point, so it was a really satisfying win and a big confidence booster.

A funny or inspiring story related to your involvement with this team: An inspiring moment for me was watching one of my former teammates run a sub 4:20 mile. Running under 4:20 has been a goal I’ve been dreaming of since freshman year, so watching him achieve that goal–a goal he had also been chasing for a long time–was incredibly inspiring and motivating.

Interests outside of running: I enjoy playing the piano, reading, and spending time with family and friends outside of running.

What other sports do you take part in, if any? I also run indoor track and outdoor track.

Coach Colin Corkery on Sami Juma: “This past Saturday Sami won the MSTCA Bay State Invitational in the Varsity Section A. He ran a personal best record time of 15:45 to lead the field and his team to a third place finish behind Reading and North Andover. He has been an outstanding captain for the squad this fall and was able to be a vital part of the training the guys did over the summer. He was one of the captains who helped to organize the guys and then lead the runs. His energy and enthusiasm has been motivating for his team of 75 guys!”

(Athletes of the Week are nominated by their coaches.)

Past Athlete of the Week profiles

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: Lauryn Soohoo

Sport/position: Volleyball, Setter

When & how you got involved in volleyball:  I started to play volleyball in the summer of 7th grade. Both of my parents have played for over 30 years but have never forced me to play, however after I gained interest in the sport they have been very sportive throughout my volleyball journey.

What you love most about volleyball: I love being able to make new friends in school and club season and to be a part of such a great community. I also have many cousins and family friends that play volleyball, making the sport a great way for us to bond and has become a significant part of my life.

Pre-match routine: I don’t have a specific pre-game ritual, but I usually try eat some snacks and fruit to fuel my body before a game.

Top goal for this season: To go far in the playoffs and continue to become more supportive of not only our individual teams but the volleyball program as a whole.

Thoughts about this year’s team: We have a really strong team in every position this year that’s willing to put in their effort and dedicate their time to improve and grow together as a team. We have also been doing lots of team bonding off the court which has helped improve our team chemistry when playing.

An accomplishment that you’re especially proud of: An accomplishment this school year is running a 5-1 system on varsity this year, and setting up my teammates for success while simultaneously creating stronger connections with my hitters.

A funny or inspiring story related to your involvement with this team: Coach Carlos and Coach Lexi coming in as new coaches to the program and having to learn close to 50 names is understandably difficult, and although they have gotten better, everyone on the team has at least one nickname that the coaches have created or weird and funny pronunciation of our names and continued to address us as them throughout the season.

Interests outside of volleyball: Outside of volleyball I enjoy photography. I am part of the intensive photography class at the high school and love that the class forces me to go outside of my comfort zone in the style or subject I photograph. In my free time I mostly enjoy taking photos of flowers, animals, the sky, architecture and anything else I find cool or interesting.

Coaches Lexi De La Cruz and Carlos Mercado on Lauryn Soohoo: “Lauryn is an exceptional athlete who stands out not only for her physical ability, but also for her mental focus and willingness to continue to grow as a player. She always listens to the coaches and her teammates, allowing her to adjust her game and learn from each experience. She is never satisfied with what she has achieved. Lauryn is always looking for ways to improve – whether in her technique, decision making and mental toughness.”

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: Kayla Bohlin

Sport/position: Field hockey (high/attacking midfield). Co-captain.

When & how you got involved in field hockey: I played in the youth programs growing up and starting play club in 8th grade.

What you love most about field hockey: I love the intensity of the competition and how it always pushes me to improve. Also, I enjoy the bonds it helps me create with my teammates on and off the field.

Pre-game routine: My pregame drink is a pink slush Alani, and food is dried mango. I always listen to ‘Bring Em Out’ with my team.

Top goal for this season: My goal for the season is to get more goals and assists than I did last year. It would also be really cool to make the Final Four again.

Thoughts about this year’s team: We have really high expectations since we made it to the Final Four last year, but I think with the talent we have this season and if we stay consistent and focused, we are capable of making it there.

An accomplishment that you’re especially proud of: I’m committed to the admissions process at Williams College to play field hockey. I am also proud of getting Boston Globe and Herald All-Scholastic as well as being a 2x BSC MVP and all-star. I am also a captain.

A funny or inspiring story related to your involvement in field hockey/this team: One of the most inspiring moments for me was when we made it to the Final Four last year, the first time in our program’s history. Nobody outside our team expected us to get that far, but we believed in each other and worked for it every single day.

Interests outside of field hockey: I like chemistry and biology for school subjects. I also like to hang out with my friends and family.

What other sports do you play, if any? I run indoor and outdoor track.

Coach Erin Stickle on Kayla Bohlin: “Kayla is a 4-year varsity starter, a 1st Team Bay State Conference All-Star in 2023 and 2024, and the Carey MVP in 2023 and 2024. Kayla’s field hockey IQ is outstanding, and she elevates the performance of everyone around her. A true playmaker on offense, staying focused and composed even in high-pressure situations. She is a relentless, all-in player who gives 100% effort at all times. Her quick breakaways generate forward momentum, and she skillfully carries the ball upfield, making well-timed passes. With exceptional 1v1 skills, quick dodges, and precise passing, she excels as a center midfielder.”

Athlete of the Week: Aarav Lavu

Sport: Boys golf

When you got involved in golf:  At 5 years old

What you love most about the sport: I love how it’s just as much as a mental game as it is a physical game.

Pre-match routine: I don’t have any pre-game rituals; I find it best to treat every match and tournament like a normal day.

Top goal for this season: To win a state championship with the team.

Thoughts about this year’s team: We’ve got a lot of talent and we’ve got our hopes up for this year to perform well at states and maybe bring home a state championship.

An accomplishment that you’re especially proud of: I was a semifinalist at this year’s Massachusetts junior amateur championship and qualified for this year’s Mass Amateur and Mass Open.

A funny or inspiring story related to your involvement in golf/this team: A funny story of mine was during my freshman year when the top 4 players from the Wellesley team were invited to play in the Cape Cod High School Invitational tournament, and at the time I was the #5 on the team so I wasn’t going to play. However, the night before the tournament, my phone practically exploded with phone calls from teammates and my coach telling me that one of our players couldn’t play so I was getting the nod. I probably had about 10 phone calls in 10 minutes and a whole bunch of texts and that was a pretty funny and hectic night.

Interests outside of golf: General physical activity, hanging out with friends, and occasionally reading.

What other sports do you play, if any? Recreationally, basketball and football but nothing else competitively.

Coach Ken Bateman on Aarav Lavu: “For the last two years, Aarav has led the team on the course, and he currently is the only player on the Wellesley High School golf team averaging below par during our matches. Additionally, over the last few months, Aarav has taken on a leadership role off the course. He has a positive attitude and is a fierce competitor.”
 
(Athletes of the Week are nominated by their coaches.)

Past Athlete of the Week profiles