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

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: Ava O’Grady

Sport: Track & field (long sprints and triple jump)

When & how you got involved in track & field: I started track my freshman year of high school because I had always enjoyed sprinting, especially in my soccer games.

What you love most about track & field: I love that you get out of it what you put in, like Griff always says. If you’re willing to do the hard part in practice, you will get results.

Pre-meet routine: Before meets I like eating popcorn and I will also listen to music to calm myself.

Top goal for this season: My goal for this season is to get more PRs in the 400 and triple jump. My goal for the team as a whole is to win another Division 2 state championship.

Thoughts about this year’s team: I really love this team. We stay positive during tough workouts and push each other through. I definitely wouldn’t be able to push myself as hard if I wasn’t surrounded by this group of girls. And when we’re done with practice, we usually hang out and enjoy the nice weather together. During meets, we always sit together before we’re about to race and calm each other’s pre-race jitters. I think the community of this team is a big part of why people enjoy this sport and keep coming back year after year.

An accomplishment that you’re especially proud of: I’m proud of being in three 4×400 relays that have placed first in the divisional meet.

An inspiring story related to your involvement in track & field/this team: During one of our meets, our 4×4 team didn’t have a baton for our race so we went to Griff and he pulled a blue baton out of his bag that we had never seen before. We ended up winning the relay and running one of our best times of the season so Griff nicknamed the baton “Big Blue.”

Interests outside of track & field: In school my favorite subjects are all the sciences and outside of school I enjoy playing with my dog, watching movies, and spikeball.

What other sports do you play, if any? Soccer

Coach John Griffith on Ava O’Grady: Ava has been an important member of our Indoor and Outdoor Track teams over the last 4 years. She puts in the work in practice and has had a ton of success. She has been part of many Division 2 titles for both Indoor and Outdoor Track. Ava is a quiet leader but makes a lot of noise on the track. She has been a fixture in our 4×400 relay teams that have been very successful. She is also very versatile as she usually doubles in running events and is a great triple jumper. For these reasons and many more I believe Ava is very deserving of this honor.

Athlete of the Week: Matthew Yen

Sport: Track and Field (100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, long jump, 4 x 100 meter relay; Senior captain)

When & how you got involved in track & field: I started track when I was a freshman in high school after my eighth grade season was canceled due to Covid. I had always seen my older brother dominate the track and it inspired me to try the sport out not only as a means of getting faster for football, but also as a way to better myself.

What you love most about track & field: What I love most about track and field is that that luck plays a very small role in a race or a jump. It’s truly a sport where you get out the work you put in and over time seeing progress is very fulfilling.

Pre-meet routine: Before each of my races I like to put my head down and remind myself who I am running for which gives me laser focus going into my race.

Top goal for this season: I would love to win the division two state championship as we were runners up last year.

Thoughts about this year’s team: Our team is full of talent across the board and everyone I know has came very far from where they have started.

An accomplishment that you’re especially proud of: My favorite accomplishment in track and field was running at New Balance nationals at the track at UPenn. Our relay team was first in the state and ended up placing 17th in the country.

An inspiring story related to your involvement in track & field/this team: Many times throughout my journey I have felt that I wasn’t doing as well as I should have been, but I kept showing up to practice to better myself and have brought myself to be one of the best sprinters and jumpers in school history.

Interests outside of track & field: My favorite school subject is economics and I plan to study that in college. I also love playing football and am doing both football and track next year.

What other sports do you play, if any? Football

Coach Larry Corda on Matthew Yen:  As the season progressed, Matthew worked diligently to get better. He took practice seriously and constantly improved. His times in the 100m dropped every race while his long jumps also improved every meet. He’s now our fastest 100m and long jump athlete. His intensity and determination are matched only by his desire to get better. We’re fortunate to have such a talented and great athlete.
 
(Athletes of the Week are nominated by their coaches.)

More 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: Sarah Mackey

Sport: Girls tennis (singles, senior captain); Follow team @raidersgtennis/ on Instagram

When & how you got involved in tennis: Since I grew up watching my mom and older brother play tennis I started playing when I was 4, at my country club. I played tournaments throughout elementary and some of middle school but took a break to focus on basketball before 9th grade. I then returned to playing in high school, when I tried out in 9th grade, and have played all 4 years.

What you love most about tennis: I really enjoy getting to be outside during the spring with my teammates. I am so grateful to have the encouragement, support and love through the friendships I have made from the tennis team.

Pre-match routine: Listening, and singing, music with the team.

Top goal for this season: To win the state championship (again).

Thoughts about this year’s team: Not only do we have amazing talent on the team but we also have great team chemistry. It is easy to say that I am friends with my teammates on and off the court. This makes coming to practices and matches every day super fun. By being such a cohesive group we have found so much success and I think it all comes down to how we all love and support one another.

An accomplishment that you’re especially proud of:  I am super proud of our State Championship win last year. We were the underdogs coming into the semi-finals as the 4th seed and we were able to prove everyone wrong and win.

An inspiring story related to your involvement in tennis/this team: During my freshman year I was thinking about playing softball because a bunch of my friends were playing. However, my parents told me I had to choose between golf and tennis, because I had little to no experience in softball. I ended up choosing tennis because I wasn’t very good at golf. It ended up being the best decision I ever made because I made so many friends and memories through this sport.

Interests outside of tennis: In school I really like psychology and ceramics. In psychology I have learned so many new things about the way our brains work and it has taught me so many things about myself that I didn’t know before. I also really enjoy ceramics, being a part of the intensive ceramics class at Wellesley, because I am able to channel my creativity into my work. Outside of school and sports I really enjoy hanging out with friends, traveling, and coaching tennis at a local tennis camp.

What other sports do you play, if any? I run cross country and play basketball for Wellesley.

Coach Rob Miller on Sarah Mackey: “Sarah is undefeated at her third singles position. In recent play, she won her matches in straight sets. She beat the third singles player from Needham, 6-4, 6-1. Then Sarah defeated her opponent from Westborough 6-0, 6-0. Both Needham and Westborough are in the top 10 in Power Ranking. So far Sarah has played and won when playing first, second, and third singles. She has been an outstanding captain leading the team on and off the court and is a three-sport athlete.” 

Athlete of the Week: Ellias Lukic

Sport: Boys tennis (singles, junior); Follow team @wellesleyboystennis on Instagram

When & how you got involved in tennis: My dad played tennis and got me to start playing when I was eight years old.

What you love most about tennis: My favorite part about tennis is the strategy involved and the fact that everything is in your control to win each point.

Pre-match routine: I always make sure to eat a snack before a match and listen to good music to get me pumped up.

Top goal for this season:  My top goal is to just get better and help my team as much as I can in the playoffs.

Thoughts about this year’s team:  We’ve gotten a lot better this season and defied our expectations for how good we can play.

An accomplishment that you’re especially proud of:  I went from starting the season at second doubles to playing second singles.

An inspiring story related to your involvement in tennis/this team:  Coach Katie (Sullivan) makes everyone laugh.

Interests outside of tennis: Playing basketball with friends, watching sports, playing video games.

What other sports do you play, if any? I like to ski.

Coach Mike Sabin on Ellias Lukic: “Ellias currently plays 2nd singles for us. He lost challenge matches in March that initially put him in doubles for the first few matches. He performed well, partnered with fellow junior Deniz Eryilmaz. After we had some tough results as a team, we had a couple more challenge matches near the end of April and this time Ellias won the match that put him 2nd on the team’s ladder. He almost won a very close match at Needham, a much closer result than our first match against them. Then he won an important match vs. Westborough which helped us clinch an important victory against a higher rated team. Due to our win that day, we moved up in the state rankings 2 spots to 12th.  

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

More Athlete of the Week profiles