Spring Athletics Banquet Highlights

“I have learned that disappointments will come as with anything in life, but how you respond and bounce back is what matters. Always remember to continue to celebrate your accomplishments, even if that day it means you simply showed up.” Lily Goldsmith ’24 offered these words of wisdom in a speech delivered at NMH’s 2024 spring athletics banquet. 

The NMH community gathers every season to celebrate student-athletes and coaches. The spring banquet recognizes achievements in track and field, volleyball, rowing, baseball, lacrosse, Ultimate frisbee, golf, tennis, and rowing. 

After a welcome by Athletics Director Rick Hendrickson, the audience heard speeches by Goldsmith, who participated in girls’ lacrosse this spring, and Nicholas Dwamena ’24, who participated in boys’ track and field. 

Goldsmith talked about resilience in the face of uncertainty and about the value of community. “Even if you are worried about what the season will look like, you need to build an athletic culture that cultivates the feeling of wanting to show up despite the challenges, and being proud of the fact that the jersey you are putting on every game represents that resilience,” she said. 

“It doesn’t matter if you have different coaches, different teammates, different plays, or different positions, that culture of resilience and hard work can and should stay true. I was surrounded by it during all four years and was shown that being that type of person was something to be proud of,” she said.

Dwamena also emphasized the value of hard work and trust. “I have come to realize that trust begins within oneself, to believe in your own abilities and [give] nothing less than your best effort,” he said. “It requires the willingness to push beyond your comfort zone. It is about making mistakes and learning that every difficulty is an opportunity for growth.” 

Dwamena’s trust in his coach, Tabatha Collins ’92, had an impact on his performance. “I remember last year during one of our track meets, Coach Collins walked up to me and said, ‘Nick, you are going to get over 21 feet in the long jump today; I have a feeling,’” he recalled. “I doubted myself for a second but … I felt the importance of my teammates’ having my back and the coaching staff believing in my potential. Coach Collins gave me some advice on how I should move a couple inches back on my run-ups. I trusted her expertise and guidance, and, lo and behold, I went on to jump over 21 feet!”

Dwamena closed with advice for his teammates and fellow athletes. “[Trust] is a way of life and a guiding principle that frames our relationships [and] character and makes us belong to a group. Let us develop trust in ourselves, in our teammates, and in the game that we love,” he said.

“This was a great evening of celebration in a season where almost 70% of our students participated on a sports team,” Hendrickson said after the banquet. “Nicholas and Lily spoke to their individual experiences and also provided insight to the NMH athletic experience shared by most, if not all, of their peers." 

 

 

 

Students award recipients at the spring athletics banquet:

Boys’ Track and Field Coaches Award: Joey Robinson '24

Charles E. Barbour Boys’ Tennis Doubles: Paolo Rodriguez Castaneda '24 and Damon Tung '25

Crawford L. Gilligan Boys’ Tennis Award: Damon Tung '25

David H. Schorer Boys’ Lacrosse Award: Tommy Conway '24 and Owen Kiernan '24

Jackie Robinson Baseball Award: James Kolak '24

John E. Baldwin Golf Award: Annie Dai '24

Boys’ JV Tennis Coaches Award: Giuliano Al Asmar '25

Boys’ JV Ultimate Frisbee Coaches Award: Oliver Newman '27

Boys’ JV Volleyball Coaches Award: Adam Albik '24

Girls’ JV Lacrosse Coaches Award: Eliza Jessen '26

Girls’ JV Tennis Coaches Award: Devin Troy '25

Golf  JV Coaches Award: Ian Lee '24

Matt Demaine Lacrosse Award: Auggie Swartwood '24

Max Fezer Ultimate Frisbee Award: Ben Liu '24

Novice Boys’ Rowing: Harrison Bartels-Thiel ’27

Novice Girls’ Rowing: Molly Frank ’26

Outdoor Team Coaches Award: Dory Hindinger '24

Payne Manager Award: Sasa Kolowrat '24

Softball: Ava Hoy '25

Boys’ Varsity Rowing: Joshua Qiu Wang ’24

Boys’ Varsity Volleyball Coaches Award: Billy Fleming '24

Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse Coaches Award: Lily Goldsmith '24

Girls’ Varsity Rowing: Mia Ollari ’24

Girls’ Varsity Tennis Coaches Award: Grace Cummiskey '25

Girls’ Varsity Ultimate Frisbee Coaches Award: Keona Burch '25

William R Batty III ’59 Girls’ Track Award: Lillian Zhang '24