Led by the six members of the Class of 2021, this year's Varsity Softball team found success on the diamond and laid the foundation for the program's future. The coaching staff worked hard daily to teach fundamental skills, hard work, and what it takes to be a great teammate. Head Coach Erica Wheeler '00 shared her insights on the season below.
A “normal” spring would have Proctor's baseball team traveling to the Dominican Republic for spring training and community service. A trip that has been a part of the program for the past five years, and one everyone looks forward to, this season, again, began without that foundational experience for players and coaches. Fortunately, a warm spring had Carr Field and Proctor’s pristine baseball diamond playable for the Hornets for their spring season starting in early April.
This spring has brought one obstacle after another in the path of the Girls' Varsity Lacrosse team. With a few key players quarantining for over 30 days, just being able to get on the field the past couple of weeks has been a reward in itself. Led by head coach Jill Jones Grotnes and assistants Kate Austin ‘01 and Karl Methven, the team looks forward to finishing the season strong after a convincing 15-5 win over Brewster Academy last weekend.
It was March of 2020 when news of a global pandemic began to impact every corner of the United States, Head Coach Ray Summers and the 2020 team were preparing for the upcoming season in Phoenix, Arizona. In the blink of an eye, the excitement surrounding the forthcoming season quickly vanished as the focus shifted to making sure the team returned home safely to quarantine. Over 400 days later, the Proctor Boys’ Lacrosse team retook the field for the first time together. It has been a long-awaited season, but thankfully, the Hornets have been able to compete and reclaim their spring season.
While Head Coach Maggie Kennedy has been out on maternity leave for the majority of the season, coaches Hunter Churchill ‘01 and Rachel Moore have been hard at work with the Girls Varsity Hockey team. Although they have had a challenging start to the season in terms of their win/loss percentage, the team is determined to right the ship and end the season on a positive note.
Head Boys’ Varsity Hockey Mike Walsh and Assistant Coach Ian Hamlet are back at the helm and ready to lead the team to another successful season. With nine seniors leading the way, the team is poised to make the most of a shortened season. The 2019-2020 campaign ended in the Lakes Region Finals against Tilton, and the team is already back and looking to build off of last season's late season push.
Of Proctor’s competitive athletic teams, one, in particular, has stood out this year for their success and palpable camaraderie: Varsity Field Hockey. The team of 16 girls has been dominating the Lakes Region League over the last four weeks with an undefeated, 4-0 season.
Before the addition of the Strength and Conditioning program, run by Craig Leaman and Ross Young, out of season athletes lacked an official structure to train for their primary sport while out of season. However, with the renovation to the Farrell Field House in 2019 and construction of a new fitness center and functional turf strip in the gym, opportunities abound for out of season athletes to hone their skills specific to their sport. Due to COVID-19, NEPSAC rules have allowed for increased contact with out of season athletes and coaches this fall. Proctor's focus has been on twice weekly strength and conditioning sessions for winter sport athletes in addition to twice weekly practices.
