Middle School Celebrates Spring Cav-E's

By Connie Oberlin
Middle School Athletic Director
May 26, 2021

Prior to announcing the award recipients for spring teams, I would like to recognize and thank our outstanding coaches for the spring season: Golf-Bob Brothers, Dustin Oberlin, Jill Burnett, and Kristina Urberg; 5/6 G Soccer-Ken Harkenrider and Ato Ackon; 7/8 G Soccer-Jennie Crandal, Kristin Dixon, and Tom Julius; 5/6 B Soccer-Lincoln Gray and Michael Landgraf; 7/8 B Soccer-Greg Mauch and Rene Sanchez; Tennis-Jerry Gerig, Rashelle Pabla, and Alexis Hill; and Track-Taiwan Brown and LaShanda Conwell. Wow-18 coaches for one season! Thanks so much to all of them!

DARBY MAGGARD ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE AWARD
The Canterbury Athlete who shows appreciation and is thankful for the opportunities presented. This athlete is kind and respectful of teammates, opponents, officials and coaches, as well as the sporting arena as a whole. Gracious regardless of the outcome of a game, this athlete maintains a humble disposition while working to be the best he or she possibly can be.

And now a little bit about each recipient, as written by their coaches:

"This player embraced the season with gusto and a sense of joy and appreciation. Always extremely supportive of her teammates, whether at practice or a game, she made the most of every situation to learn, grow, relate and enjoy. Truly reflective of a sense of gratitude, Maria Zenk-Johnson made huge strides on every facet of her involvement!"

"This young man has been a positive and enthusiastic member of the golf team all season.  He is willing to participate in every drill with focus.  He competes in every match with respect for the game and his opponents. Congratulations to Collin Bauer."

"This young man was always very verbal. He constantly showed gratefulness through his positive demeanor and his great attitude. Nicely done, Gavin Hoover."

"In every single practice, regardless of the circumstances, this player worked hard to improve his golf swing and overall golf game, displaying a great combination of work ethic and enthusiasm. He was happy to take any suggestions the coaches made, and always stayed respectful, engaged and focused during practice. Way to go, Henry Collins!"

"This young lady was relentless on the field and carried herself with such great poise.  She was always respectful to the coaches, players and referees. Congratulations to Sara Grabowski!"

"This athlete always exhibited an attitude of gratitude. He showed his appreciation by working hard and getting better. Caleb Madarang, congratulations!"

"This young man is the kind of player that every team needs. He displays positive sportsmanship both on and off the court. Throughout the season many players, coaches, parents, and teammates took notice of his great attitude. Way to set the bar high, Charles Nwakanma!"

"This athlete has been vital in his leadership and effort on our team. He is always working hard, gives his all each day and never acts put out when he is asked to play any position. He helps with presenting a good team spirit every day. Nice job, Sam Bierbaum.

"This young lady is a role model for sportsmanship. She can always be counted on to cheer on her teammates and play any spot asked of her. She is focused on the court and always maintains a positive attitude while playing. Great job, Sophia Miller!"

"This player came to each practice and game with a smile on his face and worked as hard as he possibly could on every play. His positive attitude and focus on improving every time he came out on the field was contagious. Drake Steffy showed a true attitude of gratitude!"

"This young lady plays because she enjoys the game and is a great team player. She always puts forth her best effort and even roots on her opponents. If it were up to her, the “redo” rule would be put in place, as she is always willing to offer grace to others and just wants everyone to enjoy the match. Congratulations to our final spring Maggard Award winner, Adderly Surack!"

The Austin Hatch Grit and Persistence Award goes to a Canterbury Athlete who shows persistence and toughness over time, maintaining a level of work and discipline that will lead to success. Exhibiting enthusiasm for every facet of the athletics experience, this athlete displays the resilience to rise up from failures and use them as lessons to grow stronger.

And now a little bit about each recipient:

"This young man always strives to play his hardest. He will go after any difficult shot, and he is often rewarded on the court for his persistence. He is a great team player who doesn’t forget to enjoy the game and have fun too. Congratulations to Sean Lugakingira!

"This player showed grit, determination, and willingness to work hard throughout the season. He was forced to play in a number of positions, but always did so with composure and total effort. His willingness to adapt to any situation made Will Miller one of the most coachable players on the team!

"This player’s persistence was relentless this spring!! She would dominate in the middle and make things happen.  She would get forward in the attack and then track back to defense, having the stamina to play nearly every minute of every game.  Way to go, Gabby Dixon!"

"This young man has been uniquely focused and very resilient this season. He has drawn some tough assignments and has battled every step of the way. Congratulations, Brayden Lichtsinn!"

:This young lady pushes herself to rise up to any challenge. Win or lose, she is always smiling and cheering for her teammates. She learns from her mistakes and works hard to improve. Year after year she has grown stronger and stronger in her abilities as a tennis player. Great job, Sunjana Nalamolu!"

"This player worked so incredibly hard throughout the season! To watch her face as she was competing was to see the look of determination and grit, putting every ounce of energy into the task at hand. She was not successful with every technical point of the game of soccer, but boy was she successful with investing herself to the fullest possible extent---and most often THAT was enough to bring Kiran Gupta the success she was after!"

"This player has so much grit!! She played center back, and would constantly make runs forward to help us in the attack.  Her ability to stop attackers is top notch, and boy can she hit hard!! Great job, Lauren Biggs!"

"This player showed amazing grit and continued to swing the golf clubs in freezing cold with blisters on her hands!   She was a rock star and did not complain one bit during our practices in the cold and wind! Way to go, Victoria Kim!"

"This player has been a focused and dedicated member of the golf team all season. Her ability to concentrate on a drill and accomplish the task regardless of what is happening around her is exceptional. She takes a bad shot in turn and puts it aside to take her next shot. Brianna Wing definitely has the persistence needed to be successful at golf!"

"This athlete’s motor never stopped. He always wanted to win and he became a wonderful leader to his teammates. Congratulations to Taurean Brown!"

"This young lady put forth lots of effort to improve over the course of the short season. She never complained when asked to do events that may push her out of her comfort zone. Way to go, Shannon Roussel!"

"This young man is focused and successful on the court. Others will not hear him complain about match results, but instead they will see him fight that much harder the next round. He is always learning from his mistakes and celebrating his victories in a humble manner. Congratulations to our final spring Hatch Award winner, Preston Reeves!"

Next, I would like to present our Iron-Cav Award, which recognizes Grade 8 athletes who have competed in a Canterbury sport every season of their Middle School career. We have two recipients this year: Thiran Padmalingam & Christian Urberg. Congratulations, gentlemen, on an amazing accomplishment!

I would now like to recognize commended athletes for the longstanding Frank J. Gray 8th Grade Sportsmanship Award. This coveted Middle School Athletic Award was named in honor of long-time Canterbury volunteer coach and very strong supporter of Canterbury Athletics, Frank Gray. Coach Gray was a pillar of Canterbury soccer, coaching both fall and spring seasons for 25 years. 

The award recognizes athletes demonstrating outstanding sportsmanship by competing within the rules of the game, putting team before self, and showing extraordinary respect for coaches, officials, teammates, opponents, and spectators.

A huge congratulations to Sofia Carver, Greg Fruchey, Jackson Glassley, Sara Grabowski, Jayla Johnson-Lake, Sarah Krabach, Sunjana Nalamolu, Charles Nwakanma, Orion Runion, and Maria Tan. Two winners, one boy and one girl, will be announced on June 10th during the Middle School Awards Program.

Athletic participation percentages in the MS are always a point of pride. 

Total participation in the MS this year was an excellent 84%!

Broken down by grades:

Grade 6 = 35 students of 49 for 71% participation

Grade 7 = 40 students of 49 for 82% participation

Grade 8 = 51 students of 57 for 89% participation

Grade 5 = 41 students of 44 for 93% Participation