VIEW WINTER SPORTS PHOTOS

The Swim Team entered the year unsure about what they would be able to achieve. From the first practice, it was very clear that this year’s team had the full spectrum of abilities. Despite the varied skill levels, there was also clearly a strong sense of connection amongst the team. This tone was set first and foremost by Ryan Tse, the team’s MVP and captain. Ryan’s individual performances were noteworthy on their own but his contributions to team morale and spirit were even more impactful! After missing a good portion of the beginning of the season, Nyla Mucius was able to get back in the pool in January. Her impact was immediately felt and despite having just a couple practices, she was able to jump into her first meet and do extremely well. Nyla is this year’s MIP. The coaches award went to Aida Blue. Aida has been part of the swim team for years is a sparkling example of consistency. Everyday, Aida showed up to practice, gave it her all, encouraged her teammates, all with a great attitude. With many 9th graders leaving next year, the swim team looks ahead to new leaders emerging.


Varsity Girls Basketball had a lot of growth to do in the beginning of the season but lead by their coaches, they were able to make huge strides by season’s end.. Emily Hou was the team’s MIP. Emily was fairly new to the sport and was able to channel her athleticism into skill and ability. Jessica Lomo and Emily Tan share the Coaches award honors. Both girls were hardworking and coachable, always willing to try something new and do whatever needed for the benefit of the team. Emily Grasseler was the MVP. As a  leader of the team, Emily was the primary ball handler and lead the team in points and assists in every game. Her dominance and competitive spirit will make her a force to be reckoned with at the next level!


JV Boys Basketball had a strong season. The boys were a great mix of returning players and newcomers. With a larger roster this year, two smaller teams emerged inside of the whole team. The 5th, 6th, and 7th graders as well as the 8th and 9th graders were able to play together as well as independently of each other. Aiden Kokoszka and Justin Wu earned the Coaches award for the team. A standout soccer player, Aiden is also quite talented on the court. Justin is also strong in a few different sports but what sets these boys apart is their can-do attitude and willingness to lead their teammates and set the tone at every practice and game. Rusty Chandler was the teams MIP. No one gives more effort in each and every drill than Rusty and because of this, no one improved more over the course of just a few months than Rusty. By season’s end, he was a fundamental player who could play defense and offense well and also one who played very cerebrally.


Varsity Boys Basketball entered the season with almost no true basketball players on the roster. Instead, the roster consisted of several Varsity level athletes from other sports. With a solid foundation of athleticism, it was Coach Del Visco’s job to instill the fundamentals while still attempting to be competitive against tough opponents. Zobran Elias (Varsity Soccer) and Jackson Raymond (Varsity Lacrosse) were the two Coaches award recipients. Despite not playing their main sports, these boys proved to be irreplaceable on the court. Their ability to listen to Coach and make the necessary adjustments allowed them to become formidable on the court, as well as make it clear to the rest of the team that everyone would have to raise their level of effort. Jean-Marc Togodgue was the clear cut MVP of the team. On a team without a lot of natural talent, Jean-Marc was the exception. Gifted with rare size and athleticism, Jean-Marc also has a great sense for the game and many skills that he has worked hard to hone. The combination of all these different factors was too much for most opponents. He was the team leader in points, rebounds, blocks, steals, and to the enjoyment of his teammates, dunks! Next year, it will be a difficult task replacing a player of his stature.


Ski Race had a very small team this season. Despite only having a few racers, they were able to have top finishers in each race and had they had more racers, would have actually won a couple of races overall. Marisin McLain earned the Coaches award. Her skiing ability is quite advanced but what sets her apart was her drive to improve. She always asked questions of the coaches or tried new techniques at practice so her performance in the races could be even better.


JV Hockey enjoyed a progress-filled year that ended with the team playing its best hockey of the season. With a majority of first year skaters, the coaches and the few experienced hockey players had their hands full teaching the game to the rest of the team but the perseverance paid off and in the last game of the season, IMS topped Rumsey for the second year in a row. The MVP of the team was Liam Colley. Liam entered the year with a few years of hockey experience and not only scored and assisted on many goals but also enjoyed helping his new-to-hockey teammates learn some of the fundamentals. Anthony Sorriento earned the MIP award. Anthony has been the team’s goalie for three seasons now but the strides to took this year are remarkable. In many games, IMS would not have had any chance to remain in the game had it not been for Anthony’s awesome performances. The Coaches award went to Paisley Pecchia. This was Paisley’s first year on the team but from the outside, one could never have guessed. Paisley was the ultimate team player; putting herself in front of shots, getting pucks out of the zone, and giving her all each play proved to her teammates that she deserved their respect and admiration.


Varsity Hockey entered the season with many returning players from years past but without their top couple scorers and their netminder. Unsure of what to expect, Coaches Pecchia and Decock were thrilled when newcomer Carter Folley turned out to be a brick wall in net. Carter, the team’s MVP, had many games where he faced shot after shot against a superior team. Despite the action, he stood tall and welcomed each puck, before turning it away. Another new member of the team, Russell Soja, earned the MIP award. As a sixth grader, Russell was almost always on of the smallest skaters on the ice, for both teams. It took him a few games to learn and adjust to playing against bigger players but then the light went on and he was a completely different player. Keeping his feet moving, skating with his head up, and moving the puck to the open teammate; Russell turned into one of the more reliable players on the team. 9th graders Burke Bogardus, Keenan Wysocki, and Grace Puskar received Coaches awards. All three of these players were dominant on the ice during games but it is their contributions in other aspects that earned them recognition. They wanted their final year at IMS to be a strong one and knew what it took to have a good season. As linemates, Grace and Keenan set the tone each practice and showed the rest of the forwards the meaning of hard work and playing together. As the anchor of the defense, Burke not only shut down the opponents on a regular basis, but also passed on his cerebral approach to the game to his fellow defensemen. The coaches felt very fortunate to have such strong leadership to show the team the proper way to approach everyday.


Varsity Squash welcomed many new faces to the team this season. With, only seven players competing each match, the competition for spots at the top of the ladder was stiff.. The Coaches award was earned by Sylvie Labalme. Sylvie returned to the team knowing she had a chance to be a difference maker. While spending the entire season in the top seven, she also spent a lot of time with teammates who were not as skilled. Wade Barillaro was the MIP of the team. A lifelong basketball player, Wade made the switch the squash this year. He did not have any prior experience to fall back on but simply gave his best every opportunity he had. Wade was a natural and was quickly beginning to challenge those at the top of the team for a spot on the starting ladder. Warren Wang was the team’s MVP. Warren is an exceptional squash player but what sets him apart is his ability to compartmentalize during a match. Squash is such an isolated sport that one needs to be able to overcome early successes or disappointments and remain steady.  Despite always going up against the other teams best player, Warren had an impressive individual record this season and with a great work ethic and love for the game, he will certainly enjoy future success in the coming years.


The Dance Team had another fabulous season. As a non-competitive program, the team needs to be motivated to learn dance based on their drive to improve. This was definitely the case with this year’s team as each individual dancer came a long way from the start of the year to the end. Laila Kennedy was the MVP of the team. As a veteran, she not only was proficient in many of the different steps but was able to emulate her coaches and help the others on the team learn as well. Anne Huffines and Eliza Ross are the the co-MIP’s for the team. Both girls entered the season fairly new to the sport but were able to pick it up quickly and become quite proficient. Emma Spitz earned the Coaches award. Emma was like an extension of her coaches, always pitching in to help or helping to organize the team.


What a great season for the IMS teams.