Athletics at Park: Spring 2025

After a season of being indoors, it was great for our athletes to get back outside this spring, even as they endured seemingly endless days of April (and May) showers!  Park fielded nine interscholastic teams for Upper Division students and provided an intramural program for Grade 4 students to learn the fundamentals of spring sports.  

Here are some highlights from the season:

Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse: The numbers for this group started low, but several students stepped outside of their comfort zone and tried something new, allowing us to field a full team.  Coach Cameron Kaitz got the group up to speed, and Athletic Director Jen Viana is especially proud of how they came together, “had a blast,” and stirred enthusiasm for our boys’ lacrosse program in future years.  Highlights of the season included a win against Beaver and ties against Beaver and Fessenden.

Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse: A whopping 17 Grade 8 athletes chose to play on the team this season, and they brought with them an “excellent work ethic, leadership, and sportsmanship,” says Co-Coach Amy Saltonstall.  The group impressed Saltonstall and Co-Coach Dana Welshman-Studley with their dedication–as evidenced by their willingness to practice outside even in the freezing, blowing rain–and their consistent positivity. 

Girls’ JV Lacrosse: Helmed by a young coach with a passion for teaching the sport, this team showed marked improvement in confidence and skill over the season and demonstrated lots of potential.  A highlight of the season was the team’s final game against Shady Hill, in which “everything seemed to click,” says Coach Sloan Johnson.

Girls’ Varsity Softball: Led by a strong group of Grade 8 athletes, including an ace pitcher who shut down almost every opponent, this team amassed an impressive 7-1 record.  But beyond winning, Coach Diana Zito was impressed by the team’s attitude and “loved seeing the older, more experienced players get genuinely excited every time a newer player got a hit.”  Indeed, a highlight of the season was when a younger Park pitcher came in for the final inning of a game and struck out the first batter, popped up the second batter for an out, and then got the last batter to ground a ball right back to her, which she quickly tossed to first base for the final out of the game.  The other players were incredibly thrilled for her, and it was a memorable moment for the whole team.

Girls’ JV Softball: Focusing on fundamentals, this group showed notable improvement over the course of the season.  Coach Jen Kuchta enjoyed seeing some athletes who started off with no softball experience start to make plays on the field and ask thoughtful questions about game situations.  There was such joy in the group that Grade 7 softball players asked to come play with them in games!

Varsity Track and Field: Always a large and spirited group, our Varsity Track and Field team participated in four meets this season.  Their meet at Milton Academy was especially exciting because of all the Parks fans in attendance–including alumni who now attend Milton and parents and friends who came to watch–and our track stars pushed themselves extra hard to impress their audience.  Coach Tonnis James says that another highlight of the season was seeing how excited athletes became when they beat their own record: “Their faces would light up and they would let me know immediately!”

JV Track and Field: Our JV team focused on the fundamentals of sprinting and distance training, benefitting from the expertise of Coach Karl Dreyer.  Sprinters learned what to do with their arms and hands and how to use their core to become faster and more efficient runners.  Distance runners worked on running at a comfortable pace for twenty minutes and learned how to dig deep for sprints at the end of their runs.  The team participated in three meets, and a few Grade 5 athletes were invited to compete at the varsity level as a result of their hard work!

Varsity Ultimate Frisbee: Although only a few years old, our ultimate program is really hitting its stride.  Coach Manny Duarte Perlovsky enjoyed watching the team “learn and grow from our first game (a loss) to win our last 7 games in a row.”  The team showed great sportsmanship and integrity–frisbee players referee themselves–and had a lot of fun in the process.  The team concluded their season by competing at a challenging tournament with teams from across the state, and they won their final game there with a dramatic catch in the end zone to break a tie!

JV Ultimate Frisbee: With lots of players new to the sport, this group showed great enthusiasm as they learned the rules and strategies of the game.  Over the course of the season, many athletes went from learning how to throw a frisbee to being able to pass and cut in the correct places while running up and down the field.  Coach Joey Minichiello enjoyed seeing how excited the group was every time they scored a point!

Grade 4 Intramurals: Under the guidance of Coaches Hannah McGowan and Lily Kollmorgen, an eager group of Grade 4 athletes met three afternoons a week to learn the basics of the spring sports offered at Park, progressing through track and field, ultimate frisbee, lacrosse, and softball.  Highlights included many spirited scrimmages and an intrasquad meet on their last day of track and field.

By Elizabeth Prasse '97, P '27, '29

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