Seniors of the Week: 10/23/20

The Athletics department celebrates the Class of 2021 through a Seniors of the Week series honoring Hackley’s graduating athletes.

Andrew Davis ’21 - Cross-Country

Andrew has had an amazing four years on the cross-country team. While he possesses great speed and has a preference for shorter races, he has been a mainstay on Hackley’s best cross-country team ever. Besides winning the NYSAIS Championship last season, the Hackley’s boy’s team placed ahead of all Westchester schools at the New York Federation Championship. As an individual Andrew displays grit and determination at every practice and race. More importantly, he is supportive and encouraging of his teammates during workouts and at meets.

Alex Goldman ’21 - Cross-Country
Alex has been a four-year member of the cross-country team. He has been a dedicated runner throughout his time on the team and even earned the nickname, “khaki’s” as he’d rather wear his school pants to train in than miss a practice. Over the years, he has trained alongside a group of supportive classmates and has seen steady improvement in his 5K times as a result.

Jonah Gorevic ’21 (Captain) - Cross-Country
Jonah’s accolades speak for themselves: All Ivy 9,10,11, Team MVP 9,10,11, Record holder of five events at Hackley School as well as countless other accolades. He will graduate Hackley as the most decorated distance runner in the history of the school. More importantly, Jonah will be remembered as a selfless and empathetic teammate. Over his five years with the program, Jonah was instrumental in building and leading the strongest team in school history.

Cate Goodwin-Pierce ’21 (Captain) - Field Hockey
It is hard to put into words exactly the role Cate has and the impact Cate has made on this team over the past three years she has been on the Varsity Team. One way to illustrate it is that her team voted her a captain for her senior year.  This to me epitomizes who Cate is and who her teammates recognize her to be as well.  Cate works so hard every day.  She is not afraid to ask questions that will help her to understand a skill or strategy better and then she works hard to take the answers she has gotten and incorporate them into her play.  She is a true student of the game.  Cate is also a teacher on the field, and she helps the people around her to be better through her support and advice.  This is a role she plays both on and off the field.  Cate is a defensive stalwart; she is also a calm voice on the field.  Cate is the kind of player who competes at the highest level, but she never lets the competition rattle her on the field, and she provides a source of calm for the rest of the team.  In short, Cate is a player who has made a huge impact on our team and our program.  She has been an undefeated Ivy League champ for two seasons! We are going to miss her incredibly!   

Martha Harris ’21 - Field Hockey                
We were so lucky when Martha came to Hackley and joined our field hockey family as a junior.  It is as if she has been a part of our team forever.  Martha is not only a strong player, but she gives her heart and soul to the team every single day—no matter what we are doing or what else she has going on.  Martha was a solid player as a junior—and played a variety of positions at the start, but by the end of the season, she had secured her starting midfield position and almost never came off the field.  This season, Martha is an even stronger player and has been a powerhouse in our “games.”  She is fast and confident and her stick work is strong--she continues to have that strong literal “drive” as well as the drive to improve that earned her that word on our team last season.  Martha is also one of the kindest, most optimistic and thoughtful people I know--and this is something that is so clear to all of her teammates.  It has been such a pleasure to have her on our team and to see the role she has taken on this team in just two years. Martha was part of our undefeated league championship team as a junior and NYSAIS runner-up!  We will miss her tremendously!

Alex Kirchgaessner ’21 - Football                               
Alex has grown from a new-to-football freshman to being a leader on and off the field.  He makes the extra effort to learn the intricacies of our playbook and helps to instruct his teammates.  He worked his way onto the field as a sophomore lineman, started as an offensive tackle as a junior and helped the Hornets become the most dominant run offense in the league in 2019.  Kirchgaessner is one of the top returning offensive linemen in the Metropolitan Independent Football League.  

Luca McAdams ’21 (Captain) – Boy’s Soccer
Luca has been a four-year varsity player and a pillar of strength and stability on the Hackley backline.  Paired with classmates Samson Bennett and Charlie Rosenblum for much of the past four years, Luca stood out for his effortless skill, smooth stride, and love of the game.  Easily recognized for his height, Luca has used this advantage to become a major weapon offensively the last two years.  Easy going but demanding, Luca was an All-League award winner in 2019 and selected team MVP that same year.

Hadley Chapman ’21 (Captain) – Girl’s Soccer
Hadley has been a consistent center piece to HGVS playing as a starting center midfielder for all four years of her HGVS career.  It has been incredible watching Hadley’s confidence and leadership qualities grow throughout her time on HGVS.  Her intensity in the midfield and confidence with the ball as well as her ability to play the perfectly placed free-kick or through ball to her teammates brings a special skill-set that will truly be missed on HGVS.  Whether the team is playing “2v2 continuous” or playing against their top rivals, Hadley is always going to give 100% for her team.

Odessa Buell ’21 – Girl’s Tennis
Odessa joins the varsity girl’s tennis team after two years on JV. Over the course of her time at Hackley, she has shown tremendous improvement on the court!  This comes as no surprise as the dedication, effort, and enthusiasm that Odessa shows each day is unrivaled. She is 100% all-in; whether she is doing a drill, playing a game, or during team bonding activities, Odessa brings an incredible energy and team spirit that makes practice more enjoyable for everyone! In her short time on varsity, she has quickly emerged as one of our most team-oriented players!
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