Female Athlete Of the Year: Hannah Wellington

Whether she is sprinting down the lacrosse field, slamming a ball past a field hockey goalie or swerving past opponents on the ice, senior Hannah Wellington always does so with poise, confidence and skill. 

Wellington, a four-year day student, was a natural at sports ever since grade school, where her father was a field hockey coach. She later picked up lacrosse because she loved the sport and wanted a spring activity. After arriving at Exeter, she began ice hockey for fun and immediately flourished. Due to her incredible guidance, affability and conviction, Wellington became a co-captain for varsity field hockey during her upper and senior years, and was also selected as captain for varsity lacrosse senior year.

Lower Jacie Lemos, a player on the lacrosse team, praised Wellington’s exceptional personality and diligence. 

“Hannah is awesome. She has such a positive attitude all the time, and she is always willing to laugh and lighten the mood. She works so hard, inside and outside of practice,” Lemos said. “She is also willing to help improve anyone on the team, and cheer up anyone who needs it. When I was having an issue with my shooting earlier in the season, she stayed after practice just to feed me passes so I could work on my shot.”

Upper Marley Jenkins, also a fellow lacrosse teammate, saw Wellington’s warmth as a key component to her effective leadership. 

“Hannah is the kind of captain that is friends with everyone on the team. Her sense of humor and knowledge of the sport makes her a captain that people can both look up to and are very comfortable with,” Jenkins said. “She has an awesome personality and can make people instantly like her from her fun laugh and easygoing attitude. This is a quality that helps her lead as a captain because everyone feels comfortable around her.”

Girls’ varsity lacrosse coach Christina Breen noted Wellington’s dependability as a captain.

“Hannah is unbelievably positive and leads by example since her work ethic is on display each and every day. She also believes in the concept of team and has taught the younger players how to believe in each other, how to respect the sport and the team unit,” Breen said.

Another defining characteristic of Wellington’s leadership is her focus and commitment, which have helped improve both her own skills and those of her teammates. 

“Something that makes her special is her dedication to the sport. You can always be sure that she is giving everything she has during a game,” Jenkins said. “Her competitive spirit is infectious and inspires everyone on the team to push themselves. She is also very dedicated to constantly practicing, lifting and conditioning to improve her play.”

Lower Bronwyn Shields, who plays varsity field hockey and lacrosse, shared a similar opinion of Wellington’s dogged persistence. 

“What I have seen from being on a team with Hannah is that when she is on the field she is focused entirely on the task of hand,” Shields said. “If something goes wrong she doesn't give up; she tries harder. She believes in herself and in her teammates.”

Perhaps one of Wellington’s most notable qualities is her resolve to be a compelling role model and successful captain. 

“Hannah has a natural ability for leadership. As a captain she was reliable and confident. She could be trusted to do anything on the field,” Shields said. “She is the kind of person that gives criticism in the most affective affective way; she cares a lot and in everything she does she wants to succeed, so she is an amazing role model.”

In addition, Wellington uplifts the team’s spirit with her camaraderie and enthusiasm. 

“Both in field hockey and lacrosse, Hannah is a real leader on the field. She is a selfless player and sets people up well on the field while also using her honed skills to control the game,” Jenkins said. “She is always fun to be around but she also knows how to work hard. Whenever I feel tired and begin to think I cannot run any faster, she is always right next to me, encouraging me to keep going. She is an amazing athlete but an even better person and is a huge part of every team she is on, both on and off the field.”

Breen felt that Wellington’s optimism has driven the team and led the team to multiple victories. “She is a force on the field hockey field and virtually cannot be stopped by any defender. In lacrosse, she is one of the team’s leading scorers and she played a crucial role in our win against Thayer Academy this year, a team we haven’t beaten in almost a decade,” Breen said. 

Not only has Wellington’s presence as a captain impacted her teammates, but it has shaped her school work and her time at Exeter as a whole. 

atransferred over into my academic life as well. I have become much more confident around the Harkness table and in all aspects of my Exeter life thanks to the lessons I learned from my coaches and all my teammates,” Wellington said. 

“The teams on which I was the small prep only a few years ago have become my families, and my best friends are all connected through these different sports teams, so it will be really hard to leave.”