Male Athlete Of the Year: Curran Sullivan

Around campus, he can be seen sporting different styles of facial hair, ranging from a scruffy beard to a clean mustache. In classrooms, some describe him as a “class clown who can keep things light but still get work done,” but he’s also a serious learner, being selected as part of the one section of the advanced English 411/421 sequence. 

However, senior Curran Sullivan performs the best and feels most comfortable when he is on the field, playing football or lacrosse, or on the wrestling mat. Sullivan, a three-season varsity athlete and the co-captains for both boys’ varsity wrestling and lacrosse, has remained committed to the Academy’s athletic program during his four years here, fearlessly challenging himself and displaying his strong work ethic and leadership.

Before even arriving at Exeter, Sullivan had a strong connection to Exeter and its sports culture. His two older brothers had both played football and wrestled at Exeter, earning regional and state-level accolades and captainships. 

Sullivan, who played football since sixth grade, felt that it was natural for him to join the football team. “I played football before, and I just had a really good experience in middle school, so I decided to keep with it through high school,” he said.

Starting out in JV his prep year, Sullivan quickly showed his athletic prowess and made the varsity team for his lower year. Playing tight end and linebacker for the varsity football team for three years, Sullivan reflected on the sense of community that being on the football team brought on.

“In terms of my experience with football here, the first thing I noticed was how many friends I made. I remember prep year, I made friends on the team, and I’ve kept all of them through senior year. I met all of my closest friends through football,” Sullivan said. “With E/A, I’ve never been to same athletic event with same sort of intensity, excitement and hype around it.”

Varsity football coach and Director of Athletics Rob Morris, who has known Sullivan for more than ten years, gave credit to Sullivan for his athletic contribution. “He has always been willing to play different positions in football, and this past year, he was a significant. We were a heavy running team, so he did not get many chances to catch passes, but his consistent Tight End play was a key to our success as we spent the great percentage of our time running right over his blocks.”

Morris continued, “I have always been impressed that Curran has played three sports for four years—not an easy task at all, especially in three very physically demanding contact sports. He never misses a practice or a workout. I know for sure there were days that he was not feeling close to 100%, but he showed up regardless, setting the example and giving every ounce of effort he had.”

Sullivan has made the transition from varsity football to varsity wrestling for the past three years, following the end of fall season. Although he played JV basketball his prep year, Sullivan quickly found his passion to be wrestling, which allowed him to grow into a successful wrestler and one of the three co-captains, along with seniors Sean Haggerty and Noah Wright. 

“My lower year, I decided that JV Basketball wasn’t really helping me in any way, so I decided to take up wrestling to just see how good I’d be at it,” Sullivan said. “I really wanted a no-excuses kind of sport, so I decided to wrestle.”

Since the change of heart, Sullivan has qualified twice for Nationals to compete, both his upper and senior years. In addition, Sullivan has placed sixth and seventh in the New England Championships, in his upper and senior years, respectively.

Although Sullivan humbly commented that he was definitely not the best wrestler in the team, Haggerty commented him for his great athleticism. “Although Curran was the least experienced wrestler to begin with, he really was the most successful of the three captains. I think that’s because he was so hardworking. He is a great athlete who can pick it up really quickly. I’ve been wrestling since fifth grade, and he made the sport look much easier.” 

In addition to being an excellent wrestler, Sullivan was also instrumental in leading the team as one of its co-captains. “I think Curran was a big help throughout the year in creating a good team dynamic. He really brought the team together and made a lot of the younger kids on the team feel welcome, leading by example and setting the tone.”

History instructor and varsity wrestling coach Ethan Shapiro agreed. “I think kids look up to him as a person, in general, and they appreciate his work ethic. He has good leadership qualities, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he takes on more and more leadership roles as he gets older. He doesn’t put himself out there and campaign to be a leader, but it naturally comes his way because of the kind of kid he is,” he said.

Sullivan said that he tried to think of ways that he could best lead the wrestling team, although wrestling is frequently seen as a very individual sport. “I think the things that always most inspired me were stories, such as inspirational speeches or success stories. That got me going more than anything else, and as a captain, I didn’t discipline too much, but tried to motivate the kids.”

As he did in football, Sullivan tried to view the team as a tight community of individuals. One of the things Sullivan recalled the most was his relationship with Shapiro and varsity wrestling co-coach David Hudson. 

“My relationship with Coach Shapiro and Coach Hudson is really good. We always chirp each other in different ways, and that’s something I feel like I earned as a wrestler because you don’t chirp your coaches and expect to get away with it. That’s a solid sign I’ve got a good relationship with my coaches,” Sullivan said. 

Hudson praised Sullivan for his commitment to the wrestling team. 

“Curran has always been one of the hardest working athletes in the wrestling room. He is loyal to the program and takes great pride in representing himself and the school in a positive way. He competes hard and has high standards.”

In the spring, Sullivan has returned to the field to play lacrosse. This year, Sullivan led the boys’ varsity lacrosse team as well, alongside seniors David Ayscue and Nick du Pont. 

When thinking about lacrosse, Sullivan recalled the difficulties he had at first. On the JV team as a defensive middie during his prep year, Sullivan had his heart set on making the varsity team his lower year, but initially got cut as a short stick. 

However, when boys’ varsity lacrosse coach Bill Glennon saw Sullivan’s love for the sport, Sullivan was given another opportunity. “We went to Florida for preseason, and Coach Glennon said that he saw how much in my head I was, and how inexperienced and unskilled I was, but he told me that he saw enough athletic ability to compete and gave me the option of being on JV as a short stick or on varsity as a long pole.”

Taking up the long pole for the first time, Sullivan saw increasing success. After most practices, Sullivan put in the extra time by staying back and practicing with Chris Keating ’13, two-time All-American and current starter at Yale University’s varsity lacrosse team. 

Getting more and more play time on the fields, Sullivan was eventually able to become one of the co-captains of the team. Du Pont praised Sullivan’s accomplishments as a defense captain for this year. 

“More than just playing phenomenal individual defense, Curran helped an inexperienced defense transform into a group that kept us in every game, even against some of the top teams in the country. His leadership was evident not only on the field during games, but during practices and in the locker room. He was always working to improve his individual game and was an inspiration to all on the team because of that,” du Pont said.

Sullivan saw himself as a soft-spoken, but firm captain, basing his actions and words as a captain on his own experiences growing as a team member and lacrosse player. “I never really yell at kids for dropping a ball or making a bad pass just because I’ve been there and I was worse than any other kid that I’ve seen. My humiliating experience has affected how I act as a captain and how I want kids to feel about themselves,” Sullivan said.

He continued, “However, occasionally, when someone I expect a lot from doesn’t perform up to the level, you need to get at that because that’s what I learned from Chris—you have to demand a certain performance from somebody and you need to let them know the expectations, so that they will eventually perform at that level.”

Although Sullivan is often looked up to on campus as an amazing athlete, many students and coaches praised his personality and character.

“I have witnessed Curran grow into a mature, disciplined, hardworking student and athlete who always puts his team ahead of himself. He works hard in the weight room during the off-season and has served as a great role model for not only the younger students but to his peers as well,” Morris said. “Curran is the epitome of goodness and knowledge combined. On the field and off the field he is well liked and highly respected. I personally am going to miss him.”

Senior Matt Greaves, Sullivan’s teammate on the varsity football, agreed. “Curran Sullivan is just that dude—hardworking, good looking, great beard. He just knows how to connect with people. He’s one of my favorite people at this school, I’d say.”

Upper Thomas Stockham, who plays varsity lacrosse, appreciated the role that Sullivan had played in his and others’ lives at Exeter. “Curran is an amazing friend, role model, and captain. He is a strong leader with a great sense of humor. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to play with Curran, and to be able to call him one of my closest friends.”

Although his athletic career at the college-level is still uncertain, Sullivan appreciated the fact that he learned many things, beyond sports, by being a part of Exeter’s athletics for four years.

“I can take a lot away. I learned just how important humility can be, but at the same time, how important confidence can be. I never knew how to teach confidence, but at the end, I don’t think it’s something you can pick up and teach,” Sullivan said. “If you can get confidence in any sport that you play, you will automatically become better, no matter what it is. Even if you drop passes, but you still keep going after you make those cuts to the open lane or whatever, you’re going to get better.”

Sullivan also emphasized the importance of non sibi. “Try and give back as much as you can. That’s something I see as extremely crucial. If you want the school to be better at sports, and if you care about the athletic program getting better, give back.”