Big Red Athletes Recognized for Fall Sports Awards

By KAYLEE GONG, AUDREY KIM, and MARVIN SHIM

After weeks filled with busy evenings, team lifts, away games, and resulting stenchful locker rooms, the Exeter Athletics Department announced the individual team award winners and the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) award recipients for their contributions to their respective teams. 

This 2024 season has been a great success for countless players with a total of 42 athletes from the varying Exeter fall sports—cross country, field hockey, football, soccer, volleyball, and water polo—being recognized with awards such as All-NEPSAC and MVP to commemorate their long season of hard work. 

“Interschols was my first race as the first runner for Exeter. It was a really good feeling, and this is the race where the MVP award is decided,” upper Owen Welch, recipient of All-NEPSAC and the MVP award for boys cross country, noted. “I was one shy of the NEPSAC award last year as well, and being able to come back and finally get that achievement by coming in first is really one of the greatest feelings I had and just knowing that it was the best race of my life.”

Upper Ella Shea, recipient of the All-NEPSAC honorable mention and MVP of the girls’ varsity soccer team, reflected on her awards. She said, “Over the past three years I have worked really hard to get rewards like this. I’m just glad that my teammates also viewed me as someone who gave support and someone they think is a most valuable player. That means a lot to me because over the years I’ve worked to be a better influence and be a better soccer player and just be somebody they look up to.” 

Upper Clare McCann, a recipient of the All-NEPSAC award in volleyball, elaborated on her growth too. “Last year, I got honorable mention, and just being able to get NEPSAC this year means that I improved, which is what’s really important, as Coach Shang says. It means I’ve improved, and that makes me happy,” she said. 

Shea recalled, “From these past years of me being on this team, my team has forced me to push myself into becoming a better player. They have taught me to be an inclusive person and I hope I have given back to the community in that way.” 

Coach Ardura Diego, the girls’ varsity soccer coach, reflected on their past season. He said, “It was great to see both the returners and the new players come up together and create a new culture, see them compete, and be ready to play every single day. For me, it was a really rewarding experience to see the team develop throughout the season.” 

Diego elaborated on his selection of Shea for MVP and said, “She was contributing to our team offensively and made an incredible impact on our team. I am grateful that she is getting recognition from other people for all the hard work she does.”

Despite the individuality aspect of the fall-postseason awards, Welch explained the team aspect of his sport, cross country. “There is a lot of camaraderie between our players. But it’s not like a basketball team where if the team wins, the team wins. We’re competing with each other. A lot of times when someone beats a teammate, they feel good about that and the other teammate might have some resentment. But I think something that the Exeter team does really well is that it is all hashed out on the course and the race. As soon as the race is over, we go back to being teammates and good friends,” he said. 

As a volleyball player on a team with a strong bond, McCann commented, “This team has helped develop my personality, and in my previous years, I did everything from the seniors who took me in, and I hope later on, I will be able to fill that role for others. I really appreciate my fellow captains.”

McCann continued, “This was my best season I have had in my Exeter career, considering how close we got to the championship. We had so many great people, so many great games, and I’m sad that a lot of our seniors are graduating. I’m sad that our season’s over, but next season’s is definitely going to be fun too.” 

Welch stated, “We graduated a lot of seniors last year, and I looked up to a lot of those guys as role models. They taught me a lot of what I know about how to run, how to train, and how to race now. And of course the coaches. They have great training programs and their teachings when it comes to the mental game really transformed me as an