The Upper School Athletics Awards Assembly took place on Wednesday, May 28, “to celebrate and honor the accomplishments of the Pingry athletic teams, coaches, and individual athletes that collectively produced a great year in athletics,” stated Director of Athletics Gerry Vanasse. Mr. Vanasse thanked the behind-the-scenes Pingry staff who work tireless hours to support over 1,200 athletic sporting events during the school year. He acknowledged the entire maintenance department whose efforts often go unnoticed, as well as Assistant Directors of Athletics Judy Baker and Dale Seabury, Athletics Trainer Bill Frye, videographer Peter Delman, and photographer Bruce Morrison ’64, who provides photo coverage of all sporting events throughout the school year. Mr. Vanasse added, “I also want to thank all of the 105 different coaches who worked with our 80 sports teams. The Athletic Department thanks all of you for your outstanding contributions toward Pingry and for striving to develop the student athlete while, at the same time, holding high expectations of sportsmanship, integrity, and selflessness as norms rather than exceptions. You have brought honor to yourselves, the school, and the entire Pingry community.”
Mr. Vanasse highlighted some of the year’s athletic team accomplishments, saying that Pingry continues to be a leader in high school athletics. This past year, eight Pingry teams earned Colonial Hills titles: boys’ cross country, girls’ cross country, field hockey, boys’ soccer, girls’ swimming, boys’ track and field, girls’ track and field, and boys’ tennis. There were seven team state champions: girls’ cross country (prep), boys’ cross country (prep), boys’ swimming (prep and non-public B), and girls’ skiing.
Water Polo won the Eastern states division B championship, both boys’ and girls’ ski teams won the Prep league of the New Jersey Ski Racing Association, and the Squash team finished in the top 10 in the country at the U.S. Championships.
Mr. Vanasse then recognized 59 students who earned varsity letters in three different sports this year and two seniors who earned 12 varsity letters in each of their 12 seasons at Pingry: Casey Rupon (for soccer, basketball, and track) and John Soo Hoo (for cross country and fencing/winter track, and outdoor track).
This year, many students were also selected all-conference, all-county, all-area, all-state, and even all-American. “But regardless of the level of achievement, it is still about the dedication and determination, the passion and the pride within every athlete and every coach,” Mr. Vanasse said. He added, “The focus on teamwork has been and will always be vital to our success together. The notion that team goals are paramount—that the conviction, commitment, and cooperation meld together in order to achieve amazing results—that personal sacrifice and team support need to be at the core of every practice and every competition—and that we must develop the feeling that the most important person on any team is not oneself.” He went on to congratulate the Upper School athletes who participated in sports—on the varsity level, junior varsity level, or both—and thanked seniors for their many contributions on and off the field.
Mr. Vanasse concluded, “I hope that the lessons learned on the fields, courts, mats, track, and pool help guide you in the next chapter of your lives, and that the feeling of Pingry pride is part of you.”
© 2008 The Pingry School
