On Monday, April 6, Loomis Chaffee’s winter varsity teams gathered in Hubbard Performance Hall to celebrate the 2025–26 season and recognize individual and team accomplishments. 

Director of Athletics Sue Cabot opened the evening by reflecting on the winter season and recognizing the 15-year tenure of boys ice hockey head coach J.R. Zavisza. 

“Under J.R.’s leadership, the team secured regular berths in the NEPSAC Large School and Elite Eight Tournaments, capturing two NEPSAC Large School championships and two Founders League titles,” Sue said. “More importantly, he built a culture centered on accountability, effort, and continuous improvement. A lifelong learner, he instilled that same mindset in his players and took great pride in creating meaningful experiences for them, including opportunities beyond the rink. The impact he has made, both on and off the ice, will be felt for years to come.” 

Sue also highlighted the collective success of the winter teams. 

“This winter, 300 athletes competed in 293 contests,” she said. “More importantly, it was a season defined by growth, resilience, and pride in representing Loomis Chaffee. Across all of our programs, we saw teams compete with purpose and continue to raise the level of play.” 

Teams delivered standout performances throughout the season.  

Girls basketball advanced to a fifth consecutive New England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class A championship game, earned the top seed, and finished as tournament finalists. 

Girls ice hockey capped off an exceptional season by winning its second consecutive Elite Eight Chuck Vernon NEPSAC Championship with a 5–1 victory over Deerfield. The team continued to improve throughout the winter and delivered its best performances when it mattered most. 

Both girls basketball and girls ice hockey also captured Founders League championships. 

Boys hockey and boys basketball competed well in challenging leagues, earned key wins, and remained competitive throughout the winter.  

In the pool, the boys and girls swim and dive programs both saw impressive team and individual success. The boys team placed second at the Founders League Championships and sixth at the Division I New England prep school championships. The girls team earned third-place finishes at both Founders and New Englands, marking the program’s first podium finish at New Englands since 2007. 

Girls squash delivered a strong performance at nationals and captured a NEPSAC Class D title through a complete team effort. Boys squash put together an outstanding season and earned berths in both nationals and NEPSAC competition.  

On the slopes, the alpine ski teams continued their steady success, with the boys finishing sixth and the girls fourth at the NEPSAC B Championships. 

The equestrian team, competing across both fall and winter seasons, opened with three consecutive wins and advanced to the regional finals, supported by strong individual performances throughout the year. 

The evening celebrated not only the accomplishments of Loomis teams, but also the commitment, growth, and community that define the student-athlete experience. 

 

VARSITY AWARDS: 

Boys Basketball 

Most Improved Player – Sophomore Luca Balducci 
Coaches’ Award – Senior Nick Sangermano 

Girls Basketball 

Most Valuable Player – Senior Lauren Wright 
Coaches’ Award – Senior Izzy Cruz  
Pelican Award – Junior Leah McKenzie 

Equestrian 

Most Improved Player – Sophomore Jolie Chung 
Most Valuable Player – Freshman Megan Xu 
Spirit Award – Junior Victoria Ribeiro 

Boys Hockey 

Golden Buoy Award – Senior Carson Woolcott 
Joe Birarelli “Living the Dream Scholarship” – Senior Ryder Tremblay 
Cultural Hero Award – Senior Will Watson 

Girls Hockey 

Most Outstanding Defensive Player – Senior Megan Hosman 
Most Outstanding Offensive Player – Senior Annie Schwarz 
Most Outstanding Offensive Player – Senior Lindsay Stepnowski 
Coaches’ Award – Senior Hattie Willard 
Coaches’ Award – Senior Adeline Roper 
Coaches’ Award – Senior Carly Dann 

Boys Swimming & Diving 

Hartman Most Valuable Player Award – Sophomore Chris Nelson 
Anthony M. Riccio Award – Senior Georges Devos 
Most Improved Swimmer – Sophomore Matt Cormier 

Girls Swimming & Diving 

Coaches’ Award – Junior Amelia Chung 
Coaches’ Award – Senior Paige Biller 

Boys Squash 

Most Improved Player – Sophomore Samuel Chen 
Most Valuable Player – Senior Sam Wu 

Girls Squash 

Coaches’ Award – Senior Cookie Danchaivijitr 
Most Valuable Player – Senior Aditi Bhor 

Skiing 

Coaches’ Award – Junior Katherine Geoghan  
Most Valuable Player Female Award – Freshman Abigail Purviance  
Most Valuable Player Male Award – Senior Brennan Kelly