FCIAC Scholar-Athletes, Sept., 2010

Alex Petridis, McMahon

Alex Petrides of Brian McMahon HS.

Alex Petridis has been a superb student and player for the boys soccer and baseball teams at Brien McMahon High School.

Petridis is a four-year starter and a two-year captain in soccer, having compiled the most goals and assists for the Senators during his sophomore and junior seasons. He was named to the All-FCIAC first team last year as a junior after having made the FCIAC All-Central Division team as a sophomore.

Last spring he was named to the FCIAC All-Central Division team as an infielder for the Senators.

Petridis has made High Honor Roll during every quarter at McMahon and he is a National Honor Society nominee.

Meredith Pramer, Norwalk

Meredith Pramer of Norwalk HS.

Meredith Pramer has excelled as an athlete and a leader every year at Norwalk High School as a member of the girls tennis and girls swimming and diving teams. Pramer has been a captain for two years for both of those programs.

Pramer earned All-FCIAC second team honors as a swimmer during the 2008 and ’09 seasons. She was a finalist in the FCIAC, CIAC Class LL and State Open championship meets during the 2007, ’08 and’09 seasons. This 10-year member of the Norwalk Zeus swim team was a USA Sectional Qualifier in the 100 butterfly. She was also a Connecticut Swimming Scholar Athlete for the 2009-10 school season.

This past spring Pramer earned All-FCIAC Honorable Mention in tennis.

Pramer also excels with her studies. She’s been a member of the National Honor Society as a junior and a senior, she is vice president of Student Government this year after being the treasurer last year and a senator as a sophomore, she is vice president of the Spanish Club and has also been a peer tutor as a junior and a senior.

Her work experience includes being a swim instructor for Learn-To-Swim and a lifeguard at Calf Pasture Beach.

Samantha Hilton, Fairfield Ludlowe

Samatha Hilton of Fairfield-Ludlowe with athletic director Dave Schulz.

Samantha Hilton has been a valuable member for the Ludlowe girls’ swimming and diving team for the past four years. This year she is a senior co-captain.

Last year Hilton placed sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke in the CIAC Class L championships with a time of 1:11.94. The versatile Hilton has a personal-best time of 1:10 in that event in addition to having personal-bests of 2:27 in the 200-yard individual medley, 26.8 in the 50-yard freestyle and 2:42 in the 200-yard breastroke.

Hilton has been involved with USA Swimming for five years and was also a key member of the Faifield Flyfins YMCA Swim Team.

Hilton is a National Honor Society member, she competed for Ludlowe’s outdoor track and field team, and she was in the Hats for Hope Club.

This superb student has a 3.9 GPA while taking a compilation of several AP and Honors courses.

Hannah Lynch, Trumbull

Hannah Lynch (left) and Samantha Buck (right) of Trumbull HS with athletic director Mike Herbst.

Hannah Lynch is in her fourth year as a key player for the Trumbull High School field hockey program. She has been the backbone of the defense as a starter these last two years, this current year as a senior co-captain. Hannah was a leader in organizing a breast cancer awareness game this year.

Hannah is a superb student with a 4.02 cumulative GPA, she has been High Honor Roll/Honor Roll since 2007, and since last May she has been a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society.

She has helped organize several fundraisers and school-wide events to help raise awareness of Breast Cancer and is vice president of the Pink Ribbon Club, and she has also raised funds and walked to increase cancer awareness and promote cancer research during her involvement with Relay for Life for the last three years.

Samantha Buck, Trumbull

Samantha Buck is a results-oriented, goal-driven leader who has utilized a strong work ethic to gain success in the classroom and on the playing fields.

She is currently a captain for the Trumbull High School field hockey team and also a member of the girls lacrosse team.

Buck is a journalist for her high school newspaper, a public relations officer for the Student Council, and a peer mediator and peer leader at the school.

Buck has been an Honor Roll student since 2008, she won the English Award in 2008, has been a Presidential Fitness Award winner from 2008-10, last year she won the Advanced Level CAPT Award, and this year she was the Senior Superlative “Dressed to Impress” winner.

Buck is also a youth leader and a volunteer for several community organizations.

Molly Brachfeld, Fairfield Warde

Molly Brachfeld of Fairfield-Warde HS.

Molly Brachfeld is a diverse young lady who had success on the playing field, in the classroom and with her extracurricular activies.

Brachfeld has received a varsity letter for Fairfield Warde High School field hockey program and this year she is a tri-captain for the Mustangs.

She was inducted into the National Honor Society this past May, she is currently a vice president for the society, Brachfeld was inducted into the Mu Alpha Theta National Honor Society for Mathematics and also inducted into Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica (National Spanish Honor Society).

Brachfeld has also received several awards in music. She is a member of Tri-M (Modern Music Masters), she was inducted into the International Music Honor Society and currently is the treasurer that society. She has been a member of the Connecticut Music Educator Association (CMEA) Western Region Band for the past two years.

Tyler Jacobs, Staples

Tyler Jacobs of Staples HS.

Tyler Jacobs is currently having a superb senior season as a starting running back, free safety and punt returner for the successful Staples High School football team. Jacobs had a 55-yard punt return touchdown, he rushed for 71 yards and had three interceptions during a victory over Norwalk in late September to receive the Bluestreak Sports Training FCIAC Player of the Week Award.

Last year Jacobs helped lead the Wreckers to a 12-1 record and the FCIAC championship in football. He was named All-FCIAC Honorable Mention.

Jacobs is also a three-year starter for the baseball team. The Wreckers won the FCIAC title in 2009 when he was a sophomore, last year he was All-FCIAC Western Division at shortstop, and he will be a captain this season.

Jacobs also excels in the classroom, having made the Honor Roll in every semester in high school.

Andrew Carlson, Ridgefield

Andrew Carlson of Ridgefield HS.

Andrew Carlson is an athlete, a bright student and creative talent as an accomplished artist at Ridgefield High School.

Carlson is a member of the boys soccer and boys track and field teams. As a junior he earned the Most Improved Player award for both the soccer and track teams and and this year he is a senior co-captain for the soccer team.

Carlson volunteered as a coach for young players in Soccer Club of Ridgefield and he coached mentally disabled young players in the Club’s Holland League.

He was also a team captain for the Relay for Life squad that raised funds for the American Cancer Society.

When he was a sophomore Carlson had a computer art piece selected for a limited exhibition of student art at the local library.

Brooke Mackno, Fairfield-Ludlowe

Brooke Mackno of Fairfield-Ludlowe HS with athletic director Dave Schulz.

Brooke Mackno has been a three-sport athlete since her freshman year and is on track to receiving the maximum of 12 varsity letters from her sports of girls’ soccer, alpine skiing and girls’ tennis.

Mackno led her ski team to a state championship when she was a sophomore, she was the captain of that team as a junior and she is a captain on all three of her teams during this senior year.

This versatile all-around athlete also participates in sailing, kayaking, crew and boxing among her hobbies. She has been a key member of the Beachside S.C., a premiere soccer team. Mackno is an excellent ski racer during the winter weekends at Bromley Mountain in Vermont. She was the Vermont Alpine Racing Association’s top female skier for her age group during the 2009-10 season in addition to being named the No. 1 female skier out of Connecticut.

Mackno also excels in the classroom and volunteers her time with several community service organizations. She has a cumulative weighted GPA of 3.99 on a scale of 4.0 and was inducted into the National Honor Society in the 11th and 12 grades. Mackno also began her own fashion designer collection and has played the violin for seven years.