FCIAC Scholar-Athletes, March, 2011
Alyssa Adinolfi, Fairfield Warde
Alyssa has excelled as a cheerleader and a student throughout her career as she has helped lead the Warde cheerleading team to many awards.
Warde’s team took first place and Grand Champions at the FCIAC Cheerleading Competition. Alyssa has received the team’s Most Dedicated, Most School Spirit and Team Motivator Award.
She has been on the Honor Roll or Headmaster’s List every marking period since her freshman year. Alyssa is a member of both the Italian and National Honor Society, and has received awards for Excellence in U.S. History, Italian and English. She also is a tutor within her school community.
Laura Bellows, St. Joseph
Laura has been an exceptional lacrosse player and student throughout her four years in addition to being an active member of the Student Council since her freshman year.
The senior captain has been a four-year starter and is a leading scorer this spring for St. Joseph’s girls’ lacrosse team. A few big games include having scored four goals against Lauralton Hall, three against Fairfield Warde and two against Wilton.
Laura, who will attend Fordham at the end of this coming summer, is a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society. She is Vice President this year for the Student Council. She has been a Student Ambassador since her sophomore year and is the Publicity Secretary this year.
Maddy Fulton, Wilton
Maddy is a two-year Varsity Captain of the Wilton girls basketball team. She was leading scorer and a major rebounder for Wilton who was selected to the All-FCIAC second team for the 2010-11 season. She was a Scholar Athlete in February of 2010 as well. Maddy also plays for the CT Premier AAU club.
Maddy maintains a 3.5 GPA, takes AP courses, and has been on the Honor Roll for every semester of her high school years. Off the court, Maddy has been one of the founding members of the Wilton High School Organic Gardening project and is active in the club.
Jakobi Jackson, Stamford
This junior is an exceptional student-athlete who was a key member on the Westhill/Stamford cooperative boys’ swimming and diving team.
Jakobi has excelled in the pool as well as the classroom. He has made the Honor Roll every quarter since he has been in high school, he maintains a 3.5 GPA and was a Connecticut Swimming Scholar Athlete during the 2009-10 school season.
He has also been a member of USA Swimming and the Sharks swim team since 2007.
Jakobi is also a certified lifeguard and has volunteered as a swim lesson instructor and lifeguard at the Stamford Jewish Community Center Summer Camp.
Elizabeth Knuff, Fairfield Ludlowe
Elizabeth has played for the varsity softball team during all four years of her high school career, culminating with being a team captain this year. She was also a member of the indoor track and field team as a freshman.
She maintains a 3.92 GPA while having taken such challenging classes as AP Biology, Language and Composition, U.S. History, Modern European History, Spanish for four years, Calculus and Honors courses. This National Honor Society member has been Honor Roll for two semesters and on the Headmaster’s List for five semesters.
Elizabeth is also a member of the Math Honor Society, Science Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society and volunteers by serving as a tutor in those courses. She is also the Publicity Officer of the Biology Club and a member of the Growing Green organization that participates in the school garden and promotes healthy eating habits.
Jared Murphy, Darien
Jared has had quite the senior year to culminate an outstanding four-year career as a student-athlete at Darien. He was a member of the football team that won the FCIAC championship and then he was a captain of the wrestling team that set a school record of 20 victories. Jared had a 24-4 record and placed fourth in the FCIAC Championship in his 189-pound weight class.
He has a 3.8 GPA this senior year to raise his overall GPA to 3.5. That helped him earn admission to his top choice of Brigham Young University.
Jared worked at a school in Kenya for special needs children during his high school years, he and his family have worked at orphanages in Belize, he is a member of his community SafeRides team and an Eagle Scout.
Paul Murphy, Danbury
Paul has been a key contributor for Danbury’s cross country, swimming and diving, and outdoor track and field teams, he’s a solid student and also involved in the school’s military training program.
Paul is a cadet at the School’s Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, where he has achieved the rank of Master Sgt. He is part of the AFJROTC Honor Guard and was flight commander for the third quarter.
During his first year as a swimmer Paul set the school record of 1:15.6 in the 100-meter breaststroke and he was also a member of the 200-meter freestyle relay team which established a school record.
Paul achieved quarterly Honor Roll recognition as a freshman and sophomore, and he has maintained a 3.5 GPA for the past three semesters.
Dillon O’Brien, Ridgefield
Dillon has been a member of the football and ski racing teams along with earning many academic achievements.
He was selected to the 2010 All-FCIAC Central Division Second Team Offense as an offensive lineman for the football team this past fall. He was a captain of the ski racing team, a member of the Class L state champions in 2008, and he was an All-State selection as a junior and senior.
Dillon received the Award for Achievement in Geometry as a freshman, as a sophomore he received the Award for Achievement in Chemistry and Award for Achievement in Italian II, and as a junior he received the Award for Achievement in Italian III, Award for Achievement in Marketing, and Award for Excellence in Trigonometry.
Victoria Pfohl, Trumbull
This solid junior point guard played a vital role in leading the Eagles to the FCIAC championship and was selected to the 2010-11 All-FCIAC Girls Basketball Second Team.
Victoria has been an Honor Roll student and a member of the varsity girls’ basketball team since her freshman year. She is a team captain who has compiled 423 points and 403 assists in her career.
Michael Ravert, Ridgefield
Michael has excelled as a distance runner and a student throughout all four years.
He achieved Excellence in English as a freshman, made Honor Roll all four years and High Honor Roll the past two years, and he has a 3.7 unweighted GPA and a 3.9 weighted GPA. This member of the National Honor Society is currently taking two AP classes.
Michael holds the home course cross country record at Ridgefield High School, he has been named to the All-FCIAC second team in cross country the last two years in addition to being so honored as a junior in the 2010 outdoor track and field season, and he has been a team captain for three seasons.
Lauren Ross, New Canaan
This well-rounded senior has succeeded in so many venues that include academics, athletics, music, art, politics and volunteering for the community.
In addition to being a member of New Canaan High School’s girls’ swimming and diving team for all four years, Lauren has also been a member of the Lake Club Swim Team, the New Canaan YMCA Caymans girls swim team and the Darien YMCA Piranhas girls swim team in recent years. She was also captain of the girls’ gymnastics team as a senior at New Canaan High. This versatile athlete has also been a tennis player in the USTA program.
Lauren has been a pianist since the age of 4, she taught herself to play the oboe and the guitar and has performed in invitational band concerts in Rome, Italy and Washington, D.C.
She worked as an intern in the Linda McMahon for U.S. Senate campaign before she was promoted to a part-time position.
Lauren has maintained high grades while taking several AP courses, she has scored high in both her ACT and SAT, and has volunteered for many organizations.
Nate Ryan, Fairfield Ludlowe
Nate has excelled on the football and lacrosse fields and in the classroom for four years at Ludlowe. He completed a stellar career for the football team this past fall. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound running back was selected to the 2010 All-FCIAC Central Division First Team Offense.
He is currently having a big year and is racking up the goals for the lacrosse team.
This National Honors Society member takes three AP classes and has compiled a 3.9 GPA.
Cara Seckinger, Danbury
Cara is a senior captain for the cheerleading team, she’s been a member of the varsity cheerleading team since her freshman year and has been among the most accomplished cheerleaders in the state in recent years.
This two-time member of the All-FCIAC Team placed first in individual competition in 2010, she is also a two-time All-State selection, she is Academic All-State this year, and she performed in the Northeast Tropics All-Star Cheerleading in 2008, ’09 and ’11.
Cara also excels in the classroom. This High Honor Roll student ranks 11th out of 653 in her class, has a 4.52 GPA, and she is a member of the National Honor Society, Peer Leadership and the Medical Careers Club.
Hannah Trischman, Fairfield Warde
Hannah has been a four-year member of the girls’ lacrosse team and was a member of the girls’ basketball team for three years in addition to excelling in the classroom.
She has been an Honor Roll student since 2007, a member of the National Society of High School Scholars since 2009, she earned the Chinese Award in 2009 and has registered a 3.9 as her highest GPA.
Hannah is also a member of the Stratton Mountain freestyle skiing team in the southern Vermont United States of America Skiing Association League.
