FCIAC Scholar-Athletes, October, 2011
Elliot Helgans, Darien
Elliot is a talented multi-varsity athlete. He was a senior captain for the boys’ soccer team this past fall who was selected to the All-FCIAC first team and All-FCIAC East Division. He play a vital role in helping turn a two-win program a year ago into one that went 14-4-3 as an FCIAC contender this year.
He competes on the indoor track and field team and will be a captain for the outdoor track and field team.
Elliott is also an excellent student while taking multiple AP and Honors courses. He participates in Boy Scouts of America and earned their highest rank, Eagle Scout.
Patrick McDonald, Darien
Thomas Moore, Danbury
Thomas has excelled as a student in the classroom and as a distance runner who has been selected to three All-FCIAC teams while helping lead Danbury’s cross country team to three FCIAC championships. He was also All-State in cross country twice and All-FCIAC once in indoor track and field.
This AP scholar his currently enrolled in five other AP courses this year, he has maintained a 4.78 GPA (4.5 scale) and is ranked fifth out of 645 students in his senior class. He is also a National Merit Scholar.
Thomas is a member of the National Honor Society and is a candidate for Eagle Scout in Boy Scout Troop 52.
Nicholas Persampieri, Danbury
Katherine Mahder, Fairfield Ludlowe
This well-rounded young lady has been a key member of Ludlowe’s varsity girls’ soccer and girls’ basketball teams since 2009. She was a captain in soccer and in basketball she made All-FCIAC Honorable Mention.
She is also musically inclined, has leadership roles in several organizations and has volunteered much of her time to several community organizations.
Katherine has a 3.6 GPA while taking mostly Honors and AP classes for the past four years. She has been a captain for the Relay for Life of Fairfield team and she is currently the president of the FLHS Key Club Board after having been secretary two years ago and vice president last year.
She has been on the Wakeman Junior Staff since September of 2010, she was a camp counselor at the Brooklawn Country Club the previous two summers, she has been an altar server at St. Thomas Aquyinas Church for the past 10 years, she’s been a member of the Mentoring/Homework Club at McKinley since 2008 and she is also a member of the Red Cross Club.
Katherine has played violin since fourth grade and she currently plays violin for the FLHS symphonic orchestra.
Amanda Onofrio, Greenwich
This senior with a 4.0 GPA is in the National Honor Society and the Italian Honor Society and she has been on High Honor Roll throughout high school.
She was a three-year starter for the girls’ soccer team that defended its FCIAC championship this past fall and Amanda was All-FCIAC Honorable Mention this year. She is also a captain for the girls’ basketball team.
Amanda also volunteers her time as a team leader of the Safe Rides program that is run by the Red Cross of Greenwich.
Ashley Balunek, Norwalk
Melissa Warten, Fairfield Ludlowe
This four-year member of Ludlowe’s field hockey and girls basketball teams was recognized as an AP Scholar based on her AP exam scores during her junior year and has been named a 2011 National Merit Scholarship semifinalist.
Melissa is also a member of the National Honor Society in Math, Spanish and Science.
Gabrielle Rudolph, Fairfield Ludlowe
Tony Liu, Fairfield Warde
Lara Veit, Fairfield Warde
Lara was a senior captain and a two-year varsity player on the field hockey team who is an excellent student with many other diverse interests and hobbies.
The was inducted into the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society last spring, has a 4.18 GPA, and currently is taking AP Literature, AP Government and Politics, Honor Spanish, Honors Physics, Introduction to Calculus, and Journalism as her classes.
Lara is also a fencer and the women’s epee captain for this coming 2011-12 season. She was ranked ninth in the state in 2011 and led the epee team to third place at the state championships.
She also an anchor on the Warde TV news program, co-president of the Green Club, a homeroom representative, and she volunteers at the McKinley Elementary School’s Homework Club that is based out of the Wakeman Boys and Girls Club.
Tyler Terbrusch, Ridgefield
Abby McDonald, Ridgefield
Abby was a two-year defensive starter for the field hockey team, as a center back her junior year and this past year as the sweeper. She was FCIAC Honorable Mention both years.
She has maintained a 4.31 GPA while taking all honors and AP courses for the past three years. This year her course load consists of five AP classes, in addition to playing the saxophone in the school jazz band. She also plays the piano and the guitar outside of school.
Abby has been an active member of the National Charity League as her chapter’s recording secretary and president. Throughout high school, she has completed about 200 hours of community service. Abby was inducted into the National Honors Society during her junior year.
Christopher Huben, St. Joseph
Christopher is a three-sport athlete who has made the Honor Roll during every marking period.
He was on the 2010-11 state championship basketball team, he was All-FCIAC first team and All-State in soccer and he will be a captain on the boys’ golf team this coming spring.
Christopher is also a member of the National Honor Society and the Italian National Honor Society. He is the treasurer of the Student Council and a Student Ambassador.
He is a math and Italian tutor and is involved in several school clubs and organizations, including the Special Olympics and St. Mark’s parish.
Christopher was named the St. Joseph Male Scholar Athlete for 2011-12. He is St. Joseph’s representative for the Wendy’s Heisman Student Athlete.
Katy Luchansky, St. Joseph
Jamie Fedele, Stamford
Jamie is a three-sport athlete and an excellent student with a 4.0 weighted GPA.
The senior captain of the girls’ volleyball team was All-FCIAC honorable mention and she is also on the indoor and outdoor track and field teams.
Jamie is a four-year member of the Debate Team and a member of the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council at SHS.
Caitlin Ornousky, Trinity Catholic
This Norwalk resident was a senior captain on the girls’ volleyball team, she is a member of the girls’ basketball team and she will also captain the softball team.
Caitlin made All-FCIAC third team in volleyball, and in softball she was on the All-FCIAC second team last year and All-FCIAC honorable mention as a sophomore.
Last year she received the Mary Kay Smith Scholarship Award and the Robert Kalen Memorial Award. Caitlin is a Trinity Catholic Ambassador and a volunteer as a coach for middle school volleyball at Trinity Middle School and the NAA softball league in Norwalk.
Taylor Bucklin, Trinity Catholic
Taylor is a junior who has been a superb goalkeeper for Trinity Catholic’s girls soccer team and she has already verbally committed to play for the University of Michigan in 2013.
She plays premier club for CFC United, where her team won State Cup the last two years and is ranked No. 67 in the nation. Taylor is also on ESPN’s Rise list of top 150 players in the nation, where she is ranked No. 100.
This solid student has a 3.6 GPA and volunteers part time at the Boys and Girls Club in Greenwich.
Jillian Barcia, Trumbull
Elana Marble, Trumbull
Ellie was a senior captain of the cross country team who ran in the state championship meets in each of the last two years. She also runs the 1,600 and 3,200 for Trumbull’s girls’ track teams.
The member of the National Honor Society has a cumulative GPA of 4.44.
Ellie is very active in community service and traveled to Ecuador last February for a service project. She also works at All About Art, a ceramics studio in Monroe.
Natalie Probst, Trumbull
This senior played three years for the field hockey team, including being a captain this past season, and she also plays lacrosse.
Natalie is consistently an Honor Roll student, she has maintained a 3.9 GPA and has a rigorous schedule of several Honors and AP courses. She was inducted into the National Honor Society this past spring.
She participates in school programs such as Link Leaders and the We the People Team. Natalie volunteers at a soup kitchen and was also involved in Catwalk for a Cure to help raise money donated to support research for breast cancer.
Sarah Ehrlich, Westhill
This senior, who has maintained a 3.4 GPA throughout high school, is an AP student and a member of the National Honors Society.
Sarah was the goalie on Stamford’s first female ice hockey team last winter and this fall she became a field hockey goalie when Westhill needed a goalie for its first game. She started all season and earned All-FCIAC honorable mention.
She has played field hockey for four years, including the last two on varsity. She was also named captain of the Stamford girls’ ice hockey team for this 2011-12 season.
Sarah is volunteer hockey coach for the Greenwich Blues, a member of the Heart-to-Heart club and an active member of the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization.
Nikita Sturrock, Westhill
Nikita, a senior captain for the field hockey team who was FCIAC Honorable Mention, is also an All-State Scholar Athlete. She was also FCIAC Honorable mention and a captain in lacrosse this past spring and will once again be a captain this upcoming spring.
She has a weighted GPA of 4.56 and is a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society, the 700 Club and ACT Stars Club. Nikita finished in first place in the 2009 Westhill Science Fair with “Paws and Learn.”
Nikita is a tutor with the Success Program, an assistant coach for the CONNY girls lacrosse team in grades 4-6, and her other interests include veterinarian, animals, skiing and anything else athletic.
Graham Parsons, Wilton
A senior captain and starting defender on the boys’ soccer team since his sophomore year, Graham earned All-FCIAC honors as a junior and All-FCIAC East this year. He was the starting long pole midfielder on the boys’ lacrosse team that won a state championship this past spring.
Graham excels in the classroom as well as on the field, maintaining a rigorous course load and making Honor Roll each year. He is one of a select group nominated by guidance and teachers to participate in a training program to provide peer support and counseling and has been a member of Wilton’s Peervention Organization since his sophomore year.
Graham is very dedicated to community service and has volunteered every Friday night and Saturday for the last three years at the Darien YMCA as a counselor for aquatics, sports and fitness programs for children with special needs. He has also been involved in Special Olympics and Autism Speaks events.
