Scholar Athletes, September 2009
District 1
Eilzabeth Niehaus - Greenwich
Senior Elizabeth Niehaus was a captain and a starting center midfielder for the Greenwich varsity girls’ soccer team, which went 13-5-2, reached the semifinals of the FCIAC tournament and the quarterfinals of the State Class LL playoffs.
A three-year member of the varsity soccer team, Niehaus was named to the All-FCIAC Second Team as a senior. Niehaus also plays premier soccer for the Eastern FC Lynx.
During the winter, Niehaus has played for the GHS girls’ ice hockey team since her freshman season, and is a captain this season. Last year, she helped lead the Cardinals to the semifinals of the FCIAC and State tournaments.
Niehaus is also four year member of the Cardinals’ varsity girls’ tennis team, which was undefeated in 2009 and won the FCIAC and CIAC Class L championships. She has been chosen as a team captain for the spring.
Academically, Niehaus is a member of the National Honor Society and is an AP Scholar with Distinction.
Michael Dunster - Greenwich
Michael Dunster is a senior at Greenwich High School and has played varsity football for the past three seasons, including this past fall, when he was a team captain. A starting running back, Dunster helped the Cardinals finish 7-3 this year and earned a place on the All-FCIAC West First Team for offense.
In then spring, Dunster has played varsity baseball since his sophomore season and will be heading to Clemson University to play baseball next year.
He has played summer baseball for the Greenwich American Legion, and has made the All-Star Team in each of the past two years. He also earned a spot on the American Legion State All Tournament Team and won the American Legion State Best Hitter Award.
Kelly Palma - Trinity Catholic
Kelly Palma is a senior at Trinity Catholic High School in Stamford and is a two-time recipient of the FCIAC Scholar-Athlete of the Month Award.
Palma was named to the All-FCIAC Second Team this fall, when she helped lead the Crusaders to berths in both the FCIAC and State postseason tournaments. As a junior, Palma led her team in aces and digs and was named to the All-City Second Team.
She also had the highest jump approach at the volleyball club, CT Impact, during the 2009 season and is a member of the GEVA High Performance USA Volleyball National Championships Team.
Palma is a member of National Honor Society and has achieved Honors, High Honors, Honors with Distinction during her high school career. She is also a winner of The College of Westchester Computer Education Award.
Leila Barden - Trinity Catholic
Megan Gray - Westhill
Stephanie Hom - Stamford
Victoria McGovern - Stamford
District 2
Brandon Wong - Darien
Brandon Wong is a senior at Darien High School and is a member of the Blue Wave’s cross county and track and field programs. Last spring, he qualified for the State outdoor track and field championships in the 100-meter hurdles event, and as a senior cross country runner, he was a top 15 finisher for the Wave.
Wong has stayed active in numerous academic clubs during his high school career, and has been with the Math and Debate teams for four years, and the Robotics Team and JETS (Junior Engineering Technological Society) for three years. He has also been a member of the Connecticut Challenge Team and National Honor Society for two years, and has volunteered with Person to Person for four years.
Wong is a Math Team co-captain, a Debate Team vice-captain, a Robotics Team co-founder and co-captain for three years, a JETS Team captain, and the National Honors Society treasurer.
He has maintained a GPA over 4.0 during his high school career, took three Advanced Placement courses as a junior, and is currently enrolled in five AP courses as a senior.
Daniel Glocker - Darien
Jackson Wilbur - Wilton
District 3
Taylor Ross - Staples
Taylor Ross is a senior at Staples High School and a veteran of the Wreckers’ varsity volleyball team, which went 17-5 and reached the semifinals of the FCIAC tournament in the fall.
Ross has played volleyball at Staples since her freshman year and was named a team captain as a senior.
Academically, Ross has a GPA of 4.08 and has received first honors in every quarter of her high school career. She is also a member of the National Honor Society.
Ross works with the Girls Learn International Club and the SafeRides Club at Staples, and has been a member of the Senior Company at Just Dance Studios since the eighth grade.
Michael McCarthy - Staples
Thomas Claiborne - Fairfield-Ludlowe
Chrissy Lozier - Fairfield-Ludlowe
Meg Ryan - Fairfield-Warde
Emma Myers - Fairfield-Warde
District 4
Chris Robinson - Bassick
District 5
Kaitlyn Gerber - Ridgefield
Ridgefield senior Kaitlyn Gerber is a three-year varsity player for the Tigers’ girls’ soccer team and a two-time recipient of the FCIAC Scholar-Athlete Award.
Gerber started at midfield for Ridgefield last fall, as the Tigers went 17-2-2 and won a share of the FCIAC championship after playing to a scoreless tie with New Canaan in the final. The Tigers also earned the No. 2 seed in the State Class LL tournament and reached the semifinals.
During her junior year, Gerber’s Tigers were 16-5-1 and reached the semifinals of the FCIAC and State playoffs, and the team was 11-3-2 when Gerber was a sophomore.
Since 2006, Gerber has played for the Middlepath Xtreme 91 soccer team, which is coached by Iona College women’s coach Jason Weisberg. She is also a USSF soccer referee.
Gerber also competes for the RHS varsity outdoor track and field team, competing in the triple jump, the 400-meter dash and the 4x400m relay. In 2008, she was named the Tigers’ Most Improved Female Runner of the Year.
Gerber has a GPA of 4.45 and ranks in the top five for the RHS Class of 2010. She has been on Ridgefield’s High Honor Roll during her entire high school career, and will graduate with 10 AP classes, including Environmental Science, French, English Literature, Statistics, Biology, and Government and Politics.
She is also a National Merit Commended Scholar, a winner of Williams College Book Award, and has earned individual recognition for several classes.
Gerber is a Senior Girl Scout, an officer with the Interact Club, the associate news editor for the School Newspaper, and has worked with Contours Express, a women’s gym, the National Charity League, the Literary Magazine, and Safe Rides.
