The FCIAC awards Exemplary Scholar-Athlete honors to players from its 16 member schools every season. Each week, the league will be announcing several of those award-winners with bios and photos on FCIAC.net.
Here are the first weekly honorees for the Winter, 2024-25 season from Bridgeport Central, Brien McMahon, Danbury and Darien.
Mikkel McPherson – Bridgeport Central

Mikkel is a senior with an unweighted GPA of 3.01 and is an honors student who has taken honors and Pre-AP courses at the Fairchild Wheeler Interdistrict Magnet Campus in the Biotechnology Research and Zoological Science High School in Bridgeport.
He is a member/senior ambassador of a college prep program called V.I.P. (The Village Initiative Project) that takes high school students in the local area to visit and tour colleges out of state for experience and connections. Mikkel is a senior forward for Bridgeport Central High School’s boys’ basketball team and has been a starter since his junior year. He was also named MVP of the 100 BMOS 3v3 tournament with his two teammates. That tournament included players from Stamford High School and Westhill High School.
Mikkel volunteers as student counselor for his local community service program called Build On that he has been a part of for the past two years.
Mikkel is planning to study either Engineering or Sports Management – either in state or out of state with all different acceptances from universities such as Winston Salem, Clark Atlanta, University of New Haven and more.
Olivert Henry – Bridgeport Central

This sophomore with an unweighted GPA of 3.00 is dedicated to both academics and athletics and staying consistent toward striving to excel in all areas of his life.
Olivert’s talent, work ethic, and emphasis on teamwork have combined to make him a valuable contributor for Bridgeport Central’s boys’ basketball program.
In addition to his commitments in the classroom and on the basketball court, Olivert volunteers for community organizations and participates in school and community activities.
While he is still exploring his future college options, Olivert remains focused on building a strong foundation for his academic and athletic success, and he’s excited to continue working toward his goals and discovering the path that’s right for him.
Annie Johnson – Brien McMahon

Annie is a High Honor Roll student has accomplished an unweighted GPA of 3.8.
Annie is currently enrolled in the International Bachelorette program at Brien McMahon, with several AP and honors classes under her belt during her sophomore and freshman years.
She demonstrates exemplary leadership as co-captain of the girls’ ice hockey team, whilst leading the team as a 3-year varsity player. Annie also earned a spot in her sophomore year on the girls’ varsity lacrosse team.
Annie participates in the JRCA program, volunteering in her town to help better her community, and is a part of the Environmental Clean-up Club at her school. On top of that, she has helped with teaching clinics with the Norwalk Junior Lacrosse program in between seasons.
James Cohen – Brien McMahon

James maintains a 3.9 unweighted GPA while taking all honors, IB, and AP courses with a focus on engineering through Project Lead the Way. He plays cello, is a member of Math Club, and works part-time.
James is involved in Scouts, where he has 90-plus hours of community service and is working towards Eagle Scout. He has participated in indoor and outdoor track since his freshman year and earned Rookie of the Year. He played on the soccer team and now runs cross country. He achieved a personal-record time of 17:20 on the 5,000-meter Waveny Park course at the 2024 FCIAC Cross Country Championships. James was his team’s fastest runner at the conference and the Class LL state championship meets and he received the Most Valuable Player award for McMahon this past fall as a junior.
James is currently a team captain of the indoor track and field team. He medaled in the 4×400-meter and 4×800 relays at the FCIAC Championships and advanced to the state championship meet last winter as a sophomore. James was ranked eighth in the middle of this 2024-25 indoor season in the FCIAC and state Class LL in the 600-meter run. He had qualified for FCIAC Championships in the 1,000, and he had also qualified in both the FCIAC and state championship meets in the 600 and as a member of the 4×400, 4×800, and 1,600 sprint medley relay teams.
Chloe Bakalar – Danbury

This National Honor Society member with a GPA of 4.35 is a senior team captain of two sports – girls swimming and diving during the fall season and for the girls’ gymnastics team during this 2024-25 winter season.
Having been on the gymnastics team for four years, she has seen lots of growth in its members and works diligently each year to help new teammates improve their gymnastics and continue to grow the team.
Chloe is a two-time winner of both the Sportsmanship Award as well as the Scholar Athlete Award from her school, and she has earned her Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish. In addition to being on the team, Chloe works as a children’s gymnastics coach at Gymnastics Revolution, as well as a babysitter.
Trenton Frasier – Danbury

As a senior at Danbury High School, Trenton Frasier has been accepted to the National Honor Society, Class Act, National French Honor Society, and the National Music Honor society. He has achieved a 3.86 cumulative GPA while taking mostly honors and AP classes.
He is co-captain of the boys’ basketball team and a member of the boys’ outdoor track and field team. Last spring as a junior, Trenton achieved the No. 8 ranking in the decathlon on Danbury High School’s all-time list.
Trenton also plays the violin in Danbury High School’s Symphony Orchestra.
Natalie Solis – Darien

Natalie has maintained a 4.03 GPA while taking eight AP and eight honors courses throughout high school. She is a member of the National Honor Society and Science National Honor Society.
She is a captain of the girls’ varsity gymnastics team during this 2024-25 winter season, and she partook in cross country during the fall season, and outdoor track and field in the spring.
Natalie is involved with various clubs at DHS and is a Blue Wave Anchor this year. Outside of school, she is an Ambassador for the Choose Love Movement, coached after-school sports for Overtime Athletics, and volunteers at Saint Luke’s Church.
Robert Graseck – Darien

Robert challenges himself with a schedule dominated by AP classes and he has achieved a 3.99 GPA.
He is a part of four honor societies at Darien High School, including: National Honor Society, Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica (Spanish National Honor Society), Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society), and the Science Honor Society. He is also a member of the DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) business club for high school students.
Robert is a varsity three-sport athlete on the boys’ cross country, boys’ indoor track and field, and boys’ tennis teams at DHS. He was captain of his boys’ cross country team in this past fall season. On the tennis team, he is a singles and doubles player and is the team “Hype Man” who announces the lineups and riles up his teammates.
He is co-founder and teacher of Spanish for Kids (tutoring), and volunteers regularly with Person to Person and the St. Thomas More Youth Group.