FCIAC Exemplary Scholar-Athletes, Winter, 2021

Gabriel Kwarteng, Danbury

Gabriel is an Honor Roll student with a 3.69 GPA while taking mostly honors and AP classes.

He is a three-year varsity runner and current captain of the cross country and boys track and field teams who plans on running cross country and track at The University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Gabriel earned All-FCIAC and All-State honors as a member of relay teams during the indoor and outdoor seasons when he was a sophomore and last year as a junior he was also part of relay teams which earned All-FCIAC and All-New England honors.

He is a member of the Student Council and Model United Nations clubs. Gabriel is also involved in multiple community-based projects as part of a youth group and he has volunteered a various local road races.

Annarita Lynch, Danbury

Annariata has a weighted GPA of 4.565 and is ranked 13th out of her class while taking a rigorous schedule of AP and honors classes. She is a member of the National Honor Society and her school’s HOSA chapter.

This versatile athlete began her high school career with the girls soccer program as a freshman and sophomore before transitioning to outdoor track and cross country and being a key member for the Hatters at FCIAC, State Open and New England championship meets. She was co-captain this past fall for the cross country team.

She has volunteered at a local summer camp and served as a youth lector.

Vincent Xu, Darien

This National AP Scholar with a 4.27 cumulative GPA has been accepted to the National Honor Society as well as the national honor societies for Math, Science and Spanish.

He is a track runner during the indoor and outdoor seasons who has qualified for several conference and state championship meets and he’s co-captain of the indoor team.

Vincent is co-president of the DECA Club after having been co-vice president during his sophomore and junior years, and he has qualified for the DECA International Conference three times by placing among the top three in State Conference during this first three years at Darien. Vincent has also been president and vice president for several other organizations and placed high in many other competitions, including when he was ranked fourth in the United States and sixth in the world in the 2019 Physics Bowl.

He also began the Fuzhou Volunteer Program, bringing American students to China to teach English to students in rural China.

Vincent will attend the University of Chicago with plans of being on the track and field team.

Brooke Dolan, Darien

This junior with a 4.16 GPA is a member of both the National Honor Society and the Science National Honor Society.

Brooke is a versatile athlete who competes as a sprinter, hurdler and high jumper as a three-year member of both the indoor and outdoor girls track and field teams and she will continue to compete as a senior.

Brooke is co-president of two clubs – She’s the First and the Cancer Awareness Club, the latter of which she co-founded at the beginning of her sophomore year. She also volunteers at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, and Person 2 Person in Darien.

Hannah Goldenberg, Greenwich

Hannah has maintained a 4.88 GPA and is a four-year member and co-captain of the girls ice hockey and outdoor track teams. She was a member of the ice hockey team which won the FCIAC championship in 2018 and has received All-FCIAC honors for the past three years.

Hannah was named a Regeneron Science Talent Search Finalist and is an author on three peer-reviewed research papers. She volunteers with Greenwich Special Olympics and local elementary school students.

She will attend Northwestern University.

James Rinello, Greenwich

James, who has a cumulative GPA of 4.62, is a National Honor Society member and an AP Scholar with Honors.

This three-sport athlete was captain of the football team and a member of the boys basketball and boys lacrosse teams.

James, who plans on playing football at Johns Hopkins this coming fall, set a GHS single-season pass TD record and was selected to the 2019-20 All-FCIAC Football Second Team.

Emma Torello, Fairfield Ludlowe

Emma has achieved a 3.8 GPA and is an Honor Roll student while taking mostly honors and AP classes.

She was a four-year member of the varsity basketball team and co-captain during both her junior and senior years. Emma earned All-FCIAC Honorable Mention in basketball as a sophomore and last year as a junior she was selected to the 2019-20 All-FCIAC Girls Basketball Third Team.

Emma is a four-year member and a co-president during two of those years of the Ludlowe chapter of the international organization Full Court Peace, where she has worked closely with the founder fundraising and restoring basketball courts in under-served areas.

As a sophomore, Emma received the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Award and represented Ludlowe as an ambassador at both the State Leadership Seminar and the HOBY World Leadership Congress.

Emma volunteers her time and continues her passion for basketball as a counselor and youth coach for Fairfield’s Triple Double. She will attend Providence College in the fall.

Jack Reynolds, Fairfield Ludlowe

This Honor Roll student with a 3.67 GPA while taking mostly honors and AP courses is a three-year member of the indoor and outdoor boys track and field teams and a school record holder in the high jump.

Jack was the 2019-20 FCIAC indoor track and field high jump champion who earned All-FCIAC First Team and then he cleared six feet to place fourth at the state Class LL championship meet.

Jack, who aspires to be an entrepreneur, is a co-president of the school spirit club and a member of Full Court Peace and Future Business Leaders of America.

He will continue his athletic and academic career at Babson College.

Blaise Mazurkiewicz, Brien McMahon

Blaise is a senior at the Center for Global Studies who studies Mandarin Chinese and is an International Baccalaureate Diploma student. He achieved a weighted GPA of 4.65 during the first semester of this senior year, having elevated to that level by achieving a 4.86 GPA in the second quarter.

He’s been captain of the boys track and field team the past two years and is a versatile sprinter. Last year as a junior Blaise made the All-FCIAC Second Team, he ran the anchor leg on the 4×200 relay team which placed fourth at the State Open with a time of 1:33.23, and he was the recipient of the Brien McMahon Track and Field Coaches Award.

Blaise is the vice president of CGS Student Government, a member of McMahon’s Student-Athlete Advisory Board and president of the CGS Media Club, of which he is also a founding member. He was awarded the CGS World Literature Student of the Year as a sophomore and is an active member of Saint Matthew’s, his parish in Norwalk.

Anna Vladimirskaya, Brien McMahon

This senior with a GPA of 4.15 has been a member of McMahon’s wrestling team since her sophomore year and she placed second at the first girls’ state-sanctioned championship meet.

Anna has also been a part of CYL, a student-led activist club, for four years and is on the executive committee.

She plans on participating in a wrestling club during her time in college.

McKenna Harden, New Canaan

This National Honor Society member has made the High Honor Roll every quarter and achieved a 97.16 unweighted GPA while taking multiple honor and AP courses, including three AP courses this senior year.

McKenna is a three-sport varsity athlete and captain, having played varsity girls lacrosse and girls ice hockey all four years and varsity soccer since her sophomore year. She was selected to the 2019 All-FCIAC Girls Lacrosse Second Team and All-State Girls Lacrosse First Team as a sophomore, and during her junior hockey season she made All-FCIAC First Team and All-State Second Team.

McKenna will attend the University of North Carolina and continue her lacrosse career next year.

Will Bozzella, New Canaan

Will has been accepted to the National Honor Society and achieved a 96.94 GPA and is a High Honor Roll student while taking mostly AP and honors classes.

He has been recognized for an AP Scholar Award and also competed in the TEAMS competition in 2019.

Will, a senior co-captain for the boys basketball team, helped lead the Rams to the Division 4 state championship in 2019.

He is the school leader of Full Court Peace and is currently interning in its program this spring. He does work for Filling in the Blanks every year and volunteers at his local Care Center every year.

Jake Hufnagel, Norwalk

This senior captain of the boys basketball team has received high honors throughout his high school career and achieved a 3.9 cumulative GPA.

Jake has played for the basketball program all four years, including the last three on the varsity team. He plans on playing for the boys volleyball team in the spring.

Jake is also a member of the Digital Media Communications Academy (DMCA).

Charlie Czulewicz, Norwalk

Charlie has maintained High Honors throughout all four years of high school and achieved a 3.559 GPA.

He is a three-year member of the Norwalk/McMahon cooperative boys swimming and diving team who qualified for the state championship meet in the 100-yard backstroke event.

Charlie has also been a member of the track and golf teams at Norwalk High.

He’s been a member of the Zeus club swim team the past three years. Charlie has volunteered to assist Norwalk High’s girls swimming and diving team, and he works during summers helping others learn how to swim.

Charlie is Red Cross certified lifeguard, and he is also Red Cross certified adult and child first aid/CPR/AED with anaphylaxis/Epi Auto-injector.

Katie Flynn, Ridgefield

Katie is a National Honor Society member and a High Honor Roll student who has achieved 3.99 unweighted GPA and a 4.29 weighted GPA while taking mostly honors and AP classes.

This three-sport athlete is a senior captain and four-year starter of the girls basketball team and a member of the girls volleyball and girls lacrosse programs.

Katie was selected to the 2018-19 All-FCIAC Girls Basketball Second Team as a sophomore. Last year she missed about half of the season with a serious concussion and then came back and played a vital role when the seventh-seeded Tigers upset top-seeded Staples, 50-46 in a double overtime thriller, in the championship game of the 2019-20 FCIAC Girls Basketball Tournament. Katie sank a three-pointer with 16 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime.

She is a member of the Full Court Peace Club, a tutor for younger students, and also involved with youth coaching of basketball and lacrosse.

Will Stewart, Ridgefield

Will is a High Honor Roll student who has achieved a weighted GPA of 4.354 while taking mostly honors and AP classes.

He has played three years on the varsity ice hockey as well as two with the golf team. Will’s favorite memory comes from his sophomore year when his varsity hockey team went undefeated in the regular season (22-0) and won the FCIAC championship. Will has also been proud to represent Connecticut twice at USA Hockey Nationals.

Will volunteers every month for various community organizations as part of the National Honor Society, which he was inducted into as a member of the class of 2021. He also enjoys assisting with weekly youth hockey programs.

Patrick Dineen, St. Joseph

Patrick is an Honor Roll student with a GPA over 95 while taking honors and AP classes throughout high school. He is a member of the National Honor Society and Math Honor Society.

He has played basketball and ran cross country all four years of high school. Patrick was a captain of the cross country team as a senior.

Patrick has received the Head of School Service Award all four years of high school and received the In Caritate Servire Award for service leadership at St. Joseph’s and in his community.

He is an active member of St. Catherine of Siena parish and volunteer at Blessed Sacrament, St. Joseph’s Campus Ministry, and Order of Malta, CT Area.

Erin Parchinski, St. Joseph

Erin has a 4.0 GPA and made the President’s High Honor Roll while taking mostly AP and honors classes.

She is a senior captain and four-year member of the girls basketball team and was a three-year starter for the field hockey team.

Erin has earned the Head of School Award and Elmira Key Award, she’s a member of the National Honor Society, Math Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society, and she is also a Student Ambassador.

Ahhsha Crooks, Stamford

Ahhsha has made Honor Roll every year while taking all honors classes all four years and has achieved a 3.4 unweighted GPA and a 4.1 weighted GPA.

She joined Stamford High’s cheerleading team as a sophomore, has cheered for football season, basketball season and competition season every year since then, and is a team captain this year.

Ahhsha is a member of the Leadership Academy and Student Council, a participant in multiple program at the Stamford Boys & Girls Club and she was selected the 2020 Youth of the Year at the Stamford Boys & Girls Club.

She has also been awarded the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Community Service Award and the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education Leadership Award.

Ahhsha, who has volunteered more than 800 hours of community service throughout her high school career, has not yet decided which college she will attend.

Matt Tromba, Stamford

Matt achieved High Honors with distinction along with multiple recognitions as a High Honors student.

He has been a four-year member of the cross country, indoor and outdoor boys track teams.

Matt received the NCTE Achievement Award in Writing in 2020.

He will attend Grinnell College this fall.

Reed Caney, Staples

Reed has an unweighted GPA of 3.96 and a weighted GPA of 4.31, having achieved First Honors in all but one quarter of high school.

He played for the boys soccer team and is currently captain of the boys hockey team.

Reed teaches special needs kids how to skate as a volunteer at Milford Mission.

This National Merit Scholar Finalist will attend Washington University in St. Louis.

Chloe Ashton, Staples

This senior, who has achieved First Honors every semester of high school and elevated her GPA to 4.28, is a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society.

Chloe has also been awarded with the Brown University Book Award and the Science Department Physics Award.

She is a co-captain of the girls gymnastics team and has earned All-FCIAC honors in the three previous seasons since she was a freshman. Last year as a junior she was voted team MVP, she competed at the State Open, and earned All-FCIAC Honorable Mention. She was All-FCIAC Second Team two years in a row as a freshman and sophomore.

Chloe has volunteered as a gymnastics coach at the YMCA and as a Link Crew freshman mentor. She is also co-president of Boxes of Hope, a club that collects donations for local charities.

Chloe will study Communication Disorders at Brigham Young University in the fall.

Owen Finnegan, Trumbull

This senior with a weighted GPA of 4.3 is a member of the National Honor Society and Italian Honor Society.

Owen has been a four-year member and a captain of both the boys hockey and boys lacrosse teams. Last year he led the Eagles in scoring and was selected to the Connecticut High School Coaches Association All-State Hockey Second Team.

He has volunteered with the Southern CT Storm Special Hockey Program, Trumbull Youth Lacrosse and New Life Discovery Camp.

Though he has not yet decided where he’ll attend school next year, Owen intends to continue pursuing his interest in both hockey and lacrosse.

Kenna Stevenson, Trumbull

Kenna, who has a 3.8 GPA, became a gymnast 15 years ago and is a senior co-captain this year.

Last year as a junior she earned All-State honors.

She will attend a college this fall which she has yet to decide on.

Sam Swanson, Fairfield Warde

Sam has a 4.2 weighted GPA, is a member of the National Honor Society, and has been named to the Headmaster’s List each year. He was also awarded a National Merit Letter of Commendation.

This two-year captain of the Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe cooperative boys ice hockey team was selected to the All-FCIAC Second Team as a sophomore and junior, and he also made All-State Second Team as a junior. Sam plays baseball as well.

Sam also volunteers for his community. He is a three-year mentor for Storm (special needs hockey program, and a four-year volunteer with the Scholars and Athletes Serving Others Group.

Evan Defonce, Fairfield Warde

Evan has achieved a 4.5 GPA and Headmaster’s List recognition during all four years of his high school career while taking AP and honors level classes.

A member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society and National Business Honor Society, Evan is also an AP Scholar with Distinction and a Bryant Book Award recipient.

This senior captain of the varsity boys basketball team also served as a captain at the sub-varsity levels and was selected to play in the FCIAC Freshman All-Star Game in 2018. Evan was also a four-year varsity soccer player.

An active volunteer through the SASO service organization, Evan has also worked as a camp counselor and coach for Triple Double Basketball and Fairfield Basketball camps, and was a camp counselor at the Fairfield Beach Club and Holiday Hill day camps.

Danielle Gibson, Westhill

Danielle has been an Honor Roll student throughout high school while taking honors and AP classes, she has achieved an unweighted 3.77 GPA and a weighted 4.59 GPA, and is a National Honor Society member.

She has been a cheerleader for eight years, became the first junior to be a captain of the varsity cheer team and has subsequently been team captain two years in a row as she is also a captain as a senior. Danielle plans to participate in cheerleading in college.

Danielle, who also works at a part time job during the week and on weekends, has been a part of Girl Scouts for eight years and she participates in the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council after-school program.

Joseph Swezey, Westhill

Joseph has earned Honors with Distinction each quarter of his high school career while maintaining an unweighted GPA of 3.97 and taking mostly AP and honors classes. He is a member of the National Honor Society and was named a National Merit Commended Student and an AP Scholar with Honors.

Joseph has been a member of the varsity boys track and cross country teams for the past two years and won the Most Improved Award in cross country as a junior. He previously attended Trinity Catholic High School, which ceased being a school last spring, and he was captain of the TCHS boys varsity cross country team as a sophomore.

He is a member of the Stocks and Investments Club at Westhill and has also cared for animals as a volunteer at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center since freshman year.

Callie Judelson, Wilton

This senior four-year varsity girls basketball player, who has been co-captain the last two years, has achieved a 3.926 unweighted GPA while taking mostly honors and AP classes.

Callie is the treasurer of the National Honor Society and a member of the Spanish Honor Society.

Callie also gives back to the community by volunteering for several organizations such as Full Court Peace, Fairfield County Hospice House Fundraising and Connecticut Against Cancer, and she is a member of the Class Act Committee.

Luke O’Neill, Wilton

Luke has achieved a 3.93 GPA by being a High Honor Roll student throughout his high school career and has been a varsity hockey player since his freshman year.

He is a Link Leader for the last two years, has been a member of the Spanish National Honors Society since his sophomore year and has volunteered for Circle of Friends in Norwalk throughout high school.

Luke, who plays lacrosse during the spring, also works a part time job all year long while maintaining his lofty GPA and playing sports. He is Red Cross CPR certified and works as a lifeguard during the summer.

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