The FCIAC awards Exemplary Scholar-Athlete honors to players from its 16 member schools every season. Each week, the league will be announcing eight of those award winners, two each from four schools, with bios and photos on FCIAC.net.Here is the second group of honorees for the Fall, 2025 season from Danbury, Fairfield Ludlowe, Fairfield Warde, and Trumbull:
Hannah Talbott – Danbury
Hannah is a Distinguished Honor Roll student, taking an AP and Honors curriculum while maintaining a 4.75 GPA. She is a member of National English Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, National Honor Society, Class Act Council and Peer Leadership.
Through these organizations she has had the opportunity to volunteer at the Danbury Public Library, mentor students in the Broadview Middle School Creative Writing Club and represent Danbury High School at the Portrait of a Graduate Spring Convening in Massachusetts.
In addition to being co-captain of the Danbury High School varsity field hockey team, Hannah is a varsity lacrosse player. Outside of DHS she competes at the national level in Olympic style rifle, competing at the Junior Olympics in 2024 and 2025 and named to the Connecticut State Rifle Team in ninth, 10th and 11th grade.
Hannah has received several academic awards including AP Scholar of Distinction, National Merit Commended Scholar, NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Honorable Mention and the Stand-up for STEM Youth in Action Award.
She is an active member of Scouting America Troop 235 and is currently pursuing the rank of Eagle Scout.
Ben Miller – Danbury
This senior is captain of Danbury High School’s boys’ cross country team and he had run for the indoor and outdoor track and field teams since his freshman year.
Ben is a member of the National Honor Society and Class Act, with an unweighted GPA of 3.99 and 12 AP classes.
He has been recognized as a Commended Student in the National Merit Scholarship Program.
Leading cross country includes coordinating training through the summer, and Ben led a dedicated group of runners by helping organize and coordinate preseason runs for he and his fellow Hatters starting in July.
Ella Gussen – Fairfield Ludlowe
Ella is a member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta, has earned High Honors with a 4.4 GPA, and is an AP Scholar Award recipient.
She has been recognized as a Connecticut Athlete Scholar, and she was selected to the 2024 All-FCIAC Girls Swimming and Diving First Team and the Connecticut High School Coaches Association All-State Team.
Ella has been among the best swimmers in the state for the last several seasons and she is a school record holder. Three years ago, as a freshman, Ella was named the Fairfield Ludlowe Rookie of the year in 2022.
Two years ago, when Ella was still only a sophomore, this versatile swimmer placed fourth in both the 200-yard freestyle and 100 backstroke at the State Open and she was selected to the 2023 All-FCIAC First Team in the 200 IM, 100 breaststroke and as a member of the 200-yard medley relay team.
Last year Ella became a state champion when she won the 200 individual medley with a time of 2 minutes, 5.75 seconds and then she placed second in the 100 backstroke (58.15) at the 2024 CIAC Class LL championship meet. One week later at the State Open she was runner-up in the 200 IM.
Ella received the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Book Award, was honored as a Ruden Report Player of the Week in 2024, and this year she is a team captain and a school record holder.
She plans to continue her career as a student-athlete at the University of Chicago.
Chase Mehta – Fairfield Ludlowe
Chase is a high honor scholar who holds a 4.1 weighted GPA while taking AP and honors classes. He is a member of the National Honor Society as well as the Math Honor Society and Science Honor Society.
Chase plays center back and is captain of the boys’ varsity soccer team. He also plays volleyball for the varsity team during the spring season.
Chase has been playing for the Inter Football Club travel soccer team since freshman year and has earned the Player of the Year award 3 times.
Additionally, Chase actively participates in service in his community as a member of the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club Keystone Program, the Appalachia Service Project, and Student Athletes Serving Others. He is also a member of his high school’s American Field Service Club.
Chase hopes to play club soccer in college and plans to major in Mathematical Sciences.
Daphne D’Elia – Fairfield Warde
Daphne has achieved a 4.56 weighted GPA while taking a full schedule of Honors and AP courses.
She is a member of the National Honor Society and has earned the Seal of Biliteracy in French. Daphne is also a Book Award recipient and a DECA State Champion.
In athletics, Daphne is the starting goalkeeper and co-captain of the Fairfield Warde High School girls’ soccer team, a four-year varsity starter for the lacrosse team, and has competed on the National Futsal Team for the past four years.
She volunteers with SASO and the Appalachia Service Project, contributing to community service initiatives locally and regionally.
Zoey Strauser – Fairfield Warde
Zoey has been on both the varsity field hockey and softball teams for all four years of high school and she’s a senior co-captain for both of those teams.
She has an unweighted GPA of 3.9 while taking a full schedule of AP and honors classes.
Zoey has been a selected member of the National Honor Society since her junior year and a recognized High Honor Scholar for all four years of high school.
She participates in clubs like DECA, the Chick-fil-A Leader Academy, and is part of Warde’s Business Honor Society.
Zoey helps her community by volunteering through SASO Girls Fairfield, Fairfield Little League Girls Softball, and the Fairfield Youth Field Hockey Association.
Ella Simpson – Trumbull
Ella has been a dedicated member of the Trumbull High School field hockey team for four years, serving as team captain during her senior year.
Academically, Ella has achieved a cumulative GPA of 4.6, excelling in a curriculum that includes AP, UCONN, and Honors level courses.
She is a member of both the National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society.
Beyond academics and athletics, Ella is involved in her school and community. She serves as captain for the Unified Basketball Team and has been a peer volunteer since her freshman year.
She has also participated in the Best Buddies program and THS Link Crew. In the summer of 2024, she participated in Friends of Appalachia, spending a week in Tennessee engaged in meaningful community service.
Ted Hughes – Trumbull
Ted, a senior with a 4.87 weighted GPA, has been accepted into multiple honor societies and achieved High Honors.
He has participated in cross country for four years, is a captain in his senior year, and he performed well enough at the recent 2025 FCIAC Cross Country Championships on Oct. 15 that he ran his way onto the All-FCIAC Boys Cross Country Second Team.
Runners who place in the top 15 make the all-conference first team, those who place in the next 15 positions are on the all-conference second team and Hughes earned those kudos by placing 19th with a time of 16:43 on the 5-kilometer course (3.1 miles) at Waveny Park in New Canaan.
Ted has also run for the indoor and outdoor track and field for three years, is a captain for the indoor track teams, and he has achieved multiple medals in the previous FCIAC championship meets.
In addition to his running, Ted is the co-captain of the Math Team and has volunteered as an SAT Tutor on the Schoolhouse platform.