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 first group of honorees for the Fall, 2026 season from Darien, Brien McMahon, Norwalk, and Stamford:
Caroline Clemow – Darien
This senior with a 4.33 weighted GPA, taking primarily honors and AP classes, is a National Merit Commended Student.
Caroline recently earned the UVA Book Award. She is also the treasurer of the National Honor Society and a member of the Science, Spanish, and Math National Honor Societies.
She has been a member of the girls’ field hockey team for the past four years. She is also a captain of the girls’ outdoor track and field team in the spring.
Caroline is the vice president of Darien Emergency Medical Services – Post 53, where she volunteers as an ambulance driver and EMT. She also volunteers at Stamford Hospital and teaches CPR and first aid classes to members of the Darien community.
Brandon Yao – Darien
Brandon, who has achieved a weighted GPA of 4.228, is a National Merit Commended Student and an AP Scholar with Distinction.
He is a varsity player and has been a member of Darien’s boys golf team for three years, including last fall season when the Blue Wave won the FCIAC championship.
Brandon is a founding member of History Club and volunteers with the Youth Community Fund at various local nonprofit organizations. He is also a part of the National Mathematics Honor Society and Science National Honor Society.
Abby Fry – Brien McMahon
Abby is a member of the National Honor Society and has achieved a weighted GPA of 4.64 and is a High Honor Roll student, taking mostly IB classes.
She was co-captain of the field hockey team during her junior and senior years and has played on both the varsity field hockey and girls lacrosse teams all four years.
Abby is president of the Junior Rowayton Civic Association and is Co-President in the Letters of Love Club. She is also a board member of the Rowan Center.
Jacob Lederman – Brien McMahon
Jacob Lederman is a high honors student at Brien McMahon High School, earning a weighted GPA of 4.23 while taking a full schedule of AP, IB, and honors courses. He was inducted into the National Honor Society this past spring.
Athletically, Jacob has competed in both football and lacrosse since his freshman year and has been a member of the varsity teams since his sophomore year. He has served as a co-captain of the football team for the past two seasons.
Outside of Brien McMahon, Jacob serves as vice president and head referee for the Rowayton Youth Basketball Association. He also volunteers with both the Norwalk Youth Football and Lacrosse programs.
During the summer, Jacob works as a camp counselor at the Norwalk Yacht Club.
Layla DiScala – Norwalk
Layla is a senior at P-TECH Norwalk with a 4.4 GPA and is a High Honor Roll student while taking honors classes and being dual enrolled at CT State.
She is completing her associate degree in web development by the end of high school.
Layla is a member of the National Honor Society, Italian Honor Society, Letters of Love, and The Hidden Opponent.
She has volunteered for A Night to Shine and other Peer Assisted Programs. Layla has been a member of the field hockey and softball teams all four years of high school.
Nathan Sebastian – Norwalk
Nathan has been accepted into National Honor Society and has achieved a 4.1 GPA. He is a High Honor Roll student and takes many AP and honors classes.
He has played baseball since freshman year and has joined the golf team for his senior year.
Nathan is also the baritone section leader in the national championship winning Norwalk High School Marching Band for the last two years.
He was the recipient of the Dartmouth Alumni Club book award and was invited to the CIAC Leadership Conference.
Nathan has also volunteered at middle school promotions, elementary school open house, and Filling in the Blanks.
Sophia Grymalyuk – Stamford
Sophia is a senior who has achieved a 4.0 unweighted GPA and a 5.045 weighted GPA while taking on a challenging course load as an IB Course Candidate taking IB, AP, and UConn classes.
Sophia is a four-year athlete and a varsity captain on the volleyball team. She has also been a four-year athlete for the outdoor track and field team.
She is a president and member of the National Honor Society, while also holding many other leadership positions throughout her high school career. Sophia is president of FBLA and an accomplished FBLA competitor, and she is an ambassador and president for the Educators Rising Branch at Stamford High School.
Sophia has been heavily involved in volunteering and community service throughout high school for clubs in school such as Friendly Faces, Unified Sports, Build On, Science National Honors Society, and throughout the community.
She plans to pursue a pre-medical path in college with the goal of becoming a pediatric physician and making a difference in the lives of others.
Magnus Smail – Stamford
Magnus is an IB Diploma student with a 4.99 weighted GPA and a 4.0 unweighted GPA. He is a member of his school’s National Honor Society along with Science National Honor Society.
He is a senior captain of the boys’ soccer team, along with being the captain of Stamford Rugby Club. Magnus has been among the best soccer players in the conference for the last couple years, having been selected to the 2025 All-FCIAC Boys Soccer First Team last fall season as junior.
In addition, he played on the CT All-Stars rugby team, and was ranked the second best player in Connecticut, along with earning recognition as the fifth best player in the country.
Magnus participated in the 2026 UB RISE science research contest. He is the director of Stamford High School’s tutoring club, and he is a leader in buildOn, a club which raises money to build schools in underdeveloped countries.