Two outstanding student-athletes that helped bring New England championships back to the Pingree School were voted best in their class for the entire region.
Senior field hockey goalie Sadie Canelli was named New England Prep School Athletic Council Class C Player of the Year while girls soccer midfielder Catherine Watrous was named NEPSAC Class B Player of the Year when the full list of All-New England honorees were announced this week.
Canelli, a Boxford native who will play at the University of Indiana, had 11 shutouts and made 147 saves while helping Pingree come from the No. 7 seed to pull off three straight upsets to repeat as NEPSAC tournament champs. She was joined in the All-New England team by fellow Highlanders Alexa Blaeser (sophomore forward), Sara Graves (freshman mid) and Reid Johnson (freshman defense). NEPSAC honorable mentions went to Caroline Lemos (senior mid), Halle Powers (junior back) and Allie Smail (junior back).
On the soccer pitch, Watrous was unselfish, creative and dominant while helping Pingree go 20-2-1 and tear through the Class B playoffs and then win the championship with a thrilling overtime triumph. A Middleton native, she finished with 18 assists and 29 points and will play college soccer at Colby.
Other girls soccer players to be named All-New England were sophomore forward Kayla Smyrnios and junior mid Arianna Schwinn-Clanton. NEPSAC honorable mentions were Helena Crate, Lauren Tucker and Summer Elward.
From the Landmark School, Class D All-New England choices were Lily Vaughn and Anastasia Battles with honorable mention to Sofia Valleli and Rocky Dearaujo. From Covenant Christian, All-Class D picks were Liza Minogue and Greta Beard with honorable mentions for Evelyn Hammond and Ellie Landymore.
Pingree’s football team earned major awards from both the NEPSAC and the Evergreen League. Senior Hudson Weidman earned Class B All-New England honors and was named the Evergreen League Offensive MVP. Villanova bound Chris Colby was an All-New England and was Evergreen League Defensive MVP. Jaylon Richardson grabbed an All-New England nod as well as first-team Evergreen League honors.
All-League football players who were honorable mentions in the NEPSAC ranks were Cole Piaseczynski and Joey Lussier.
Others with North Shore ties that earned All-NEPSAC honors on the gridiron were Beverly native Gabe Copeland, a Class B choice at Proctor Academy; Beverly native Owen Moreland, an honorable mention after a great year at Avon Old Farms; and Marblehead’s Connor Cronin, who was Class A All-NEPSAC and also Founders League Defensive Player of the Year for Avon Old Farms.
In boys soccer, Pingree’s Noe Aguilar and Andrew Evangelista were Class C All-New England and honorable mentions were Charlie Lynch and Graham Butterworth. Covenant Christian’s Jacob Libby and Bennett Plosker were Class D All-New England and honorable mentions were Dylan Curtis and Isaac Portugal.
On the volleyball court, Pingree’s Lyla Campbell was an honorable mention, as was Covenant Christian’s Leanna Rothier.
In girls cross country, Pingree honorable mentions were Helen Coughlin, Simone Brooks and Emily Haas.