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Champions, Runners-Up, Record-Setters Highlight the Varsity Season

It was quite a busy season for Harvey interscholastic sports as more than 200 athletes on 14 teams competed for their school on the three levels  – varsity, JV, and middle school – and often battling the elements of a spring season that often was more wintry than temperate. The season was highlighted by championships won by three varsity teams – baseball, golf, and girls rugby, along with runner-up individual player champions in golf and boys tennis, and record-breaking achievements by our track and field athletes. The 2026 Spring Sports Season Wrap that follows recounts each team’s highlights and serves to salute the players and the coaches who gave their time and effort in their endeavor to duly represent Harvey’s values — competing with heart and hustle while fostering team spirit and sportsmanship.     

Varsity Baseball (8-7 overall; 7-1 HVAL)

Boys Capture League Crown

In a season that began with an inauspicious 0-3 start, including a 4-3 loss to their league rivals the Wooster Generals, the Harvey Cavaliers forged ahead and made it one of their most memorable springs, ending with a dramatic come-from-behind victory to capture the HVAL 2026 baseball championship. The Cavs, down by five in the late innings, rallied in the sixth inning to beat Wooster and earn the right to don the “2026 HVAL Champions” T-shirt. Throughout the season, including the title game when things looked bleak, head coach Ray Lacen and his assistant Elijah Barinas did a masterful job of keeping the Cavs focused on the goal of winning the championship.

While there were many important moments during the season, none can top the season’s biggest – the come-back victory in the championship game. Coach Lacen shared this reflection: “We knew this would be a game, but we never imagined we would be down by five runs with only six offensive outs left in the game. The boys understood that as long as we had outs, we had a shot. In the bottom of the sixth inning I communicated to the boys to have competitive at bats and that things were not going to change with one at bat. And to my great surprise, they listened. We immediately put pressure on them defensively drawing walks and putting the ball in play. The decision of the game, which, if I had been in the situation I would have done the very same, was Wooster’s walking junior captain Dominick Bonserio intentionally with the bases loaded. Though it did force in a run, Wooster had already witnessed his batting prowess firsthand when Dominick blasted a grand slam against them earlier in the year. The moment arrived and junior Ben Shaw seized it by striking a bases clearing triple to tie the game at 8. Shaw then took advantage of a wild pitch and scored the go ahead and what would be the winning run, 9-8. If I were handing out golden stars for that game, besides Shaw, one would certainly have gone to sophomore Jonathan Cappucci who came on in relief, gave up no runs, and recorded all three outs in the final inning to seal the win. We hoisted that championship trophy as a team!”

One big reason why the Cavs were in position to play in the championship game was their potent offense. Overall, they recorded a team batting average of .375 and scored 144 runs. They did a great job of putting bat to ball. Bonserio hit an unreal .667 with two home runs and 17 RBIs. Then came Shaw at .441, junior Jordan Sheppe at .429, senior captain Robbie Mejia at .405, and sophomore Anthony Hauser at .400.  Coach Lacen was pleased to see Mejia, named the Most Improved Player in 2025, pick up where he left off last season to become a force in the Harvey lineup.  The coach was also happy that Sheppe, a newcomer to the team this spring, came aboard. Despite dealing with an arm injury, he was a solid table setter from the leadoff spot.

On the defensive side the Cavs got great glove work from Cappucci, a sophomore who transitioned from playing second base in 2025 to playing shortstop in 2026. “Jonathan’s solid play was noticed by other coaches whose players had base hits stolen on our shortstop’s stellar plays,” Coach Lacen said.

After early arm injuries sidelined Harvey’s top two pitchers, Sheppe and fellow junior Lucas Wernke, the Cavs received a tremendous boost from Shaw. “Though we had expected to utilize Ben in some relief roles throughout the season, we never imagined he would log the innings he did,” Coach Lacen said. Shaw struck out 39 in just under 20 innings and posted a sub-five ERA. His fine work on the mound allowed the Cavaliers to weather the storm without their two big arms available.

The Cavs had a number of new and young faces this season. Among them was freshman Ilan Feldman, a regular in the lineup, but never playing the field in the same defensive position. He played third, second, and short, and took some turns on the mound as well. “Ilan rarely looked overmatched and is someone I expect great things from in the coming years,” Coach Lacen said.

Junior Stone Jacobs was a pleasant surprise who cracked the starting lineup from day one. With a combination of natural strength and ability, Jacobs showed tremendous skill at the plate and on the mound. “It is safe to say that Stone will be an integral part of this team’s success next year,” said Coach Lacen.

Another new member to Harvey’s baseball program was junior Lucas Wernke, who  entered the season as the team’s No. 1 pitcher before an unexpected bicep injury shelved him. Wernke, who swung a big bat, did, however, continue to play the field at third base. Coach Lacen said he’s looking forward to Wernke coming back in 2027 healthy and ready to dominate hitters.

Looking ahead to 2027, Coach Lacen expects the majority of this year’s players to return. The coach hopes the returning champions carry from this year into next the knowledge that success only comes when “we approach every game, every practice, every challenge, and every opportunity as a team.” He believes the 2027 team will have a good mix of upper and lower classmen who experienced a championship season. “The goal,” he said, “is not to win but to compete, and if we compete the wins will take care of themselves.”

Coach Lacen offered his thanks to the team’s two captains, Bonserio and Robbie Mejia. “They are young men of character and served this team well this season,” the coach said. He also thanks his first-year assistant Elijah Barinas for making “a tremendous impact with his defensive instruction and overall baseball knowledge.” Coach Lacen said, “The players gravitated to him with questions and trusted his coaching, as did I.”

Several Cavs earned postseason recognition from the HVAL and the New England Prep School Athletic Council (NEPSAC). Named HVAL All-League were Bonserio, Shaw, Mejia, and Cappucci. All-NEPSAC honors went to Bonserio, Mejia, and Shaw. Cappucci and Sheppe were recognized with All-NEPSAC honorable mentions.

At the team dinner, the two coaches announced the winners of the special team awards:

MVP: Dominick Bonserio

Most Outstanding Pitcher: Ben Shaw

MIP: Isaiah Newman

Cavalier Spirit: Anthony Hauser

 

Girls Varsity Rugby (13-1 overall; 10-0 Metro Girls HS Rugby League)   

 One Gritty Group of Rugby Champions

 What a remarkable spring season for Harvey’s girls rugby team! Under the guidance of head coach Shannon Horan and assistant Joseph O’Connell ’16 the Harvey ruggers won the program’s first league championship, dominating from start to finish.

It was a season so full of highlights that Coach Horan said it was difficult to pick out the most memorable moment from so many that came about along the way to winning the 2026 Metropolitan Girls High School Rugby League championship. “Between the overall talent of the team and the extraordinary debut of new players, everyone had their own highlights match to match that contributed to the success,” Coach Horan said. But if she had to pick just one particularly momentous moment, she’d say it was O’Launi Ebank’s double-try day at Wilbraham and Monson Academy. Coach Horan explained, “O’Launi had an incredible season, making dominant hits and huge runs that always put us in prime scoring positions. After multiple games of her big runs falling just short of the try line, she finally reached the finish she had been working toward up at W&M, charging through the line and breaking tackles to get herself right under the uprights. The energy of the team after her first try was so full and proud. She had been making an impact all season, but the eagerness to complete the scoring play drove her continuous fight.”

When she looks back on the team’s season, Coach Horan sees a squad whose “progression from match to match and even day to day was incredible.” The coach was impressed by the fact that “after starting the season off with two clean sweeps, each player continued to show up to practices ready to improve.” She said, “The drive to get better and give their all in every minute is something you cannot coach and we were lucky to have such committed players.”  She praised the senior captains Casey Kelly, Maeve Lazzaro, Sophia Collum and other veterans, saying, “Our leadership set that precedent early and newer players were quick to get on board and perform.”

Kelly led the team in scoring with 30 tries and 44 conversions (a 66% success rate) and came in second with five assists, just behind Collum’s seven. Kelly also dominated on defense with an average of seven tackles per match, a total of 62 over the 9.5 matches we have stats from. Fellow captains Lazzaro and Collum also proved their contributions, coming in second and third, respectively, in tackles . Lazzaro made 28 tackles over seven matches; Collum had 19 over six matches, with ninth graders Ebanks (19 over 7 matches) and Aoife Lazzaro (17 over 7 matches) following not far behind.  Senior Summer Jarbath made her mark, scoring 14 tries in just 10 matches.

Coach Horan said she was proud of the team for putting in the effort each and every day. The coach said, “Their success could not be more deserved and it is a testament to the dedication of our captains and senior players and the team culture they created. The chemistry between players made for some really great rugby moments and every win was a full-team feat.”

Coach Horan said she will miss the seniors next year, but she’s grateful for the impact they have made over the years and the precedent they set for the team going forward. The coach said, “We look forward to continuing to build the program and expect to maintain the same level of success. We will have a younger team next year, but we have a large amount of talent and potential and I am excited to see what they can do.”

Coaches Horan and O’Connell chose the following players for the special team awards:

MVP: Casey Kelly

Defensive Player of the Year: Summer Jarbath

Offensive Player of the Year: Maeve Lazzaro

Rookie of the Year: O’Launi Ebanks

 

Varsity Golf (8-3 overall; 5-0 HVAL)

Golf Team Makes It Three Titles in a Row

First-year coach Teddy Keller said the clear choice for the top highlight of the 2026 season is winning the HVAL Championship, making it three years in a row that the Cavaliers captured the league crown. Coach Keller and his assistant Alex Morse got front row seats to see their golfers perform at a very high level this spring,

Leading the way for the Cavs on that championship day were sophomore Ian Quilley and junior captain Brian Goldban. Coach Keller said Ian winning the individual HVAL title by shooting a 37 “capped off a great year for the sophomore whose strong iron play and putting was consistent throughout the season.” Quilley had a nine-hole average of 41.25 aided by scores of 36, 39, and 37 in his final three matches.  He earned HVAL All-League recognition.

For his part, Goldban shot 39, his best score of the year in competition at the championships, earning a runner-up finish which the league recognized by awarding him with an HVAL-All League honor. Goldban finished the season with a nine-hole average of 43.75, showing improvement as the season went on “despite playing through a shoulder injury,” Coach Keller said.

Sophomore Marlin Bieber also had a fine season, recording a nine-hole average of 43.22. The only Harvey golfer to play in every match, Bieber was great off the tee all season. His season’s personal highlight was shooting 39 on 5/5 to help his team beat South Kent.

Junior Cole Lazerus had a fine year as well. In the first match of the year he shot 39, getting an eagle on the 6th hole. Lazerus earned the Spotlight Sportsmanship Award. “Cole showed great sportsmanship and etiquette all year,” Coach Keller said.

Reflecting on the season, Coach Keller thought the team showed passion and dedication all season. “Each player had an obvious desire to play more and more golf, and play in every match,” Coach Keller said. “Often the competition in practice was just as fierce as in matches, which is a great thing for the team’s culture,” he said. “We had contributions from everyone in competition throughout the year and this balance excites me going into next year, especially considering we are only losing one senior to graduation, our co-captain Jesse Baron,’ he added.

Looking ahead, Coach Keller said, “I’m excited that our players are on the same page with me and Mr. Morse about our intention and desire to compete with teams like those at NYSAIS,” he said, adding, “This season felt like a great step to bigger and better things.”

At the team dinner, Coaches Keller and Morse announced the winners of the following awards: 

MVP: Ian Quilley

MIP: Marlin Bieber

Coaches: Brian Goldban

Cavalier Spirit: Cole Lazerus

 

Boys Varsity Tennis (5-6 overall; 5-3 HVAL)   

Runner-up Champions in Singles, Doubles Highlight the Season

Harvey’s boys varsity tennis team, entering the 2026 season as the reigning champions of the HVAL, had high hopes of retaining their league crown, but it was not meant to be. The Cavs, however, did finish the season with a winning record against league rivals and saw one of their own come close to winning a player championship.

Despite the disappointment of seeing the Cavs fall short of their preseason goal to return to the league championship playoffs, head coach Peter Everett said the season was not without its highlights. The coach cited matches against Christian Heritage School and Forman as two of the team’s standout moments. “After losing 5-2 in our first match against league opponent Christian Heritage, we returned the favor by beating them 5-2 in the second match,” Coach Everett said he was also proud of the fact that the Cavs beat Forman 4-3 despite having only seven players and having to forfeit two of the matches.

Harvey’s No.1 player for the second straight year, junior Cam Lederer, enjoyed another fine season, going 6-2 in league matches and finishing as the runner-up in the HVAL singles tournament. He was named HVAL All-League for the second year in a row.

Coach Everett credits the doubles teams with keeping the Cavs in the hunt for a second consecutive championship. “Our doubles teams were the real strength of our team, as we only lost four matches in league play out of the 23 doubles matches we played,” Coach Everett said.

Reflecting on the season as a whole, Coach Everett said, “While we were disappointed to fail in our goal to repeat as league champions, I was proud of our competitiveness throughout the season.” The coach singled out four seniors, team captains Emmett Cahill and Logan Kreisberg, and Marc Bueno, and Henry He, saying, “We’ll miss their fine play and good attitudes next year.” Cahill, Harvey’s second player to earn HVAL All-League recognition, paired with junior Jack Zimmerman as the doubles runner-up champions.

Looking ahead to next year, Coach Everett recognizes the team will be losing some important players to graduation, but he is encouraged by the fact that the Cavs will return nine members of the team, “including several players high on the ladder,” he said, adding, “We feel confident that we will contend for the HVAL title again next year.”

Coach Everett and his assistant Pasquale Ferrara chose the following players for team awards:

MVP: Cameron Lederer

MIP: Joon Lee

Coaches: Logan Kreisberg

 

Girls Varsity Tennis (5-5 overall; 5-2 HVAL)

A Team of ‘Grit and Fighting Spirit’

Harvey’s girls varsity tennis team enjoyed a winning season in league play with co-coaches John Gillen and Michelle Menacho guiding the squad.

Although the season did not result in the team making it to the HVAL championship playoffs, Coach Gillen said the spring campaign was not without its highlights. He listed three that stood out. One was  junior Zoey Berman clinching the match against Williams, pulling away from a 5-5 deadlock and ultimately outlasting her opponent to win 8-5 and secure the 4-3 victory for Harvey. Coach Gillen said a second highlight was seeing junior Arabella Serfilippi, the team’s No.2 singles player, avenge her 8-6 loss in the first match of the season to end her season with an 8-6 win over Storm King’s singles No.1 player. Serfilippi would go on to earn HVAL All-League recognition, along with senior team captain Maya Taub, Harvey’s No. 1 singles player. The coach said a third standout moment was seeing the No. 1 doubles team of  sophomore Sam Britton and senior Luca Nishimura come back from being down 1-7 to win 9-8 against Watkinson.

The Harvey team’s winningest player on the season was junior Sarah Fisher at No. 4 singles. She was undefeated in league matches, often winning in dominant fashion and ending the season with a 7-2 overall record.

Coach Gillen praised the entire team for its “grit and fighting spirit.” The coach said, “The girls demonstrated great mental fortitude in all situations, whether they were locked in close matches, dealing with physical fatigue, or facing down skilled opponents.” He added, “I believe that this mental edge was the difference-maker in a number of our matches.”

Reflecting on how the season unfolded, Coach Gillen said, “An HVAL title was within reach this season, though sadly it was not to be. However, the team showed massive growth from last year and demonstrated great strength in the face of adversity. Though a number of our players are graduating, I am looking forward to seeing the continued development of the returning players next year.”

At season’s end, Coaches Gillen and Menacho announced the team award-winners:

MVP: Sarah Fisher

MIP: Hanna Choi

Cavalier Spirit: Maya Taub

 

Girls Varsity Softball (2-6 overall; 0-5 HVAL) 

Softball Girls Get Back to the Diamond                                                                                                                          

Varsity softball returned to the schedule this spring under first-year coach Molly Feeney and first-year assistant Dylan McDonough. Although the Cavaliers struggled for wins, they battled in every game, developed their skills, and grew in their knowledge of the game.

Coach Feeney said one of the season’s top highlights was its 22-15 victory over Hamden Hall. Starting pitcher sophomore Hannah Gorenfeld earned the win with eight strikeouts.

The team’s second win came in the senior game against Greenwich County Day School. The final score was 13-10, and Gorenfeld once again earned the victory, allowing only four hits in seven innings while striking out 10. Gorenfeld led the team’s pitchers with six starts and two wins. She went on to earn HVAL All-League honors.

Coach Feeney gave a shout-out to ninth grader Lucy LiCalzi for taking on the role of catcher without ever having caught before. “Lucy made tremendous strides in her catching skills throughout our short season,” Coach Feeney said.

In the hitting department, senior captain Sienna Colgan belted two home runs. She was Harvey’s second HVAL All-League honoree.

Reflecting on the season Coach Feeney said, “We had a small team of dedicated girls, who showed a lot of improvement throughout the season. Everyone worked very hard to achieve their individual goals, whether they were to improve at the plate, in the field, or simply better their understanding of the game of softball.”

With an eye toward the 2027 season, Coach Feeney said, “We’re looking forward to continuing to develop the program and improve next year.”

At the end-of-season dinner, the two coaches announced the following players as winners of the special team awards: 

MVP: Hannah Gorenfeld

MIP: Chayse Wilkerson

Cavalier Spirit: Sienna Colgan

 

Boys Varsity Lacrosse (4-9 overall; 4-5 HVAL)

Effort the Hallmark of This Team                                                      

The boys lacrosse team this spring ended a streak of appearing in four straight HVAL championship games and finishing each season as the runner-up, but head coach Tom Smith ’16 and assistant Josh Gantt ’15 guided a team that gave a championship-like effort from the season’s beginning to its end. “No matter the situation, the kids never quit in games,” Coach Smith said, adding, “They were always ready to play their game and brought great energy to practice as well.” 

Coach Smith, in his second year at the helm, said the season was not without its highlights, citing his team’s “great performance” in its second game against Forman as most memorable. “It was a close game throughout the first three quarters,” Coach Smith said. “The team picked up the level of effort and performance in the fourth quarter,” he said, adding, “The kids showed great teamwork and did not let the other team’s actions affect their performance.”

Coach Smith was impressed with how much improvement the Cavaliers made on defense over the course of the season. “They went from struggling to clear the ball out of the defensive zone to being a huge part of the team’s performance with seniors Evan Vasile and Connor Hardy leading the group,” the coach said. Vasile, a team captain, was one of four Cavs to receive HVAL All-League recognition. The others were senior captain Wyatt Bland and juniors Dylan Cuddy and Ryan Cuddy. The two brothers led the offense.

Reflecting on his two years leading the varsity lacrosse program, Coach Smith said he enjoyed his time. He said, “It has been a great experience coaching in a program I played in myself. I am not returning to Harvey next year, but I hope that the kids who were on the team this year return next year. They can be successful next season.”

The two coaches selected the following players for the special team awards:

Defensive MVP: Evan Vasile

Offensive MVP: Ryan Cuddy

MIP: Daniel Gross

Coaches: Ryan Dey

 

Girls Varsity Lacrosse (3-3)

Girls Lax Back at It

In the first year of a rebuilding mode, the girls lacrosse team, with a short roster, played a modified season under the guidance of two Harvey lax alums, the Kavounas sisters, Elizabeth, Class of 2018, and Kaitlyn, Class of 2019.

With most of the focus on having the girls grow their skills and putting them to the test in some games, the team received an even measure of practice and in-game experience. Having a modified season gave the girls interested in playing lacrosse a chance to play the sport.

Coach Elizabeth Kavounas said one of the team’s biggest accomplishments was having the girls learn many new positions and roles within the team.. We played with a smaller team, so it gave everyone an opportunity to grow as players, and we all had such a fun and learning season!

Moving players around from position to position allowed some of them, who had never been in goal-scoring positions before, to have the opportunity to score a goal. As a result, sophomores Aviva Erickson and Izzy Doran and senior Talya Langer all scored their first Harvey varsity goals this year. Coach Kavounas said, “The fact that we played with a smaller team gave everyone an opportunity to grow as players, and we all had such a fun and learning season.’

Senior Tory Janush, the team’s goalie, performed well and significantly developed her lacrosse skills along the way.

The coach also saluted the leadership of the team’s three captains, Langer, Janush, and sophomore EmileyRose Murphy and offered a big thank-you to the players and the athletic department for helping to bring success to the team. She described playing with the modified schedule as “a lot of fun.”

The three seniors on the roster played their final lacrosse games for Harvey, and Coach Kavounas said they will be missed. In a bittersweet tone, she said, “We’re happy for the graduating seniors who will go off and do amazing things, but we’re bummed that we won't get to keep them for a little longer to help keep building our team.” The other members of the team who tallied many solid minutes of play were senior Rizlane Mall and sophomores Ruth Doran and Jane MacPhail.

At the team dinner the two coaches announced the winners of the following team awards:

Players’ Player: Tory Janush

MIP: Rizlane Mall

Scarsella Leadership: EmileyRose Murphy

 

JV Girls Tennis (1-6)

Learning the Ropes a Net Gain

Harvey’s girls JV tennis team got some quality time on the courts this spring. Despite finishing with just one match victory, the team, guided by head coach Emily Hanf and her assistant Will Pakenas, provided some memorable moments.

Highlights of the season included ninth grader Scarlett Zhou and sophomore Victoria Hill’s comeback victory at Wooster, junior Grace Hamilton’s first singles win at Wooster, co-captain Drew Scarfone’s win against the No. 1 seed from Oakwood Friends, and ninth grader Ella Yi’s great improvement from start to finish. “Ella started the season with little tennis background and finished as one of our most well-rounded players,” said Coach Pakenas.

Scarfone finished the season with the most singles wins on the team while seniors Joy Chen and Cici Feng recorded the most doubles.

Coach Pakenas praised the girls for their efforts in fostering good camaraderie. “They were very supportive of each other and formed a genuine community amongst each other,” Coach Pakenas said, adding, “Friendships were built through practice and games and nearly every student was much improved in tennis skills by the end of the season.”  The coach also praised the leadership of the three team captains, Scarfone, ninth grader Senna Lieber, and sophomore Lexi Goldstein.

The two coaches selected the following players as recipients of the special team awards: 

MVP: Drew Scarfone

MIP: Ella (Lingfan) Yi

Cavalier Spirit: Scarlett (Siyu) Zhou

 

Outdoor Track and Field

Best Season Ever!

Year 5 was another successful season for Harvey’s coed track and field team with numerous personal bests recorded, new school records set, and All-NEPSAC honors going to two of the team’s top athletes. Head coach Christian Coscio and assistant Henry Baker guided a team of dedicated, hard-working, and goals-driven athletes. The head coach said, in addition to the fine performances across many of the season’s competitions, he saw “great growth and progress across the board from all the athletes.”

Coach Coscio said among the many successes of the team this spring six stand out as season highlights. Number one on his list is the outstanding performance of ninth grader Ally Zimmerman in the steeplechase at FDR High School in Hyde Park. She won the Race at the Oval Office meet in the event, breaking a 15-year-old Harvey School record in the process. Ally finished the season well, earning All-NEPSAC honors by way of her third place finish in the New England Prep School Track Association (NEPSTA) championship event. Coach Coscio lauded Zimmerman’s dedication. “Ally had strong training this season and continued to learn how to race well and respond to others,” the coach said. He also acknowledged her run as the anchor leg of the distance medley relay (DMR) at the Hackley School’s Sting meet where she ran 5:26 in the 1600-meter. “Her chasing down a team and earning the victory was a thing of beauty to see,” the coach said.

Zimmerman was also a part of another fine DMR performance, which Coach Coscio also rates high among the team’s highlights. The girls DMR race at the Loucks Games  featured Zimmerman and sophomores (captain) Lilah Groff, Lola Pace, and Vivienne Stoller, who combined to break the school record for the event.

Third on the list of Coach Coscio’s season highlights is senior captain Skye Watson’s breaking of the school javelin record on consecutive weekends, both times saving her best throw for last, her throw breaking 90 feet. Coach Coscio said Watson had “a consistently solid year, particularly in the javelin.” She finished No. 8 at the Loucks Games and No. 4 in New England championships, earning All-NEPSAC honors. She broke the school record on consecutive weekends, both times saving her best throw for last, showing a level of clutch as well. Watson’s season finishes with her having the 15th-best mark in all of New York State, including the third-best in New York State Association of Independent Schools and all of Westchester County.

Highlight number four involved the boys 4x800 relay team of sophomores Adam Hajem, Chen Yan, and Sebastian Swindell, along with freshman Tagore Perez, who broke the school record set in the team’s first year of existence.  Hajem enjoyed a breakout year, settling into the training set forth by Coach Baker and earning consistent personal bests along the way. Hajem earned two relay school records as part of the 800-meter sprint medley relay and the 4x800-meter relay and dropped his 800-meter and 1600-meter times tremendously. After dropping almost 20 seconds off his previous personal best in the 800-meter race from winter indoor to spring outdoor, Hajem finished the season only two seconds away from the outdoor school record in the event, a goal he will be aiming for next year, according to Coach Coscio.

The fifth top highlight from the season was provided by the performance of  sophomore Evan Talenfeld who nearly doubled his javelin personal best throw from last year to this year (53’4 → 106’) and becoming only the second athlete to break 100 feet in the event.

Coach Coscio also lists his team’s performance in the NEPSTA Track and Field Championship as another highlight. Finishing in 12^th place represents the team’s best-ever result at the NEPSTA Championships, highlighted by All-NEPSAC performances by Zimmerman at No. 3 and Watson  at No.4 in their respective events.

Coach Coscio also singled out senior captain Ellis O’Neil who finished the year by adding three more school records to his name this spring in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 300-meter hurdles. “O’Neil leaves Harvey as the undisputed fastest sprinter in school history, but also leaves behind a legacy of dedication and leadership,” Coach Coscio said, adding, “He always gave it his all, whether in practice or at a meet, and set the standard for our current team and future athletes.”

Coach Coscio shared his appreciation and acknowledgment of the leadership of several veterans, singling out the three senior captains – Ellis, Watson and Mollie Weisberger – and Elena Pagan for “doing a great job of setting the standard for our athletes to follow.”

Also getting recognition from the head coach was his assistant “The school record girls DMR team and boys 4x800 teams are all underclassmen who bought into Coach Baker’s training and saw great successes because of it,” Coach Coscio said, also pointing out that young athletes like Talenfeld and Charlotte Orr, who is only in seventh grade, developed their skills as field event athletes, while also continually contributing in the sprints. “The young, returning athletes, are hungrier than ever to pick up where they left off and we are excited to see what they can do,” said the coach.

The end of the 2026 season was bittersweet for the head coach who sees great promise for the team’s future but knows he is losing a strong group of seniors to graduation this year. The coach said, “Athletically, they are quite talented, as evidenced by their performances, but their leadership is a major factor in why the team was successful during their tenure and why it will continue to succeed. The seniors before them helped set the Class of 2026 up for success, and now they will set our younger athletes up for success as well. I feel confident that we will continue to develop our program and reach new heights. We have a large group of underclassmen who will follow in their footsteps, and the results will be fun to see.”

At the team dinner, the two coaches announced the following winners of the team’s special awards:

MVP: O’Neil Ellis, Skye Watson, Ally Zimmerman

MIP: Evan Talenfeld

Top Newcomer: Adam Hajem

Cavalier Spirit: Mollie Weisberger

 

Boys Rugby (3-3)

Boys Finish Strong

Harvey’s boys rugby team may have won as many games as they had lost, but their .500 record told only one part of the story. Head coach Phil Lazzaro said the Harvey boys, who won two of their last three matches, improved significantly from the start of the season to the end.

“The team's steady growth from day one to now was amazing and a testament to the athletes,” said Coach Lazzaro. “They worked hard in practice every day, and I am proud of the level of play, which rose with every single match,” said Coach Lazzaro, adding that the team’s wins against New Rochelle and Stepinac high schools “showed great collective play.” The Harvey boys capped their season off with a 49-0 victory at home against the Mountaineers from Mt. St. Michael’s Academy in the Bronx.

Coach Lazzaro said the team’s attack took giant steps forward this year, led by senior scrumhalf James Gittleman and junior fly-half and co-captain Ben Lawrence-Comerford. He said the emergence of senior Ruggero Franchetti in the backline improved the offense. Franchetti led the team in scoring this season with six tries. Coach Lazzaro also praised senior Jordan Falk, saying, “Jordan did an outstanding job as our 8-man this season, on both sides of the ball.” Falk was second in scoring with four tries. The coach also cited the growth of second-year players, two seniors, lock Titus Welsh and prop Ryan Geagan. Coach Lazzaro credited Welsh and Geagan with helping to solidify the team’s forward pack throughout the campaign. The coach also praised the performances of junior Grahm Bryant, the team’s co-captain, and senior Vishal Thadani, stating, “Their work in lineouts was exceptional.”

Sophomore Nico Mena’s kicking was top notch for Harvey. He scored on 15 successful conversions and produced 40 points of offense to lead the team. Ruggero was second with 30 points. Falk was third with 20, followed right behind by Lawrence-Comerford with 19.

Coach Lazzaro said the team maintained high effort throughout the season. “From the opening or preseason at Clemson University to the final whistle versus Mount St. Michael’s, the boys competed every second of play,” Coach Lazzaro said, adding, “Our graduating senior class has left a positive mark on the team and laid a solid foundation for us to grow and compete in the years ahead.”

At the team postseason dinner, Coach Lazzaro and his assistants Connor Welles ’10 and Jeremy Kosbob ’01 presented the special team awards to the following players:

Bravery: Ryan Geagan, Ruggero Franchetti

Discipline: Titus Welsh, Rayce Volpi, Nico Mena

Jazz: James Gittleman, Ben Lawrence-Comerford, Ruggero Franchetti

Ted O’Connor Alumni Award: Vishal Thadani, Jordan Falk

 

MS Baseball (4-3)

Growth of Cavs Was on Display

The Harvey Middle School baseball team enjoyed a winning season under head coach Tim Cornell and his assistant Eddie Cacsire.

The Cavaliers were a young team with a roster without any eighth graders. Coach Cornell was pleased to see the team win four of their seven games, but he was most impressed by the Cavs’ performances against some of the more competitive teams that featured eighth grade players. “I think the more meaningful highlights were the close losses we had against better teams,” Coach Cornell said, adding, “We were young, but we showed a lot of growth.”

Coach Cornell cites as a season highlight his team’s gritty away game against a tough Hackley squad. The Cavs lost 6-5 but twice they left the base loaded and did not score. The coach calls the Cavs’ 2-1 loss against Whitby “the best game of the season.” He said, “While we couldn’t get a timely hit, and scored only one run, we had plenty of runners on base, and in the field, we didn’t have an error the entire game until the last inning.” Coach Cornell said the game was memorable because the Cavs made some great catches and played together as a team. “We looked and played like a baseball team should,” Coach Cornell said.

The middle school boys capped their season off with a 7-2 victory in their final game against French-American School. “Once again we had few errors, got some timely hitting, and looked great offensively and defensively,” the coach said, adding, “It was a fitting end to a good year, showing our growth and development individually and as a team.”

Seventh grader Elias Hajem, a co-captain, was the team’s leading hitter, going 10-for-13, with five doubles and a team-reading eight runs batted in. Also of note were the hitting stats of sixth grader Finn Wood, who went 8-for-13 with six RBI and seventh grader Caleb Osnoss, who went 8-for-15 with four RBI.

On the pitching side, Hajem led the team with two wins. Sixth grader Damon Bugenhagen allowed the fewest runs on the year and garnered a win. Sixth grader Finn Wood also notched a win. Coach Cornell also noted that sixth grade co-captain Logan Brokenbaugh pitched for the first time in his life in the last game of the year. He went three innings, allowing only an unearned run. 

Reflecting on the season overall, Coach Cornell said, “I was very impressed with the development we showed over the course of the season and all things considered, the team really played well.” He added, “With everyone back next year, I am looking forward to a very successful season.”

Coaches Cornell and Cacsire selected the following players as recipients of the special team awards:

MVP: Elias Hajem

MIP: Luke Alonzo

Coaches: Finn Wood

Cavalier Spirit: Angler Keane

 

Middle School Coed Tennis (0-5)

Learning, Improving, Having Fun

Due to poor weather and various scheduling conflicts, the Harvey Middle School coed tennis team competed in only five matches, but head coach Octavia Man says a lot of good came out of the season despite the disruptions.

Coach Man said one of the most memorable moments for her was when seventh graders Logan Brockenbaugh and Wayden Ebanks gave it their all in a match against King School. “Even though they didn’t win any of their games against King, Logan and Wayden fought hard for every point, worked together as a team, and gave it their best.”

Coach Man also saluted eighth grader Phoenix Goldstein for his singles performance against Eagle Hill. “He won two of his three matches with no fear, stayed focused, and played for every point,” Coach Man said.

The coach also recognized the  doubles team of eighth grader Carmen Perez and seventh grader Catalina Dragan, describing them as “an amazing duo who were a pleasure to watch.”” Coach Man said, “No matter what was happening on the court, they stayed positive, playing with huge smiles on their faces.” The coach called Carmen Perez the team’s most valuable player. “Carmen was always present, consistent, and had an amazing attitude,” the coach said..  

Coach Man also singled out seventh grader Hiroto Fujii for “doing his best on the court, especially during one the first couple of games of his young career as a tennis player.” The coach said, “Hiro played with no fear, great confidence, and succeeded in earning quite a few good points.”

One of the proudest moments for Coach Man occurred when the Hackley coach came to her to praise the Cavaliers. Coach Man said the Hackley coach told her, “It was such a nice experience for her players to compete against Harvey because everyone was so nice and cooperative.”

In reflecting on the season, Coach Man does not measure success by how many matches the team played or how many victories they earned. “I would say it was a great season where the players had an opportunity to get better, learn something new, and have some fun.”

At season’s end, Coach Man and assistant coaches Stephanie Metz and Denis Arnautovic awarded each player with a medal for a job well done.