Upper and Middle School Sports Banquets Honor Student Athletes

It was a great ending to a great sports season as Upper and Middle School student athletes, parents and coaches celebrated the recent successes of the basketball, fencing, indoor track, cheerleading, swimming and squash teams during the Upper and Middle School Sports Awards Dinners.

Held on March 9, the Upper School Sports Awards Dinner recapped the season’s exceptional individual and team efforts. Athletes, undaunted by this winter’s unusually harsh weather, performed admirably and ended the season with a number of notable achievements, including the Varsity Girls’ Basketball 2009 Panther Classic Championship; three individual first place banners and three new school records for the Boys’ Varsity Swim team; and an excellent showing by sophomores in the finals of the NJSIAA District 2 State Fencing Tournament. The Boys’ Fencing team also dominated the PDS Soph/Frosh Tournament sweeping five of the nine medals; the Varsity Girls’ Basketball team qualified for their first NJSIAA State Tournament; and the Indoor Track team members once again attended the Disney Marathon.

Senior John Zipp was recognized for his outstanding contribution to Ranney athletics. John served as captain of the golf team for three years and captain of the swim team this past season. A strong athlete and leader, John placed first in the 50 yard freestyle at the Patriot Conference Swim Championship and placed third in the 50 yard freestyle at the highly competitive Monmouth County Swim Championship. He also broke two individual records and was part of a relay team that broke two other school records during this past season. In addressing underclassmen during the dinner, John offered some sage advice, “I hope that you have as much fun as I did my last four years on the sports teams, and I hope you realize that winning is the best, but it’s not everything. I hope you experience the thrills and laughter that I enjoyed. You only get this opportunity once so make the best of it.” John has been a tremendous asset to the Ranney athletic program and will be sorely missed next year when he heads to college.

The Middle School Sports Award Dinner took place on March 22, bringing out students, parents and coaches alike to honor the athletes and celebrate what turned out to be a phenomenal winter in Middle School sports. The season resulted in a number of firsts: the Middle School Boys’ Basketball team won the Central Jersey Athletic League Championship, the Swim team went undefeated for the season; and the Girls’ and Boys’ Swim teams won the Ranney Swim Invitational.

Eighth grade student Alexandra Esquivel-Murphy was honored during the dinner for her sportsmanship, athletic talent and leadership qualities. Alexandra is a versatile athlete and played hard for the Middle School Field Hockey, Basketball and Lacrosse teams. In the summer of 2009, she was even selected to the prestigious USA Field Hockey Futures Program. She has also consistently been named to the Honor Roll, was recognized as a gifted student by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth program, has served as a Ranney School Ambassador and is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. In her speech to dinner guests, Alexandra explained that athletics has not only given her an opportunity to go out and express herself on the field, but it’s also helped her make many friends. Asking the audience what it means to be a great Ranney Athlete, Alexandra said, “Well, to me, it means to be a dedicated, respectful, eager, team player.” And that she is.

For a list of all Upper and Middle School honorees click here.

Ian McNamara, Assistant Director of Athletics, summed up both Upper and Middle School winter sports by saying that the most important aspect of Ranney’s athletic program is to “instill in student athletes a sense of character and honor.” He added, “Thanks to their hard work, dedication and commitment to their teams and to themselves, they uphold the honor and tradition of being a Ranney Panther.”