News Archive

        On Saturday, Boys Varsity Basketball earned a huge come-from-behind 94-90 win against Woodstock Academy in overtime at the National BasketBULL Tourney in Springfield, MA. With good reason the talented Woodstock squad already boasted a 12-2 record for the season and challenged the Hornets throughout the contest. The Hornets again fell behind against a talented foe, only to finish with a flourish. Trailing 67-51 early in the second half, the team kept battling to the end. The game went back and forth in the last two minutes, when Christian Adams made a big clutch three pointer to send the game into overtime. Junior Jackson Benigni was tremendous all game, leading all scorers with 41 points. 
        “I was so impressed with the way our guys stayed focused once again and never let the score bother them, " said Coach Doherty. "Our relentless attitude paid off late in the game and guys stepped up and made big plays when really needed! The key word for tonight’ was Resiliency. Our team character was tested early, but we maintained our focus throughout in order to get the win, added Christian Adams.
        The Hornets are now 8-0 and play Wednesday, December 19, against FAA league rival Masters School of NY - the only league loss the Hornets experienced last year.

        The Varsity Wrestling team continued to blitz the opposition as they took Second Place at the annual Oxford Invite on Saturday. The Hornets finished with 124.5 points, just 3.5 points short of champions Rocky Hill HS. The Hornets squared off against six opponents, all public schools, in the individual competition formerly known as the Derby Invitational, 
        Six out of eight wrestlers made it to the final round. Four Hornets won their bracket: Aiden Hebert at 126 lbs., Dylan McNamara at 132, Wyn Veiga at 160, and KlydeAuba at 182.
        Ethan Fuoco took second place at 145 lbs. as did Jordan Revels at 195. Jack Fuoco and Gabe Vuclic took home the bronze at 126 and 170 lbs. respectively.
        The team returns to action on Wednesday when they host Chase Collegiate, Wilbraham & Monson, and perennial powerhouse and last year's Western New England champs Brunswick School of Greenwich. The quad meet starts at 4:30 at the Beckerman Center, so start the holiday break by coming out to cheer on the buzzin' Hornets.

Richard Oliver Hammond, Class of 1945, died on July 27, 2016. Hamden Hall extends condolences to the Hammond family.

To read full obituary, click here.

        The Hornet Swarm continues for Boys Varisty Basketball. On Saturday, they earned a hard fought, quality win over the Dexter School from Brookline, Mass, another strong New England non-league opponent, 76-73. Dexter have three players that are getting Division 1 recruiting looks and they made the Hornets work on every possession. The game was a nail bitter from start to finish, with both teams trading baskets and unable to pull away. Ther Hornets were just a bit quicker and as a result gained the edge at the free throw line, going 21 for 31. “ We needed our veterans to step up tonight against a tough opponent and that’s what they did, " said Coach Sean Doherty. "Tre Breland was tremendous on both ends of the floor tonight leading all scorers with 29."  Eventually, the full court pressure took its toll on the Dexter squad, forcing some costly turnovers down the stretch.  
        The Hornets are back in action on Monday at Rye Country Day in another FAA matchup.

Tre Breland 10 8-16 29 
Tim Dawson 3  2-2 10 
Christian Adams  7 4-4 19 
Jackson Benigni 4 7-9 16 

        After a highly successful weekend during which they recorded three convincing victories, the Boys Varsity basketball team returned to the Beckerman Center on Tuesday evening to enjoy a bit of home cooking and another solid win, this time against crosstown rival Hopkins. The final score was 66-55, though the outcome never seemed to be in doubt. Hopkins played a dogged game throughout; however, the first string Hornets had just too much firepower and pace, helping the team jump out to a big early lead and then dictate matters for the remainder of the game. The entire bench got plenty of minutes, and Ethan Doherty, in particular, enjoyed an outstanding night shooting the ball, making 6 three pointers to lead all scorers with18 points. It was a terrific way to open up their Fairchester League season, though the Hornets' next match up is another non-league foe, the Dexter School from Boston, on Friday at the BAC.

Hamden Hall’s music program outdid its own three-year record for the number of students – both choral and instrumental – selected to the Southern Connecticut Regional Honor Choir and Orchestra.

        Varsity Wrestling has begun the 2018-2019 with an explosive display of power against an impressive array of larger school opponents. At a successful weekend quad meet at Pomfret, they bested the hosts 39-36, and defeated Lexington Christian 59-12, while narrowly falling to perennial powerhouse Roxbury Latin School of Boston 45-36.
        On Wednesday, the Hornets stayed closer to home and enjoyed an outstanding tri meet at Choate. In the first match, they defeated the hosts 7-0 on the mat. In losing points to forfeits in weight classes where we had no wrestlers, the Hornets were tied with the Wild Boars 36-36, but won in a tie breaking match. They also won all six of their matches on the mat against Hopkins, but again dropped points on forfeits, ultimately losing on paper 42-36. Nevertheless, the team was ecstatic at their undefeated day, and Coach Blair Tugman complimented the team on such a gritty effort against so many larger schools.
        Thus far, four wrestlers are undefeated: Aiden Hebert (126 lbs.) 5-0 with 4 first period pins and a decision over a national qualifier, Klyde Auba (182) 5-0 with 4 pins, Roman Minotti (106) with 1 pin, and Wyn Veiga (160) with 1 pin. Junior Connor Massey at 145 lbs. is 4-1 with 3 pins; Pearson Hill at 152 is also 4-1 with 4 pins; Dylan McNamara at 132 is 4-1 with 2 pins, and Gabe Vucelic-Frick at 170 is 2-1 with one pin. Rounding out the squad are the Fuoco trio - senior Ethan, and twin freshmen Jack and Max, plus senior Sage Giacomini, and sophomore Xavier Austin. In the five head-to-head contests the Hornets have scored 35 individual wins on the mat with only 8 losses.
        On Saturday, the Hornets travel to Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Springfield, Mass. for another quad meet. They host their first meet on Wednesday December 19th at the BAC, so be sure to catch them in action.

Carl Newton, Class of 1987, died on November 27, 2018. The Hamden Hall community extends condolences to Carl's family.

To read full obituary, please click here.

Audience members attending this weekend’s Middle School musical, A Connecticut Yankee in Outer Space, may be surprised to hear some of the names of the characters – hint: do the names Bob Izzo, Brian Christman, and Beth Richter ring a bell?!

After several six-hour training sessions, more than 60 students and faculty members will facilitate discussion Friday among the entire Upper School to continue fostering a culture of understanding and respect on campus.

Francesca Howard, Class of 2008, married Demetrius Macias on Oct. 7 at the Stony Creek Brewery in Branford, Conn. 

Music teacher Matt Harrison has been named Choral Director of the Year by the American Choral Directors Association for his “significant contributions” to the Connecticut choral scene.

The Upper School fall production of Almost, Maine features a smorgasbord of student actors who have transported themselves to wintry northern Maine.

Alum and past parent Lloyd Ayer, Class of 1947, died on November 5, 2018. Lloyd was the father of Holly Ayer Malloy, Class of 1973, Heidi Ayer Yanavich, Class of 1975, and Glenn Ayer, Class of 1978. Lloyd is also survived by his sister, also an alum, Anita Ayer McCoy, Class of 1951.

The Hamden Hall Community extends deep condolences to the Ayer family.

To read Lloyd's obituary and for info on services, please click here.

Past Parent and Past Grandparent Louise Garvey has died. Louise was the mother of alum Leslie Garvey-Schwab, Class of 1980 and grandmother of alum Dennis Hicks, Class of 2012. She is also survived by her daughter, Hamden Hall staff member Lee Anne Hicks.

The Hamden Hall community extends condolences to the Garvey / Hicks family.

Maizy Dolven died on October 28, 2018 in Worthington, Ohio. She was the mother of Hamden Hall alums Peter Dolven, Class of 1979, and Jessica Dolven Ott, Class of 1988. The Hamden Hall Community extends sincere condolences to the Dolven family.

Funeral services will be held in Ohio later this week. A service is being planned for Connecticut in the spring of 2019. We will post details as we get them.

To read Maizy's full obituary, please click here.

Tom Greiner, Hamden Hall Class of 1984, announced that after 30 years of living “in the city” (Arlington, Va.—one stoplight away from D.C.) he and his family moved to the country in Fairfax, Va.

A division-wide, weeklong project in the Middle School immersed seventh- and eighth-graders in two topical subjects: the media and immigration.

One morning in October, Middle School teacher Beth Richter arrived at school at 7:15 a.m. with a container of fresh strawberries lodged between a pile of New York bagels and a bin of cream cheese. It wasn’t just a healthy breakfast that she was after, however.

Dr. Herbert Kleber died on October 5, 2018. He was the father of alum Elizabeth Kleber, Ph.D., Class of 1975. Son Marc Kleber and daughter Pamela Kleber Shad also attended Hamden Hall circa 1970s. Dr, Kleber also served as Hamden Hall's school psychiatrist for several years.

The Hamden Hall community extends deep sympathy to the Kleber family.

To read full obituary, please click here.

The Class of 1988 recently celebrated their 30 reunion at Miya's Sushi in New Haven.

Harold Kent died on October 18, 2018. He was the father of Hamden Hall alum Richard Kent, Class of 1968. Hamden Hall extends condolences to Richard and his family.

To read full obituary, please click here.

Blair De Natale, Class of 2004, and her husband Rob Truitt, welcomed the birth of their first child, Myles Lee Truitt, on July 21, 2018. 

Claire Brigham, Class of 2013, lives in New York City where she works in sales operations for an office design company called Innovant. 

Michael "Mike" Ippolito, Class of 1973, died on Oct. 16, 2018. He was the brother of Alphonse "Al"  Ippolito, Class of 1975, the late Elizabeth "Betty Anne" Ippolito, Class of 1977, and Judith Carbone, who also attended Hamden Hall circa early 1980s. He was predeceased by his parents Alphonse and Betty Ippolito. 

Sofia Aschettino, Class of 2013, is living in Washington, D.C., working for IBM’s Public Service Consulting organization. 

Avery Giorgio, Class of 2013, is living in Hartford and working as the full time assistant women’s lacrosse coach at Trinity College.

Marla Brodsky, Class of 1991, and her mother Roberta are taking the dating world by storm and sharing their adventures along the way!

Alumni from the Class of 1973 marked their 45th reunion at the home of Marc and Kandi Riccio in Branford.

At the recent Honor Roll and Cum Laude dinner, during which more than 170 students were recognized for having made the honor roll last semester, Head of School Bob Izzo noted Hamden Hall as being in the one percentile of high schools throughout the nation who are members of the prestigious Cum Laude Society.

Betty Christensen Berlepsch and her 1943 Hamden Hall classmate George Fouser celebrated their 75th reunion at a milestone luncheon on campus Friday.

The Class of 1968 celebrated their 50th milestone reunion at a dinner at Mickey's in Hamden Saturday evening. 

Friends from the Class of 2013 met under the Alumni Tent at Homecoming.

Betty Christensen Berlepsch, Class of 1943, celebrated her 75^th Hamden Hall reunion this year. 

2008 Classmates Dr. Rebecca Clark Gugliotti, left, and Deborah Smith are all smiles at Homecoming. 

Alumni from the Class of 1983 celebrated their 35th reunion at Eli's in Hamden.

Henry E. Parker, father of Hamden Hall alum Janet Parker, Class of 1979, died on September 29, 2018. Hamden Hall extends condolences to the Parker family.

To read full obituary, please click here.

Joe Stein, Class of 2007, and his wife, Leah Serenity Stone, are thrilled to announce the birth of their daughter, Lillian Oceana Stein (aka Lily!) on July 25, 2018.

Past Parent Dorothy Malerba, mother of Hamden Hall alums James Malerba, Class of 1995, and Jennifer Malerba, Class of 1998, died on September 27, 2018. Hamden Hall extends deep condolences to the Malerba family.

To read full obituary, please click here.

The “greening” of Hamden Hall’s 10-acre main campus has been an ongoing mission for years, but some recent initiatives have boosted the school community to a new level of environmental awareness and responsibility.

A creative handshake is sometimes all it takes to break the ice and become the conversation starter between new friends.

Congratulations to Blake Brownstein, Hamden Hall Class of 2009, second from left, on his engagement to Lauren Leibach, center.

Donald Currie, Class of 1958, retired from his Custom Welding Service shop in West Haven, Conn., after 52 years in business.

David Wade, Class of 1993, is the founder of Greenlight Strategies, a public affairs firm focused on global markets.

Former Trustee and past parent Joe Tessitore is the new play-by-play voice for ESPN’s Monday Night Football, which kicked off its 49th season in the fall of 2018. Tessitore joins the NFL commentator team of Jason Witten, Booger McFarland, and reporter Lisa Salters. Tessitore and Witten are in the booth.

Karen Eisner, Class of 1968, reports that she living happily in Cliffside Park, N.J. with her husband, Jamie Halliday, of 35 years.

It was great to hear from former history teacher Tom Butler who moved to the Ithaca (N.Y.) area and bought an old house that needed “lots of work both on its exterior and on magnificent gardens and walls and walks that had been let go for 30 years.”

David Allen Moser, father of Hamden Hall alums Max Greger-Moser, Class of 2005, Lucy Greger-Moser, Class of 2011, and Paige Greger-Moser, Class of 2013, died on September 10, 2018. David's wife Marie Greger had been a nurse at Hamden Hall. The Hamden Hall community extends deepest condolences to the Greger / Greger-Moser family.

To read full obituary, please click here.

Sally Spiegel, parent of Hamden Hall alum Robert Spiegel, class of 1980, died on September 14, 2018. Hamden Hall extends sincere condolences to the Spiegel family.

To read full obituary, please click here.

Our younger “dramatic” alumni from the Classes of 2016 to 2018 may wish to congratulate Karl Gasteyer, Hamden Hall theater teacher and director, on his marriage to Jan Nichols. 

An alumna author from the Class of 1958 is, in a word, inspiring.

The last two years have been a whirlwind of excitement for Matthew Oestreicher, Class of 1994, on both the personal and professional fronts.

From 135 new students to the new equestrian program, our campus is buzzing with the newness of the school year. Check out the Top 10 Highlights!

Dr. Rebecca Clark Gugliotti, Class of 2008, was married May 27, 2018, at the First Congregational Church in Wallingford, Conn.

Chris Antollino, Hamden Hall Class of 1987, died on August 20, 2018. Hamden Hall extends sincere condolences to the Antollino family.

To read obituary, please click here.

William Ginter, Class of 1953, will celebrate his 65^th Hamden Hall reunion in October. 

Brown University has announced that its All-Ivy gridiron center Christian Montano, Hamden Hall Class of 2014, has been named a 2018 National Scholar-Athlete nominee.

Class of 1958 alum Nancy Crute Fowski has died. To read full obituary, please click here. Hamden Hall extends condolences to Nancy's family.

Noah Swimmer, Class of 2012, is working with the Agency for the Performing Arts (APA) in Beverly Hills.

Elizabeth Ippolito died on August 23, 2018. She was the mother of Michael Ippolito, Class of 1973, Al Ippolito, Class of 1975, and the late Betty Anne Ippolito, Class of 1977. Hamden Hall extends condolences to the Ippolito Family.

To read full obituary, please click here.

Harold Kasowitz died on August 18, 2018. He was the father of Debra Kasowitz Sachs, Class of 1975, Barbara Kasowitz Allen, Class of 1977, and Lori Kasowitz Kessing, Class of 1980. He was also the father-in-law of Joel Sachs (Debra), Class of 1973.

Hamden Hall extends condolences to the family.

Congratulations to Alexis Highsmith Smith, Class of 1997, for her latest accomplishment. To learn more, click here: http://digitaledition.courant.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=42693813-7965-447c-810c-0df5da3bbf63

Matthew Peterson, Class of 2003, graduated from St. Joseph’s University with a bachelor’s degree in decision & system sciences.

Ralph O'Connor, father of  Brian O'Connor, Hamden Hall Class of 1977, died on August 3, 2018. Ralph was also the Hamden Hall Hockey Coach from 1976 through 1979. Hamden Hall extends condolences to the O'Connor Family.

To read full obituary, click here.

Adrian Zuckerman, Class of 1975, has been nominated by President Donald J. Trump to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Romania.

When Mia Morton, Class of 1987, learned that her Hamden Hall classmate Rabbi Michael Sommer was visiting from Chicago, she rallied some folks to have a "mini reunion" of sorts.

Dr. Michele DeMusis, Class of 1982, reports that she and her husband, John, are official empty nesters.

Claire Kramer, Class of 2014, earned a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College in May.

Former Hamden Hall faculty Linae and Bob Schroeder visited Mary Jane Beaupre during the couple's recent camping trip near Scarborough, Maine.

Erin Hewitt, Class of 2003, shared an update and family photos.

Hamden Hall alumna Michele "Shelly" Herman Brownstein, Class of 1972, shared some family photos of her three Hamden Hall alumni children ("all grown up" she notes!). 

Kristen Fasano Sharpe, Class of 2006, and her husband, Andrew, welcomed their second child, Landon George Sharpe, into the world on June 18, 2018.

Hamden Hall Country Day School is pleased to announce that Amanda Shannon Russo has been appointed the Head Girls’ Varsity Basketball Coach. Russo formerly served as an assistant coach at Central Connecticut State University and brings nearly a decade of collegiate coaching experience to the Hornets’ court. 

Herb Kaiser, husband of Hamden Hall alumnus Joy Sundgaard Kaiser, Class of 1947, died on March 30, 2018.

Click here to read full obituary.

Evelyn Duff, mother of Eunice Bragg, Hamden Hall's Director of Annual Giving, died on Friday, June 22. Hamden Hall extends condolences to Eunice and her family.

To read Evelyn's obituary, please click here.

Hamden Hall Country Day School graduated its largest class to date during its 106th Commencement Exercises, as 88 seniors took to the stage to receive their diplomas.

Mary Jane and Michael Smith, our beloved retired theater faculty team for 30+ years at Hamden Hall, are on a mission.

After studying the Bill of Rights and global human rights issues in their history classes, Grade 8 students embark on a year-end capstone project that culminates with preparing and delivering speeches in front of their peers.

Ali Luchini, Class of 2014, graduated Summa Cum Laude in May with a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Quinnipiac University.

To celebrate the retirement of Hamden Hall's longtime English teacher and debate coach Bill Hunter, some former HH debaters and their friends surprised Bill and his wife, Susan, with a dinner party in June in Hamden.

Alexandria Wells, Class of 2009, received her medical degree in May from Howard University Medical School and officially became Dr. Alexandria E. Wells MBS/MD - OB/GYN.

Maria Kozdroy, Class of 2014, graduated with her Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in May 2018.

Allison “Allie” Izzo, Class of 2014, earned her Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Wake Forest University in Winston Salem N.C.

When Judie Zundell launched her career at Hamden Hall in 1973, she said that joining our school community was one of the best decisions she ever made.

Serving 3,000 lunches a week for the past 26 years has kept Valerie Bossie running at a good clip. But come this summer (and nearly 2.5 million noontime meals later), Val will take her pace down a notch (or two or three!).

When Donna Lyons looks back on her 35-year career at Hamden Hall as a first-grade teacher, she can ascribe the experience to one word: Fantastic!

It is with great pleasure that Head of School Bob Izzo announces that Hamden Hall Country Day School has established a scholarship to honor legendary educator Bill Hunter who will retire in June after 35 years of service to our school community.

Alex Acquarulo, Class of 2014, earned a bachelors of science in entrepreneurship and small business management with a minor in human resources from Quinnipiac University in May. She is now starting her 4+1, MBA, accelerated track at QU. In April, during her senior year in QU's School of Business, Alex placed third in the Tri-State SHRM Case Competition at the University of Rhode Island.

Nicholas “Nick” Strada, Class of 2014, earned an ScB in neuroscience from Brown University in May and was inducted into the Sigma Xi honor society.

Christian Montano, Class of 2014, was among the Brown University 2018 graduates in May.

TJ Linta, Class of 2014, earned a Bachelor of Arts in business, entrepreneurship, and organizations from Brown University in May.

Alec Palmer, Hamden Hall Class of 2014, was recognized by the University of San Diego as an outstanding leader of the Class of 2018 and was honored as a member of The Alcala 100, a prestigious alumni group consisting of outstanding leaders from each graduating class.

Braedon Kohler, Class of 2014, graduated from Bowdoin College in May, earning a Bachelor of Science in physics and minor in economics.

Three days earlier than their Upper School peers – many of whom over the years have been their Lower School mentors – sixth-graders celebrated their rising status via graduation in the Taylor Performing Arts Center.

Dylan Millhouse, Class of 2014, earned a Bachelor of Arts in neuroscience and behavior from Wesleyan University in May. Dylan is headed to Boston to work for a tech company called Criteo.

Katherine Daily, Class of 2014, graduated from the University of Connecticut in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in nursing and was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau International, the honor society of nursing.

Max Helburn, Class of 2014, graduated Cum Laude from Skidmore College in May.

Michael Breuler, Class of 2014, earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Wesleyan University May 27. Michael reports that for the time being, he is putting the job hunt on pause.

Sara Bennett, Class of 2014, earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics, data analysis and environmental studies from Wesleyan University in May 2018.

Blake Acquarulo, Hamden Hall Class of 2012, earned a Master of Public Health in epidemiology of microbial diseases from the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) in May.

It was a pleasure to recently catch up with Carol “Sperry” Piper, Class of 1948.

From cooking alongside a professional chef to constructing a pair of skis to working in a local municipal airport, seniors have spent the past month embarking on their May Projects – an annual rite of passage that has been in effect at Hamden Hall since the late 1960s.

As the final days of the 2017-2018 school year come to a close, we asked several administrators and department heads for their Top 5 Highlights – a request, we learned, that daunted even the most seasoned of faculty members because the past 160-or-so days have been chock-full of good stuff!

Samuel “Sam” Genecin, Class of 2010, offered our Upper Schoolers some tips for having a successful run at college during a recent assembly. Sam returned to Hamden Hall at the invitation of Head of School Bob Izzo.

Hamden Hall past parent Donald J. Knight died on May 23, 2018. He was the father of Marc Knight, Class of 1988, and Kimberly Knight, Class of 1992.

To read full obituary, please click here.

Gabe Cohn, Class of 2012, is a news assistant at the New York Times where his first feature about a filmmaker was published in April. 

The beat goes on for the Boys Varsity lacrosse team, as they defeated King School 12-7 to advance to the New England Tournament Final for the second straight year. The Hornets, seeded #1 in the Western bracket, produced one of their best all round performances of the season when it counted most, in defeating #2 seed King in the semifinal. 

Elizabeth “Liz” Amy Ohl Rhoades, Hamden Hall Class of 1973, is an award-winning and highly recognized Connecticut artist whose pastel paintings are characterized by their vibrant color and sensitivity to the natural forms and light in the landscape. We are delighted to share her reflections on her passion for painting.

While yesterday's downpours seemed suitable only for ducks, the Girls Lacrosse team showed how Hornets can still swarm under the conditions, as they defeated the Harvey School 16-11 in a semifinal match up in the inaugural Western New England Prep School Women's Lacrosse Association (WNEPSWLA) Class C Tournament played at the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury. The two teams battled each other and the weather to earn a 9-9 deadlock at halftime. However, the Hornets turned on the jets in the second frame to outscore the Hudson Valley Conference champions 7-2. The Hornet defense also held the Cavaliers' attack scoreless for the final 18 minutes and 25 seconds of the second half to nail down the victory. Senior Maisa DellaValle led all scorers with 7 goals, while Justyna Breuler had 4 goals, Karis Curtis had 3, and freshman Claire Shemo added 2. Karis Curtis also dominated the draw circle and collected a game high 13 draw controls. 

Austin DiMartino, Class of 2015, crossed paths with Martin Beatty, Class of 1980, at the Men’s Track & Field New England Division III Championships in Cambridge, Mass., in early May.

Augusta might be far off on the horizon, but 8th grade sensation, Ben James, has already proven that he can consistently top the leaderboard at the high school level. On Monday, Ben shot a 72 to capture the individual 1st place medal at the Fairchester Golf Tournament, played at the New Canaan Country Club. Already a New Haven Register All Area selection as a 7th grader, Ben has emerged as the most dominant Hornet golfer since local legend Evan Beirne. In fact he maintains an undefeated record against opposing schools for this season, having only finished second on one occasion to fellow teammate Jackson Roman. Golf legend Ben Hogan once said, "Of all the hazards, fear is the worse." If that is true, then Ben should continue to tear up the courses, as he displays great composure and golf maturity at such a young age.

But Ben was not the only story on the day. Overall, the Hornets finished second out of seven teams, runners-up to host St. Luke's. According to Coach Keith Kaliszewski, the team total of 413 is the lowest Hamden Hall 18 hole score in well over 20 years, bettering the mark of 421 that had been reached during Mr. Izzo's tenure as golf coach! Also contributing to the excellent finish, and joining Ben as FAA All League, was freshman Roman Jackson who came in second with a 75, and senior Max Sinoway, who shot an 85 to earn an All League Honorable Mention.  In addition, senior Chris Izzo blew away his previous personal best score with an 88.  

The Kingswood Invitational still awaits next Wednesday, to be played at Oak Ridge Country Club in Agawam, MA. This annual tournament is considered the New England championship for the region's prep schools. Good luck to Ben, Coach K, and the entire team, and congratulations for a great run this season. (And Ben, next Wednesday, "Be the ball.")

A newly constructed student lounge featuring the latest in technology harkens back to the beloved Log Cabin that graced campus for 60 years until its demolishment in 1972.

A smorgasbord of arts – including a walking tour of performances and a faculty and staff art exhibit – is on tap for this weekend as our school community once again celebrates Mayfest.

Doria Weiss, Class of 2015, is a proud member of the University of Michigan’s Girls Lacrosse Club.

A kitchen sink salvaged from the former home of beloved educator and Hornet fan Ernie Russ has been transformed into a new play-to-learn workspace for our Early Childhood Outdoor Classroom.

Last week was a very successful one for Girl Varsity Tennis. On Monday at home, the Hornets defeated MacDuffie School 7-0, marking the first shut out of another team in many years. Of special note, 7th grader Evelyn Morrow won at #4 singles while losing only 2 games. Sophomore Lara Sprinz also earned her first win, along with teammate Abbey Catalano, who continues her winning ways, at #3 doubles (W 8-4).

Sara O’Connor Gallardo, Class of 1999, reports that she is a court probation officer in the 427th District Court in Travis County, Texas.

Lindsay Perrelli, Class of 2011, graduated from Ithaca College in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Education. We thank Lindsay for this update on her meaningful work.

Boys Varsity Lacrosse put together one of its best team efforts of the season at just the right time to defeat Rye Country Day 11-7, winning the Fairchester regular season championship. Coming off a thrilling 14-13 overtime victory against King School on Saturday, the Hornets knew they needed their 'A' game against the visiting Wildcats, who were considered a slight favorite. The match-up of the league's two unbeaten teams certainly lived up to expectations, with Rye and HH trading early goals that showcased their offensive talent, while both defenses forced turnovers to leave the game deadlocked till Rye took a 3-2 lead at the end of one quarter.

The Hornets began to assert themselves in the second quarter as junior "FoGo" specialist, Jackson Lalonde, consistently won the faceoffs to jump start the Hornet attack. In fact, Jackson won his 600th career faceoff in the game. It was then on the "Super Sophs" to find the back of the net, and they certainly delivered the goods. Alex DiVincentis led the way with 5 goals, followed by Chase Lilly with 3, Zach Giugno with 2 goals plus an assist, and Jeff Nugent with a goal and 2 assists. Freshman Griffin Elliot added an assist.  The teams continued to trade goals into the second half before the Hornets began to pull away. While the attack gave the Hornets the scoring edge, the defense, anchored by another sophomore, goalie Sam Jewett along with the longsticks of Ryan Delfini, Reese Perrone, Jared Morrisey, and Konye Taylor, shut down a previously potent Wildcat offense. Jewett was a force in the net, finishing with 11 saves on the day.

The victory earned the Hornets the #1 seed in the upcoming FAA tournament, and should help them secure a New England bid as well. With the top seed, the Hornets will have a bye before facing off against a team to be determined. Congratulations to Coach Warnock, his coaching staff, and the entire team on a terrific win.

Jean Hiltz Pfnausch, Hamden Hall Class of 1953, died on May 5, 2018. Hamden Hall extends sincere condolences to the Pfnausch Family.

To read Jean's obituary, please click here.

Congratulations to Bun Lai, Class of 1988, and the team behind the movie, Blind Sushi, on being named a 2018 finalist for the James Beard Foundation Awards in the category of Best Documentary. 

It was a “small world” sighting on the campus of Washington and Lee University when Head of School Bob Izzo and Will Carpenter, Hamden Hall Class of 2008, ran into each other.

Paul Chyka. father of Hamden Hall faculty member Lisa Collins, died on April 26, 2018. He was the grandfather of Lauren Collins, Class of 2013. The Hamden Hall community extends condolences to the family.

Equipped with a keyboard and ukulele, music teacher Matt Harrison will embark on a month-long creative journey in Glacier National Park this summer.

The Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Hamden Hall Class of 2018 is Jinxin Pan and Miranda Iannone, respectively, both of whom will attend Ivy League colleges in the fall.

Sue “Spivack” Bennett, Class of 1973, now in her 41^st year of teaching art at Hamden Hall, recently spent some frigid hours in Vermont with fellow Hornet Martin Beatty, Class of 1980, on the campus of Middlebury College, where Martin is head track and field coach.

Hamden Hall alum Suzanne Hart Lewis, Class of 1956, died on April 22, 2018. Hamden Hall extends condolences to the Lewis family.

To read full obituary, click here.

Joan Cummings, mother of Bill Cummings, Class of 1978, and Denise Cummings, Class of 1983, died on March 30, 2017. The Hamden Hall community extends sympathies to the Cummings family.

To read full obituary please click here.

Lower School music teacher Rachael Jungkeit was recognized for her longevity on the faculty of the Neighborhood Music School.

Victor Wang, Class of 2008, is a Vice President of Partnershops at Peergade.

After several setbacks the Varsity baseball team rebounded with a win over Cheshire Academy on Saturday and then topped The Master's School of West Simsbury on Monday at home 6-1. Freshman Danny Carbone pitched well and got his first win, helping the team get a big victory versus an established pitcher in this non-league match up. Carbone also had a hit and a run scored. Mike Gulia scored 2 runs for the Hornets, who notched a 2-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. They extended the lead to 4-0 before the visiting Lions scored their single run. The Hornets added 2 for good measure in the 6th to seal the victory, which ups their record to 5-4. Tuesday the team travels down to Rye, NY for an FAA game.

        Boys Lacrosse and Baseball teams stumbled over the last few days, with both dropping games to FAA foe Brunswick. On Friday, Baseball traveled down to Greenwich and faced off against the host Bruins, whose program has improved dramatically over the recent seasons. The Hornets ended up being mercied after 5 innings 15-0. The following day, Boys Lax made the same trek down to Greenwich, and though they battled well, also came away with a loss, 11-10. The team started out slow, going down three early, in large part from being stuck in weekend traffic and having to rush through warm-ups.  However, they closed the gap to 3-2 on a couple of great transition goals from Jeff Nugent and some great saves in the goal from Sam Jewett. Jackson Lalonde continued to be dominant at the faceoff, winning 12 draws throughout the game to keep the Hornets within striking distance. The team finally tied the score up at 6-6 early in the third quarter. The host Bruins surged ahead in the fourth quarter and led 11-8 late in the game. Sophomore Alex DiVicentis closed it to one after two excellent offensive possessions, but the Hornets ran out of time before they could tie the game. Despite the setback, the team hopes to rebound quickly, when they host a formidable Gunnery team on Wednesday.

With tournaments in early March and April, the Hamden Hall Debate Team posted some impressive results in two crowded fields, narrowly missing elimination rounds.

Three more seniors signed letters of intent this week to play college ball at Division I institutions.

Josh Zeid, Class of 2005, will be featured in a documentary being shown at the JCC of Greater New Haven on April 22.

Gabriel Simerson, Class of 2016, will travel with the choir of St. Thomas's Episcopal Church, New Haven, to Wells Cathedral in the UK for a choral residency this summer, where his Evening Service will receive its European premiere. 

Ferne Griswold Embree died on April 11, 2018. Ferne was the mother of Jill Fasano, wife of 1977 alum Len Fasano and grandmother of Hamden Hall alumni Kristen Fasano Sharpe, Class of 2006, Robert Fasano, Class of 2009, and Karla Fasano, Class of 2012.

Congratulations to Alumnus Curt Andrews Jr., Class of 1978, who will be honored as the Outstanding Volunteer Firefighter of the Year at the North Haven Community Service Awards Dinner on April 21.

Lower School students met local children’s author/illustrator Deborah Freedman and learned about her writing and design process – which included fun hands-on research with splash marks.

Dr. Yildizalp M. Naci, father of Kim Naci, Class of 1993, died on March 29, 2018. Our condolences to the Naci family.

To read obituary, click here.

John A. Haynes Jr., stepfather of Isaac Haynes, Class of 2022 and Agnes Haynes, class of 2024, died on April 6, 2018. Hamden Hall extends sincere condolences to the Haynes family.

To read John's obituary, click here.

        As Hamden Hall prepares to stage its second athletic Hall of Fame ceremony honoring the achievements of outstanding alums, one of our own has been recognized and will be inducted to his high school Hall of Fame. Saturday evening, Joe Fontana, our long time baseball coach and Assistant Athletic Director, will be inducted into the Westerly High School (RI) Athletic Hall of Fame. Mr. Fontana was an outstanding soccer player, a three year starter, earning All Division honors twice. He scored 40 goals in his career, including 19 in his senior year when he was also named to the All State team. He intended to continue to play in college, having been recruited by the University of Rhode Island; however, a knee injury unfortunately brought his playing career to an end. Mr. Fontana also played baseball and was second-team All Division his junior year, providing him with a love and experience for the sport that has helped him create such an outstanding baseball program here at Hamden Hall. Congratulations Coach Fontana!

There’s no Oprah leading the discussion, but the Middle School Book Club is generating excitement and getting students to put down their devices and pick up a good read!

Hamden Hall students and faculty have been treated to fine dining this school year thanks to the cuisine being served by head chef Anthony Groh.

Bill Cummings, Class of 1978, is very disappointed to be missing the Athletic Hall of Fame dinner April 14. The good news is—he’ll be enjoying a vacation planned a year ago!

Mark Murdoch, Class of 1980, will join fellow ice hockey players and coaches being honored at Hamden Hall’s 2018 Athletic Hall of Fame Awards on April 14. 

As the excitement builds for Hamden Hall’s 2018 Athletic Hall of Fame Awards on April 14, we are reaching out to honorees to share updates. Bill Hadden III, Class of 1977, will be among some 25 players and coaches who will be honored that evening as we recognize the Ice Hockey Teams from 1976 to 1979.

        The spring teams are currently battling some near frosty conditions as they begin their season. Several teams took advantage of the warm weather down south to get in some training and scrimmages. Baseball, as well as Girls and Boys Lacrosse, practiced at Disney's ESPN sports complex during the second week of the "Spring" Break. Baseball played two teams from Arkansas and one from Pennsylvania. Coach Joe Fontana said, "It was a good athletic and cultural experience for all. We played everyone and tried to see where the pieces fit best for our team." Boys Lax faced off against two powerhouses in Blair Academy and Brooks School, but Coach Kevin Warnock was very pleased with the constantly improving level of play as the team began to gel. Meanwhile, Coach Kaliszewski and the Golf team flew down to North Carolina, only to find snow down there as well.

        Upon returning this week, Boys Lax scrimmaged at Cheshire HS, while Baseball scrimmaged North Branford HS, and then opened up Wednesday with a solid 3-1 non-league win over Choate. The Hornets got on the scoreboard early with two runs in the second and then added an insurance run in the 6th. Mike Gulia had 2 hits, while Billy Gioulos and Mike Coggins each had an RBI. Safi Wazaz and Joe Liucci each scored a run, Jack DiMatteo was virtually untouchable and recorded the win, and Ryan Doherty finished up, allowing the Wild Boars only one run in the last frame. Shaun Hillis provided a solid job as battery mate to both behind the plate. 

Stephen Brodsky, parent of Hamden Hall alum Marla Brodsky, class of 1991, died on March 10, 2018. Our condolences go out to Marla and her family. 

Please check back for full obituary.

Brian Pacelli, Hamden Hall Class of 2012, got a shout-out for his set design in a Long Island City theater production.

Ellen LaFemina, Class of 1954, died on February 20, 2018. 

To read Ellen's obituary, please click here.

They’re engineers during the regular work week, but on a recent day, called J in a Day, workers from Medtronic in North Haven transformed into classroom educators to share real stories and concepts from the business community.

When it comes to the transition from sixth-grade to Middle School math and science, parents can count on our faculty to ensure an appropriate and well-thought-out progression.

Here’s some alumni news with a twist!

Hamden Hall is pleased to announce the lineup of presenters at the 2018 Athletic Hall of Fame awards dinner on April 14. We thank our esteemed colleagues -- former coaches and alumni -- for helping to make the event extra special for our honorees.

Saturday will see two battles of the Swarm against the Storm, as both boys and girls varsity basketball have reached the Fairchester tournament championship final games where they face off against St. Lukeś of New Canaan.
        The girls team, despite key injuries, is still peaking at the right time. On Tuesday, they defeated crosstown rival Hopkins 47-31 in a quarterfinal matchup where they asserted their typical smothering defense and balanced offense to topple the Hilltoppers. All nine active players contributed defensively, holding the Hopkins girls to a handful of baskets in the first half. Asha Parker, Kai Clemons, Mimi Ramos, and Jayda Johnson hit timely hoops and made their free throws to see out the win in the second half.

Hudas Schwartz Liff, Hamden Hall Class of 1943 died on Tuesday, February 20, 2018. Besides being a graduate of Hamden Hall, Hudas was the mother of Hamden Hall alumni Bradford Kirkman-Liff, Ph.D., Class of 1968, Wendy Liff Flynn, Class of 1973, and Janet Liff, Class of 1976.

Hamden Hall extends sincere sympathy to the Liff family.


For services information, click here to read full obituary.

        The Boys Varsity Basketball team continued to steamroll the opposition en route to earning the regular season Fairchester Athletic Association title, their first under the guidance of first year coach Sean Doherty. Having come over from the Quinnipiac University program to succeed legendary coach, David Beckerman, Coach Doherty has instilled his own brand of up tempo game that has spelled success for the Hornets this season. 
        On Friday, the team celebrated Senior Day with a solid win over King School 70-58. Seniors Andrew Rice, Chris Wright, Michael Johnson, and Luke and Jack Schoonmaker started together for the first time this season. They got things going in the right direction from the opening tipoff; and as the bench guys came in, they kept the pressure going as well. To start the second half the Hornets picked up the full court pressure with Tim Dawson and Byron Breland joining Rice who threw down 20 to lead all scorers. as the Hornets built a comfortable lead for most of the second frame. Coach Doherty commented, “I thought Tim, Tre, Christian (Adams), and Andrew played a huge second half, and each made great plays at both ends of the court. But today was about our seniors and I was so happy and proud that these guys helped us clinch the regular season championship and get a 1st round bye in the upcoming tournament.”  
        Saturday, the Hornets posted a 72-51 well rounded victory over Rye Country Day. The Hornets used a well balanced attack led by juniors Christian Adams (17 points) and Byron Breland (14) to take an early lead. They sustained the lead throughout the game, with many different players making great contributions off the bench as well. Senior big man, Jack Schoonmaker, tossed in 9 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, while sophomore shooting guard, Chris Cahill, enjoyed some hot shooting in making three deep threes for his 9 points. At the end of the contest, Coach Doherty offered, “This was our last regular season game, and I was impressed how our bench guys came in and kept the lead throughout the game. Corey Walters, Cahill, Jahkai Pettway, AJ Harmon, Ethan Doherty, and Jack (Schoonmaker) all push our starters everyday in practice, and I was happy to see them competing against Rye for more than half the game. Each one of them gave us some nice plays - whether a three, a rebound, or a nice extra pass."
        The Hornets finished the regular season 18-4 and 13-1 in the Fairchester League, winning the regular season championship outright and receiving the #1 seed for this week's tournament. The Hornets will host the winner of the King vs. Brunswick game this Thursday at 6:00. Congratulations to the team and coaching staff on an outstanding run this season, and good luck in the tournament!

Click here for a gallery of pictures from Senior Night (taken by Manager Cara Samson)

        Congratulations to the varsity swim team for sweeping the CISAC league meet at the Beckerman Center last Wednesday. The Boys were dominant throughout and cruised to victory: 1. HH 383  2. Westover 370  3. Williams 297  4. MacDuffie 63.
The Girls relied on a total team effort to edge their way to first:  1. HH 383  2. Westover 370  3. Williams 297  4. MacDuffie 63. Both squads relied on their depth to garner plenty of points in each event, even if they did not finish first. Stephen Zhang, Ronnie Khanuja, Sam Lovejoy, and Duncan Farquharson all took home individual gold medals for the boys, as did Julia Pandolfi and Sinead Masterson for the girls. Lovejoy won the 500 Free with a time of 5:14.54 - a full 12 seconds faster than his nearest competitor! Sage Giacomini was part of the first place 200 Free Relay, and scored two silvers and a bronze. Freshman Joe Tenedine was looking strong as the anchor of the second place 200 Medley Relay; however, he jammed and dislocated his shoulder at the finish and had to go to the hospital. Michael Ferneini, Demir Uslu, Liam Kohler, Nate Thomas, John Bazaar, and the Ostapenko twins, Jacob and Dan all enjoyed strong showings. Maddy Malin, Shaw Mettler, Liv Caldarella, Eva Boyce, Maria Mack, and Natalie Pinela all scored key points for the girls. Masterson, only an 8th grader, also won a gold and a silver in relays as well as an individual silver, while 7th grader Bella Ferneini scored bronze in two events.

HH Girls Highlights:
200 Medley Relay  2nd: Malin, Masterson, Caldarella, Pinela;  5th: Autumn Boyce, Ferneini, Aly Cooper-Ghee, Mack
                           7th: Rebecca McChesney, Gaileen Andal, Julia Moore-Aiello, Gabby Cervone
200 Free: 1st Pandolfi, 2nd Mettler, 3rd Eva Boyce
200 IM:  1st Masterson, 3rd Ferneini, 4th Malin
50 Free:  3rd Caldarella, 5th Mack, 7th Eve Brannin
100 Fly:  2nd Masterson
100 Free: 2nd Caldarella, 4th Cervone, 6th Moore-Aiello
500 Free:  5th Pandolfi, 6th Mettler
200 Free Relay:  3rd: Mack, Pinela, Pandolfi, Mettler;   5th: Brannin, Cervone, Andal, Boyce
                         7th: McChesney, Hannah Flamm, Kataline Baehring, Cooper-Ghee
100 Back:  3rd Malin, 6th Moore-Aiello
100 Breast:  3rd Ferneini, 4th Boyce, Cooper-Ghee
400 Free Relay:  1st: Caldarella, Malin, Pandolfi, Masterson;   2nd: Mettler, McChesney, Cervone, E. Boyce
                         8th: A. Boyce, Moore-Aiello, Baehring, Andal


Boys Highlights:
200 Medley Relay:  2nd: Farquharson, Ferneini, Zhang, Tenedine;   3rd: Kohler, Thomas, Bazaar, Giacomini
                             5th: Aidan Armstrong, Josh Mukherjee, D. Ostapenko, Dan DiGirolomo
200 Free:  1st Lovejoy, 4th Uslu, 5th J. Ostapenko
200 IM:  2nd Ferneini, 3rd Zhang, 6th Bazaar
50 Free:  1st Khanjura, 2nd Giacomini, 3rd Thomas
100 Fly:  1st Farquharson, 5th D. Ostapenko, 6th J. Ostapenko
100 Free:  1st Khanjura, 2nd Giacomini
500 Free:  1st Lovejoy, 4th Uslu, 5th Bazaar
200 Free Relay:  1st: Khanjura, Giacomini, Uslu, Lovejoy;  2nd Thomas, Dan O., Jacob O., Bazaar
100 Back:  2nd Farquharson, 3rd Kohler
100 Breast:  1st Zhang, 3rd Ferneini, 4th Thomas
400 Free Relay:  2nd Lovejoy, Zhang, Farquharson, Ferneini;  3rd Jacob O., Dan O., Khanjura, Uslu
                        4th Armstrong, DiGirolomo, Kohler, Mukherjee

Great job by the team and Coaches Ken Pierson, Ann Kohler, and Carlos Pinela. Good luck in the annual Bud Ehrich State Meet this weekend at Hopkins.



        

The Class of 1983 will celebrate its 35th Reunion in October 2018. In 2003, classmates enjoyed their 20th! First row, from left: Jennifer LaVelle, Leslie Hopkins Peters, Dana Birke Montgomery, and Diana Cuomo Orr. Second row: Mike Capetta, Carol Hazen and Bonnie Chepovsky. Third row: Stephanie Stiefel Williams, Matt Garrett, Mike Astrachan, Nancy McGrail Jacobson and Ed Tyler Della Valle.

        Boys Varsity Basketball team hit the road to do battle with FAA league rival Greens Farms Academy, and earned a gutty win 63-60.  After a slow start offensively for the Hornets and a red hot shooting performance by the host Dragons, who consistently made deep threes throughout, the game became a shootout battle of wills. Byron Breland and Tim Dawson really stepped up big for the Hornets in the second half and took the game over. Dawson finished as leading scorer with 18 points and came up with two huge steals in the last minute of the game. With ice in his veins, his clutch free throws then sealed the game for the Hornets and quenched the Dragons' fire. Breland finished with 17 points, also hitting many clutch shots, while senior Andrew Rice posted another tremendous defensive night and was a warrior on the glass at both ends of the court. Christian Adams ended with 10 points and 10 rebounds. After the game, Coach Sean Doherty commented, “ I was very proud of our guys tonight in the second half, staying focused and making some big plays when needed. Tim Dawson was huge for us and college coaches need to start taking notice because he is playing great.“ The team in now 11-1 in the Fairchester League and 16-4 overall. They return to action on Friday evening at home against King School from Stamford at 4:00.

Hamden Hallers from the Class of 1986 (plus one from 1987!) got together for some informal "reunion" fun! The alumni, from left, are Carl Porto 1986, Kim Gold Porto 1987,  Katarina Lujic Curtis 1986, and John Anastasio 1986 (and John and Katarina's spouses).

Mathematics guru Maria Agulian maintains that it’s been an awesome math season for Hamden Hall – with all teams moving on to compete at the coveted state level.

One of the most endearing and heartfelt traditions that Hamden Hall engages in is its Lifers' Shirting Ceremony due to the intrinsic community-building element. This yearly ritual truly encompasses the entire school community as it celebrates seniors who have spent their entire academic careers under the pines and does so at an all-school assembly as coordinated by the Early Childhood classes.

Colin Caplan, Class of 1997, is making the news again!  This time Colin, owner of Taste of New Haven and Elm City Party Bike, is making a documentary with two other men about New Haven pizza! To learn more, click here:
https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/An-upcoming-film-celebrates-New-Haven-s-holy-12576171.php

        Girls Varsity Basketball continues to persevere, despite a myriad of injuries and illnesses. Over the weekend, the Hoopsters first traveled to Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Springfield, Mass. where they came up short 58-48. Down 20 points at one point, the girls closed the gap to 6 points with a minute left, but could not catch the host Titans. The coaches still felt that it was the most complete game of the season. On Saturday, the girls returned for a plate of home cooking, defeating Rye Country Day 48-34 at the Beckerman Center. Led by Kai Clemons, the defense was the story in a low scoring affair. Freshman Asha Parker has returned from a concussion to lead the team in rebounds at both ends of the court. Seventh grade phenom, Jayda Johnson, plays the point with a composure far beyond her years. Both players have maintained a double digit scoring average the entire season. Currently the team has a record of 9-10 overall with a 4-4 record in the Fairchester League. The girls would arguably be more successful with a healthy roster; nevertheless they have risen to the occasion, supporting each other through the setbacks. Coach Borelli has done an outstanding job molding the young ladies into a close knit unit that works tirelessly to be their best. The team next plays on Tuesday at home versus Greens Farms Academy.

The timely topic of whether colleges and universities should invite controversial speakers who are likely to cause disruption was up for recent debate – literally.

The Few. The Proud. The HH Varsity Wrestling Team. Despite their lack of numbers, Coach Tugman and the team should be proud indeed of their efforts and performance at the Western New England Tournament, commonly known in the preps as the State Meet. On Saturday at the Taft School, the Hornets stung the competition, with four out of five wrestlers medaling. Senior Reese Perrone took home the bronze in the 182 lb. category. Juniors Dylan McNamara finished 4th at 132 lbs.; Wyn Veiga at 145 lbs. took 5th, and Gabe Vuselic-Frick was 6th at 170 lbs. Junior Ethan Fuoco did not medal, but battled well on the mat all day. It was an awesome display, as HH was the only team to medal 80% of its wrestlers! With this strong showing, the boys qualify for the New England Tournament, which will be held this Friday and Saturday at Tabor Academy in Massachusetts. Go Hornets!

When things do not go a team's way, coaches are often prone to give various reasons to explain shortcomings, (though we might never hear from Bill Belichick why he did not play Malcolm Butler in SB LII.) Had the Hornets stumbled recently, we might have heard how a number of key players were sidelined by illness. However, Coach Doherty's squad sucked it up and turned in a gritty performance on the road in defeating Brunswick School 63-46 on Friday evening. The team delivered a well balanced attack, overcoming the adversity of having 3 players out with sickness. Leading scorer, Byron Breland, was also ill, but proved to be the bug that the host Bruins just could not shake. The team picked up huge performances from juniors Christian Adams and Tim Dawson, and senior Andrew Rice. The Hornets are now 10-1 in the Fairchester League and 15-4 overall. They remain in first place in the FAA, having also swept rival St. Luke's last weekend. Coach Doherty remarked, “I liked how guys stepped up to get us a nice road win when we were a little short handed." The Hornets will hope to have a full and healthy roster next week when they face off against three FAA foes. They face off against a tough Greens Farms team on the road Tuesday before some home cooking on Friday and Saturday against King and Rye respectively.

Click here for a link to an extensive gallery of New Haven Register pictures from the St. Luke's game:

Dr. Lou Negri Died Feb. 1. To read the story about his amazing life published in the New Haven Register, click here.

The Kramer Brothers--Hamden Hall alumni Dylan Kramer, Class of 2008 (left), and Matt Kramer, Class of 2010, recently had a "super" time together at Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4 in Minneapolis. 

The six Ironmen of the varsity wrestling team traveled to Rye Country Day School in NY on Saturday to compete in the annual Fairchester League Meet. Junior Wyn Veiga went 4-0 on the day to capture the gold in the 145 lb. class. Fellow junior, Dylan McNamara, went 3-1 in the 135 lb. category to win the silver. Dylan's only loss was at the hands of a wrestler ranked third in New England. Though no one else medaled, Coach Blair Tugman was quite proud of their efforts. The Hornets host a quad meet on Wednesday, facing off against Taft, Trinity-Pawling, and Forman.

Twelve students recently attended the 2018 Northeast Educational Theatre Festival and increased Hamden Hall’s presence at an upcoming special program of the International Thespian Society that assesses and recognizes significant student achievement in theatre.

Sydney Doolittle, Hamden Hall Class of 2013, is an operations management consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) based out of the office in Boston, Mass.

Trevor Doolittle, Hamden Hall Class of 2010, attended Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. 

Before exams, the Girls Basketball team suffered two close defeats as the clock ticked down. On Wednesday, in a wonderful reversal of fortune, the Hornets enjoyed a sweet away victory, defeating Greenwich Academy 40-39, when seventh grade standout, Jada Johnson went to the foul line and converted a free throw with 1/10th of a second left on the clock. The clutch shooting capped off a dogged performance, in which the Hornets trailed throughout the game, battling foul trouble. The Hornets, also limited by a number of injuries, got great contributions from the bench to mount a consistent defensive effort, as Coach Borelli employed a myriad of defensive sets to frustrate the host Gators. The Hornets got 12 points from junior Jenna Berens and a monster rebounding game from Asha Parker. The Hornets hit the road again Friday to play at Holy Child in New York, before hosting Hopkins next Monday.

        The momentum continues for the HH swim team. On Wednesday the Hornets hosted Wilbraham & Monson from the Springfield, Mass. area, and the Williams School from New London.  The Boys team won, scoring 144 points, with Wilbraham & Monson taking second with 91, and Williams third at 82. The meet started close, and the Titans had a number of strong swimmers; however the Hornets had the depth in the roster to pull away and cruise to the win. The victory raised the team record to 4-1. The girls team swam hard and finsihed second behind W&M 132-94-82.

Boys Firsts:
200 Medley Relay 1:48.25 Duncan Farquharson, Micheal Fernieni, Steven Zhang, Joe Tenedine
200 Free Sam Lovejoy 1:53.40
50 Free Ronnie Khanuja  24.64
100 Free Joe Tenedine 53.63
500 Free Sam Lovejoy  5:02.01
200 Free Relay  1:40.94 Ronnie Khanuja, Sage Giacomini, Steven Zhang, Sam Lovejoy
100 Breast Steven Zhang 1:06.75
400 Free Relay  3:34.78 Lovejoy, Fernieni, Farquharson, Tenedine

Girls Firsts:
50 Free Olivia Caldarella HH 27.84
Diving Natalie Pinela HH 192.00
100 Free Olivia Caldarella HH 1:03.58

Trustee Kyle Ballou-Johns, who serves as Yale-New Haven Health’s Executive Director of Community and Government Relations, has been recognized for her business acumen and commitment to community with the announcement of two recent awards.

Dorothy Solakian Grave, Class of 1944, died on January 13, 2018. She is survived by her daughter Dorothy Grave (Will) Hoyt, Class of 1979, her son Frederick, Class of 1972 (husband of Sally Guyott Grave, Class of 1973), and her son Ted, Class of 1965 (husband of Sally Grant Grave, Class of 1965.) Hamden Hall extends sincere condolences to the family.

To read Dorothy's full obituary, please click here.

Raszue Beatty, father of Hamden Hall alum Martin Beatty, Class of 1980, died on January 13, 2018. Hamden Hall extends deep condolences to the Beatty family.

To read full obituary, please click here.

A field trip just a couple of miles up Whitney Avenue produced some hands-on learning about the Irish potato famine for our fourth-graders .

Stocked with massive amounts of ingredients, 25 Middle School students kicked off the annual Life is Delicious community service project, which feeds clients at the Columbus House Overflow Shelter in New Haven.

        The fall high school football season might be over, but senior Luke Schoonmaker has one more game to play. Luke has been selected to play in the International Bowl, a game of the USA vs Canada. The US players have been selected from major D1 football programs, and Schoonmaker recently committed to be a Wolverine next year at powerhouse University of Michigan. 

With three of their best players out with concussions and a bad ankle sprain, the Hornets twice tasted defeat at the end of the game this weekend. On Friday, the Hornets hosted Convent of the Sacred Heart from Greenwich. As the tense and exciting contest wound down, the Hornets saw a last second buzzer beater go in for the Tigers to come up short 46-44 in a FAA league game. On Saturday, the girls traveled to West Hartford only to fall to Watkinson 54-51 in the last minute. Despite the setbacks, the team is playing hard and giving a great effort, which paid off on Tuesday when they defeated the Vikings of King School from Stamford 59-23.

The HH Varsity Swim team has traditionally been led by a core of experienced juniors and seniors, who have scored well and provided a solid backbone to the program while the underclassmen contribute and mature. This year, though there are a number of strong upperclass swimmers, the team has come to rely quite heavily on the younger classes and they have certainly delivered as evidenced by two convincing wins this week.
        On Wednesday the team traveled to New Milford to face off against host Canterbury and Westover School. Canterbury has won New Englands four out of the last five years, edging our girls team for the NEPSAC title on several occasions. However, in an impressive show of young muscle, the boys bested the Saints 97-86. The girls battled well, but without enough depth in the squad they came up short 97 - 144 to Westover, and 100 - 135 vs. Canterbury. Swimmers who scored points for HH included one senior, seven juniors, three sophomores, ten freshmen, two eighth graders and two seventh graders. Freshman Sam Lovejoy was a beast, capturing the gold in four events, while fellow frosh, Duncan Farquharson nearly matched him with three firsts and one second. Senior Natalie Pinela continued to demonstrate why she is one of the best off the diving board in taking first. Eighth grader Sinead Masterson took home 1 gold and two silvers while junior Liv Caldarella took a first, second, and fourth.

Event highlights:
Boys:
200 Medley Relay: Duncan Farquharson, Michael Ferneini, Sam Lovejoy, Joe Tenedine 1st
                            Liam Kohler, John Bazaar, Steven Zhang, Sage Giacomini 3rd
200 Free:              Lovejoy 1st; Demir Uslu 4th; Daniel Ostapenko 6th
200 IM:                 Ferneini 2nd; Zhang 3rd; Jacob Ostapenko 5th
50 Free:                Ronnie Khanuja 3rd; Giacomini 4th; Nate Thomas 6th; Josh Mukherjee 7th
100 Fly:                Farquharson 2nd; Tenedine 3rd; Bazaar 5th
100 Free:              Khanuja 2nd; Giacomini 4th; Kohler 6th; Dan DeGirolomo 7th
500 Free:              Lovejoy 1st; Uslu 4th; Bazaar 5th
200 Free Relay:     Zhang, Giacomini, Uslu; Khanuja 2nd; Thomas, Kohler, D & J Ostapenko 4th
100 Back:             Farquharson 1st; Tenedine 2nd; Kohler 5th
100 Breast:           Zhang 1st; Ferneini 2nd; Thomas 5th
400 Free Relay:     Lovejoy, Tenedine, Farquharson, Ferneini 1st; Uslu, Khanuja, J Ostapenko, Bazaar 3rd
Diving:                 D. Ostapenko 2nd; J. Ostapenko 3rd

Girls:
200 Medley Relay: Maddy Malin, Sinead Masterson, Liv Caldarella, Eve Brannin 2nd
                            Autumn Boyce, Bella Ferneini, Julia Moore-Aielo, Becca McChesney 4th
200 Free:              Julia Pandolfi 3rd
200 IM:                 Masterson 2nd
50 Free:                Caldarella 1st; Malin 4th
100 Free:              Caldarella 4th; Ferneini 5th
200 Free Relay:    Pinela, Ferneini, Brannin, Pandolfi 4th;   McChesney, Hannah Flamm, Gigi Boyce,. A. Boyce 6th
100 Back:             Malin 4th
100 Breast:          Masterson 1st; Ferneini 3rd

        On Saturday afternoon, the Hornets hosted Christian Heritage and Westover. Though the girls again lost to Westover, they were much improved in falling by only 6 points.  1. Westover 121  2. Hamden Hall 115  3. Christian Heritage 55. The boys defeated the Kingsmen 52-28.

Event winners:
200 Medley Relay HH 2:11.83 Maddy Malin, Sinead Masterson, Olivia Caldarella, Natalie Pinela
200 Free Julia Pandolfi HH 2:31.47
200 IM Sinead Masterson HH 2:25.81
100 FlySinead Masterson HH 1:12.30
500 Free Julia Pandolfi HH 6:55.78

Boys:
200 Medley Relay HH 1:50.96 Duncan Farqharson, Micheal Ferneni, Steven Zhang, Joe Tenedine
200 Free Michael Ferneini HH 2:00.69
200 IM Joe Tenedine HH 2:21.75
50 Free Jacob Ostapenko HH 28.37
Diving Jacob Ostapenko HH 114.80
100 Fly Duncan Farqharson HH 1:00.21
100 Free Aidan Armstrong HH 1:14.73
500 Free Demir Uslu HH 5:43.11
200 Free Relay HH 2:00.00 Nate Thomas, Aidan Armstrong, Dan DeGiroloma, John Bazaar
100 Back Tenedine 1:04.90
100 Breast Steven Zhang 1:07.07
400 Free Relay HH 3:51.83 Michael Ferneini, Joe Tenedine, Demir Uslu, Jacob Ostapenko

John "Greeno" Greenawalt Jr., Hamden Hall Class of 2008, married his Yale University college classmate, Samantha Dixon, on June 10, 2017, at Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme, Conn.

After reading the 2017 Hamden Hall Magazine, Corinne “Corky” Marino Chase, Class of 1962, shared some fond memories about her time under the pines, adding to her earlier announcement about her retirement in June 2017 after 30 years at Lauralton Hall.

        Ever since she became the Girls Varsity Basketball coach, Megan Borelli has crafted her squads in a distinct image. Whether she has been blessed with dominating height, such as Rachel Menze and Naomi VanNes, or deft ball handlers like Bianca Tomassini and Krystina Reynolds, or a pure three point sharpshooter like Rachel Plotke, Coach Borelli's teams are characterized by an up tempo offense and relentless defense that so often wear away even the most resilient competition. This year looks no different, as the Hornets have posted a very respectable 4-2 record at the holiday break. Recently, after defeating Canterbury and host Ethel Walker, the team advanced to the final game of the Ethel Walker Tournament where they lost to FAA league St. Luke's in the championship.