ExeterRowersCruisetoNationals

sports
Exeter Rowers Cruise to Nationals
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By Nicole Pellaton
PHOTO COURTESY OF SALLY MORRIS
Exeter’s girls and boys varsity
crew teams celebrate their success
at the 2008 USRowingYouth
Championships in Cincinnati,
with Keith Hereford (left), boathouse manager, and Sally Morris
(right), girls crew coach.
Following their first-place finishes at the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association
(NEIRA) Championship in May, Exeter’s girls and boys first boats headed to Harsha Lake, outside
Cincinnati, OH, in mid-June to race against competitors from across the country in the 2008
USRowingYouth Championships.Their upbeat spirit led them to one bronze, and a wonderful trip.
Girls crew coach Sally Morris P’07, P’08, P’10, who accompanied the teams to Harsha Lake, says
she couldn’t have asked for a better group to
travel and train with. “Focused, polite, friendly
Crew Website Launched
and looking for ways to be faster rowers,they all
had the same goal in mind and supported each
Looking for the latest news on Exeter
other along the way,” she says. “The teams
crew? Daniel Mahr ’07—a member of the
talked about how unified they felt as a program
2007 boys varsity crew who’s now a stuwith the boys and girls training for the same
dent at Brown University—has launched a
goal together, and about how much they
new website, www.exetercrew.com, to
learned from each other.”
serve as an online home for past and presThe girls eight, rowing the M. Catherine
ent members of the Exeter crew commuGilmartin, placed third in the grand final with
nity. The website features race schedules
a time of 6 minutes, 37.39 seconds. First place
and results, photo and video galleries, a hiswent to Marin Rowing Association (6:33:66),
tory of the Exeter crew program, profiles
second place to Los Gatos Rowing Club
of coaches and a list of all known varsity
(6:36:93). During the first 800 meters of the
letter winners since 1923. For more inforfinal, the Exeter girls were in fourth place,
mation, visit the website or email Mahr at
then sprinted through to earn their decisive
[email protected].
third-place finish, just 0.4 seconds from sec-
Learn more about girls crew at www.exeter.edu/crewgirls. Learn more about boys crew at www.exeter.edu/crewboys.
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summer 2008
PHOTO COURTESY OF SALLY MORRIS
TOWNY MANFULL
ond place. In their qualifying heat and
the semifinals, the girls had very strong
firsts, leading by almost four seconds in
the qualifier and almost one second in
the semi.
Members of the Exeter girls eight
are Alyssa Murray ’08 (coxswain),
Catherine McDermott ’08 (8), Rory
Erickson-Kulas ’08 (7), Elizabeth
McDermott ’08 (6), Katherine Dyke
’08 (5), Erin Metcalf ’09 (4), Katrina
Regan ’08 (3), Allison Courtin ’08 (2)
and Lynn Ann Forrester ’08 (1).
The boys eight, rowing the Titus,
finished fourth in the grand final, gaining lots of
speed in their sprint to the finish amid
a tight field, and garnering a time of
5:54:72.The first-place finisher, Newport Aquatic Center, completed the
course in 5:50:24, followed by St.
Josephs Prep in second (5:50:34) and
Winter Park High School in third
(5:53:41).The Exeter boys placed second in their semifinal, less than two
seconds behind the first-place boat.
Members of the Exeter boys eight
are Alex Manfull ’09 (coxswain), Luke
Thoms ’08 (8), Ian Winthrop ’08 (7),
Andy Safir ’08 (6), Chris Jones ’08 (5),
Ryan Jones ’09 (4), Mario Barosevcic
’08 (3),Vaughan Coder ’08 (2) andTim- The girls first boat (top) earned a bronze medal, while the boys first boat (bottom) finished fourth in
othy Moore ’08 (1).
the grand final.
A Fine Fleet
Three new crew shells were christened this May, and each was named
in honor of an Academy faculty, staff or family member.The Alfred J.
Stanley (right) honors retired groundskeeper and custodian “Digger”
Stanley, who worked for PEA from 1992 to 2006, and was a steadfast
supporter of boys and girls crew teams throughout that time. Retired
history instructor E.Arthur Gilcreast ’71 (Hon.); P’79, P’83, P’86, P’87
was honored with his second shell (lower right). Gilcreast coached
boys varsity crew from 1969 to 1986, and
girls varsity crew from 1989 to 1993. In
the early 1970s, he single-handedly transitioned the Academy’s crew program
from four to eight oarsmen, and supported the introduction of the girls crew program. The M. Catherine Gilmartin (left)
honors the mother of donor John
McDermott P’08. Gilmartin also is
grandmother to twins Catherine and
Elizabeth McDermott ’08 (pictured),
members of PEA girls varsity crew.
summer 2008
The Exeter Bulletin
41
The ‘Cilley-est’ Game in Town
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By Mike Catano
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOHN ETTINGER ’08
Come spring, CilleyBall—a cross
between volleyball and tennis (with a
pair of wooden benches standing in for
the net)—is the only game in town
for residents of Cilley Hall, who not
only invented the game but also host
an annual tournament.Top left:This
year’s champions were seniors Michael
Konkol (left) and John Ettinger.
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The Exeter Bulletin
summer 2008
“It’s the perfect sport. It rewards the right combination of athleticism, cunning, guile and selflessness,” says John Ettinger
’08. You might guess that Ettinger is referring to a major
school sport like football, basketball, or lacrosse, all of which
are played to great acclaim at Exeter. However, this “perfect
sport” is called CilleyBall, a game played with ferocious intensity by the residents of Cilley Hall in a corner between their
dorm and neighboring Amen Hall.
CilleyBall is something of a cross between volleyball and
doubles tennis.The diminutive “court” behind Cilley Hall is delineated by scuffed athletic tape; the
Cilley ball itself is similar in size to a volleyball, but lighter and thinner.Two scarred wooden campus
benches serve as a sort of tennis “net,” while also providing more aggressive competitors a ready
perch for high-powered spikes. Like volleyball, players initiate play by serving the ball.The opposing
team can return directly or by a set for a teammate, who can then get off a power shot or a carefully placed dink to catch the opposition out of position for the point.
The best part of the game? “It provides the perfect opportunity to show off,” says Ettinger, who
served as CilleyBall dorm coordinator this spring.“Nearly every shot is offensively oriented, inviting choruses of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from passers-by.Adolescent boys love to show off.”
Players typically do their own officiating, to the accompaniment of frequent kibitzing from
onlookers. Controversy ensued this spring when one CilleyBall regular took to wearing gloves.
“They’re a new development still being collectively evaluated by the dorm,” notes Max de La
Bruyere ’09.
NATE SHEPARD ’08
For CilleyBall fans,
the highlight of the
year is the annual
spring tournament.
This year’s tournament
was the third, with
eight bracketed teams
competing. “Everyone
pulls out all of the
stops,” Ettinger explains.“There are matching uniforms, a decorated court, ceremonies, brackets—the whole shebang.”
“The part of the tournament I find most interesting is the formation of the teams,” says Michael Konkol ’08.“Some people pair
up with their friends, others pair up with someone they barely even
know, but every team has a style of play different from the others.
All the players have their own strengths and weaknesses that they
contribute to their team.”
DIFFERENT GAMES FOR DIFFERENT DORMS
CilleyBall is just one of the many dorm ball games that have sprung
up on campus over the years—some of them original, some adapted from familiar sports. Other examples include QuadBall, invented
by the residents of Main Street Hall; EwaldBall, played at neighboring Ewald Hall; and Foursquare, a favorite ofWentworth Hall.Cilley
has also given the world WallBall, the CHFL (Cilley Hall Football
League) and the CHBA (Cilley Hall Basketball Association). (After
reading this list, you might be wondering if there’s something in the
water at Cilley Hall.) Leave a group of energetic Exeter students
alone with a ball and—presto!—a new dorm game is born.
Begun in 1978 in Main Street Hall, QuadBall rivals CilleyBall in
terms of addicted devotees. QuadBall was inspired by the unique
architectural configuration of Main Street Hall, whose adjoining
wings surround a central quad.The dorm’s labyrinthine layout has
confused a generation of navigationally challenged preps (hence the
reputation of Main Street preps as being perennially late for
QuadBall is the game of choice at Main Street Hall. In 2007,
members of the class organized a QuadBall tournament as part of
their 15th reunion.
class).Happily, it has also created a uniquely shaped, walled-in court
ideal for ricocheting balls off the heads of opposing players. Much
like CilleyBall, it is a 2x2 game; however, it uses a makeshift elongated wooden sawhorse as a “net.”
Although CilleyBall players have been known to make derisive
comments about QuadBall, the denizens of Main Street Hall take
great pride in their singular sport. It’s even said that some QuadBall
alums have made careful records of the dimensions of the Main
Street walls in hopes of recreating a facsimile of the game elsewhere.
As one current player, Bernard Parker ’08, puts it, “QuadBall can
only be played here—this is the only court in existence. It’s an
incredible amount of fun!”
Last May, 12 members of the class of ’92, back on campus for
their 15th reunion, organized the first annual Quadball World
Championship.What’s more,they also created an online monument
to their sport, the first-ever QuadBall website, which includes a
video of players in action (http://quadball.org/).
Ewald Hall is the only dorm on campus with its own basketball
hoop. Experienced players have learned to adjust to the hoop’s
slight lean to the left, the result of a close encounter with a trash
truck. Passes off the walls are legal, and as far as officiating goes,“No
fouls until you see blood,” says Andrew Maruca ’10.
And finally, this year’s CilleyBall tournament “trophy” went to
Ettinger and Konkol despite formidable competition.“Most everyone in the dorm showed up and about half of us competed,” says
Ettinger.“We had a couple of exciting upsets, including an eighthseeded team that made it all the way to the finals.The matches were
intense, including a couple of three-game overtime matches.”
For Ettinger, the thrill of victory was considerable.“It felt good
to end my CilleyBall career on such a positive note,” he says.“I can’t
remember a better day at Exeter.”
summer 2008
The Exeter Bulletin
47
A
B
D
D
C
Spring
Sports
E
G
F
I
H
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J
(A) Boys Baseball
Record: 11-6
Head Coach: Dana Barbin
Assistant Coaches: DanWilson,
Matt Smith
Captain: Cameron Chaput ’08
MVP:Taylor Denson ’09
K
(B) Boys Crew
Record: 7-3; New England Champions
Head Coaches: Lawrence Smith,
David Swift
Captains:Timothy Moore’08, Ian
Winthrop’08
MVP:Andrew Safir ’08
(I) Boys ATennis
Record: 3-8
Head Coach:Tony Greene
Captain: Mark Coutin ’08
MVP: Mark Coutin ’08
(C) Girls Crew
Record: 9-1; New England Champions
Head Coaches: Sally Morris, Becky Moore
Captains:Allison Courtin ’08, Rebecca
Kisner ’08
MVP: Rory Erickson-Kulas ’08
(J) Girls ATennis
Record: 3-3
Head Coach: Jean Farnum
Captains:Alexandra Comolli ’08,
Emily Katz ’08
MVP:Alexandra Comolli ’08
(D) Boys and Girls Cycling
Record: 4-4; New England Champions
Head Coach: Don Mills
Assistant Coaches:Vicki Baggia,
Meg Foley
Captains:Alexander Chen ’08,
Kathleen Hillery ’08
MVP:Alexander Chen ’08
(K) BoysTrack
Record: 5-0
Head Coach: Hilary Coder
Assistant Coaches: Gwyn
Coogan, Mark Hiza,Amanda
Simmons,Ted Davis, John Daves,
Kirk Randall, Francis Ronan,
Brandon Newbould
Captains: Graham Keggi ’08,
Josh Howard ’08
MVP: Cailean Robinson ’08
(E) Golf
Record: 5-1
Head Coach: George Mangan
Captain: James Core ’08
MVP: James Core ’08
L
(H) Softball
Record: 3-12
Head Coaches: Bruce Pruitt,
NancyThompson
Assistant Coaches: Rick Parris,
Elizabeth Daniels
Captains: Sarah Fenn ’08, Bree
Johnson ’08, KatelinWahl ’09
MVP: LilyWhite ’09
(F) Boys Lacrosse
Record: 13-4
Head Coach: Eric Bergofsky
Assistant Coaches: Bill Glennon,
Bill Ball, Jr.
Captains: Charles Brewer ’08, J.Thomas
Clayton ’08, Eric Eberhart ’08
MVP: Samuel Gardner ’09
(L) GirlsTrack
Record: 3-2
Head Coach: Hilary Coder
Assistant Coaches: Gwyn
Coogan, Mark Hiza,Amanda
Simmons,Ted Davis, John Daves,
Kirk Randall, Francis Ronan,
Brandon Newbould
Captains: Ivana Moses ’08,
Chisom Ude ’08
MVP: Miya Lee ’08
(G) Girls Lacrosse
Record: 9-6
Head Coach: Kathy Nekton
Assistant Coach: Barbara Pollard
Captains: Katherine Broderick ’08,
Meredith Roy ’08, SusanTruelove ’08
MVP: Meredith Roy
(M) GirlsWater Polo
Record: 8-6
Head Coach: Lundy Smith
Assistant Coach: Melissa Pacific
Captains: Grace du Pont ’08,
Rachel Granetz ’08
MVP: Erika Desmond ’08
M
A,F, G,H, I, J, M: MIKE CATANO; B: LUKAS THOMS ’08; C: DIANA DAVIS ’03; D: RACHEL BLEUSTEIN ’09; E: JAMIE CORE; K, L: ANTHONY LIM ’09
summer 2008
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