End of Year Sports Banquet Highlights

D-E Athletics welcomed Upper School (US) student-athletes and their families to Myrna B. Sherman Gymnasium on May 22, 2025, for a memorable End of Year Sports Banquet. Spirits were high for the nearly 600 attendees which also included the significant supportive network of coaches and trainers for all our US sports teams.

Athletic Director JD Sand first welcomed everyone and congratulated our US studentathletes, who “have showcased their talents, sportsmanship and commitment on various courts, fields, courses and tracks while representing the Dwight-Englewood Bulldogs.” He then expressed sincere appreciation to the coaches, the trainers, and finally the parents/ guardians and families gathered. In his words, “This evening is not just about recognizing the victories on the scoreboard, but also the victories of character, teamwork, and personal growth. It’s about acknowledging the countless hours of practice, the sacrifices made, and the bonds forged within our individual teams and also our entire program.”

Mr. Sand then continued by describing D-E Athletics’ four Core Values, Commitment Excellence, Respect and Teamwork, and how these values have been shared through workshops over the past school year: “Our plan is to continue this work into next year to reinforce these values and for our teams and athletes to take ownership of what it means to be a D-E Bulldog on and off the field. We hope by laying this foundation, D-E Athletics will be a success on and off the field.”

Featured speakers during the Banquet also included student-athletes Asher Cohen ’25 and Sydney Mallow ’25, both of whom were exceptional leaders in their respective team sports of Boys Tennis and Track & Field, and spoke of lessons learned through both significant team as well as personal wins and Personal Records (PRs)… as well as some difficult defeats. A shoutout was also made to those graduating Class of 2025 athletes who have indicated that they intend to continue with their sports at the collegiate level and were recognized earlier this spring during a senior signing ceremony. These six athletes include William Altirs ’25 (Soccer) – Yale University; Dusan Dobric ’25 (Basketball) – MIT; Leah Hong ’25 (Field Hockey) – Williams College; Emma Hsu ’25 (Track & Field) – Babson College; Jack Park ’25 (Track & Field) – Wesleyan University; and Zoe Yao ’25 (Tennis) – Williams College.

Several individual US Athletic Department awards were also presented for athleticism, team leadership, skills gained, and sportsmanship; as Mr. Sand noted, “Whether you’re receiving an award tonight or not, know that your hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed. So, let us celebrate the accomplishments of our athletes, honor the spirit of competition, and cherish the memories made throughout this remarkable year in D-E sports.”