Everyone familiar with Avon Old Farms School knows it is an institution deeply rooted in tradition. Excellence during the winter athletics season may not be immediately recognized as a “tradition” in the same way that the Boar’s Head Festival or Founder’s Day are, but when you look back through the decades at the continued success our Winged Beavers have seen on the ice, mat, court, or pool, it definitely meets the definition of tradition—one that was carried on this past season. 

For the 10^th time, the varsity hockey team were New England Champions! Avon entered the Elite 8 postseason tournament as the eighth seed, and in the first round upset top-seeded Dexter Southfield 4-2 before pulling off another upset in the semifinal, beating Hotchkiss 5-0. On Sunday, March 8, the team beat the #2 seed St. Mark’s by a score of 4-2 to earn the NEPSAC crown. 

It was a storybook ending for a season that saw several tributes to former long-time head coach John T. Gardner, who passed away just hours before Avon was set to play in the final of the annual Christmas Hockey Classic. It was also a phenomenal first full season for new head coach Mark Naclerio ’11—winning the Christmas Classic, the Founders League, and NEPSAC Championship—ensuring the future of AOF hockey is as strong as ever. 

While there are surely many individual awards coming in the near future for this team, their accomplishments as a collective are already permanently etched on their many pieces of hardware. 

Our hockey players weren’t the only athletes to lift a trophy this season. For the first time in 12 years, the wrestling team earned the title of Founders League Champions with a final record of 17-4. They proved to be a dominant force with formidable wrestlers in every weight-class. 

The team participated in three different invitational tournaments throughout the regular season and placed in the top-two in all of them. The team’s success continued into the postseason where they placed second at the Western New England championship meet and eighth at New Englands out of more than 40 teams. 

Six wrestlers earned All-New England honors this season. Carson Brown ’29, Mick Granger ’28, John Granger ’26, Jameson Bell ’26, Mike Norman ’26, and Tyler Rebick ’26 all represented Avon at the regional competition. Brown placed 4^th in the 113lb weight class, John Granger placed 5^th in the 150lb division, and Rebick placed 4^th in the 215lb division. 

New milestones were reached in the pool this year, as the varsity swim team moved up from Division 3 to Division 2. This means the team competed against much tougher competition in postseason play. 

The team entered the postseason coming off of back-to-back wins against Canterbury School and local rivals Westminster. At the NEPSAC championship meet, the freestyle relay team of Pat Shea ’27, Brady Tollis ’26, Cale Strober ’26, and Gabe Nazarczuk ’29 finished third in the 200-yard race and second in the 400-yard race. There were several notable individual performances as well. 

Shea finished second in both the 200- and 500-yard freestyles, and Nazarczuk came in third in the 500-yard freestyle. For captain Brady Tollis, it made a difference just having the opportunity to compete at a higher level. “Moving to Division 2 is definitely a big jump, but the way our team swims, we don't want to just be there for fun. We want to compete. It will be good for the team going forward. Having a good swimmer next to you pushes you harder than if you’re out front.”

In the Gaynor Squash Pavilion, Avon athletes continued to improve individually. It was the first full season with Tom Keidel as the new head coach, and he was able to fine-tune the skills of our competitors. 

Several JV athletes had the chance to compete in a varsity match. At least 12 different Avonians participated in at least one varsity match, including multiple underclassmen which is a good sign for future teams. They had great leaders to look up to as well. Fletcher Hammond ’27, Thomas DeWitt ’26, and Conry Raine ’26 all won at least half of their matches this season. Captain and Hobart College squash-commit Pablo Paredes ’26 was also a source of inspiration and encouragement throughout. 

The team fought hard through the regular season, coming away with big wins against Trinity-Pawling, Westminster, and Canterbury, among others. They qualified for the Class D postseason tournament where they placed fourth. 

Over on a newly redesigned Cole Court, the varsity basketball team spent most games putting on a show, where even most losses throughout the season were close competitions that came down to the final minutes. 

The team proved they weren’t afraid to play in opposing territory as well, picking up away wins at Hotchkiss, Loomis Chaffee, Phillips Exeter, Brunswick, and Trinity-Pawling. While the team just missed out on postseason play, there was plenty of individual recognition.

Declan Griffiths ’27 was named first team All-Founders League. Joel Nash ’26, who surpassed the 2,000-point milestone this year, and Grant Mordini ’26 were also named to the All-Founders League team. Finally, Luke Everitt ’28 was named the Sixth Man of the Year, which is a great sign for the future of this team.

The winter sport locker rooms have since been cleared out and the athletes themselves are home for March break. When students return, the spring sports season will be in full swing, where the Winged Beavers will undoubtedly continue the tradition of success maintained by our basketball, squash, swimming, wrestling, and hockey athletes.