14 minute read
Athletics
SQUASH
Middle School Squash Wins National Title for the First Time in Program History
In February, the Middle School squash team claimed championship national titles in Middle School Nationals Division I and 2 for the first time in Agnes Irwin squash program history, defeating perennial title contenders Greenwich Academy and Greenwich Country Day at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center. Fifty-two teams competed in the fourteenth edition of the Middle School Nationals across five divisions. The Owls edged the final 3-2 with Beatrice Bullitt ’27 clinching the victory in three games. “This is a tight-knit group, and I’m so happy for them,” said Fabio Cechin, Agnes Irwin Director of Squash. “It’s so nice to have Middle School and High School Nationals back again. You could see the smiles on everyone’s faces. It was a great experience for everyone.”
UPPER SCHOOL SQUASH RANKS
Upper School Varsity finished fourth in the 2022 U.S. High School Team Squash Championships, the world’s largest squash tournament with 169 teams competing. The Junior Varsity finished third in the 2022 National Interscholastic Team Squash Championships.
SOBHY SISTERS VISIT
Squash megastars Amanda and Sabrina Sobhy hit the T at the Pierce Squash Center for an exciting exhibition and training session with Upper and Middle School squash teams. The duo have been dubbed “the Williams sisters of squash.”
FITNESS
New Indoor Cycling Studio
Thanks to support from Parents’ Council, the Athletics Department acquired a fitness upgrade with its spin studio which features twelve indoor cycles. “Given the cardiovascular and stress-relieving benefits of spinning, we thought cycling training could help our students compete and succeed at higher levels,” said Athletic Director Courtney Lubbe. Spinning classes were at full capacity for winter and spring seasons. “It is a priority to expose our students to as many athletic activities as possible so that they continue to do the things that keep them healthy and well,” said Lubbe.
SWIM
Student Breaks School Records
Natalie Hofer ’23 has been swimming almost as long as she has been able to walk. “I learned how to swim when I was three. When I was six, I joined a summer swim team. When I was nine, I asked my parents if I could swim year-round,” said Hofer. Her dedication to and love of swimming paid off this year when she broke two Agnes Irwin school swim records — the 50 meter freestyle time at 27.91 seconds, and the 100 meter breaststroke at 1:15.36. Hofer’s favorite part of swimming at AIS is her teammates. “Natalie cheers on her teammates and has a positive attitude,” said Head Coach Sam Croall. “She is a key member of the team and we are so proud of her record-breaking accomplishments this season.”
COLLEGE
On the first day of the National Letter of Intent (NLI) signing period, ten accomplished senior student-athletes were celebrated for signing an NLI to play their chosen sport at the Division I level in college: Reilly Brennan Colgate University, Swimming Katherine Ernst Vanderbilt University, Lacrosse Isabella Fusco Towson University, Soccer Jackie Heinerichs Drexel University, Lacrosse Colby Macaione Georgetown University, Lacrosse Cate Parsells Georgetown University, Lacrosse Chloe Saulnier University of Southern California, Rowing Sydney Wilson University of Florida, Lacrosse Carly Wilson University of Florida, Lacrosse Marissa White University of North Carolina, Lacrosse In January, seven more senior student-athletes were honored for their commitment to play their chosen sport at Division I and Division III colleges and universities: Lily Botta Catholic University, Field Hockey Ashby Evans Miami University, Field Hockey Devon Glaser Dartmouth College, Squash Samantha Hark Trinity College, Lacrosse Alexandra Lesko Trinity College, Lacrosse Julia van der Zwan Cornell University, Crew Quinn Wollard Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Lacrosse
Front row (l-r): Jackie Heinrichs, Cate Parsells, Lily Botta, Samantha Hark, Alexandra Lesko, Katherine Ernst, Quinn Wollard, Carly Wilson, Isabella Fusco. Back row (l-r): Sydney Wilson, Reilly Brennan, Colby Macaione, Julia van der Zwan, Chloe Saulnier, Ashby Evans, Devon Glaser. Not pictured: Marissa White.
VOLLEYBALL
Varsity Volleyball won the Inter-Ac championship for the first time in over a decade. The Owls – led by a strong core of experienced seniors including captains Jenna Zwilling ’22 and Golda Mehl ’22, along with Samantha Parker ’22, Avery Sorce ’22, Abigail Todd ’22 , and Abigail Goldsmith ’22 – went 14-2 overall and 7-1 in Inter-Ac play.
In the final, AIS defeated Notre Dame 3-2. “We’ve been chasing [Notre Dame] for a long time,” said Coach Sarah Lawrence. Lawrence noted that not only did the team have winning skills, but “the support they had was part of the reason for their success. Our seniors did a great job encouraging people to come out to watch us.”
Mehl was also named the Inter-Ac Most Valuable Player. “Golda is a tremendous leader on and off the court,” said Lawrence. “She helped drive our team’s success and has represented herself, her team and AIS to the highest of standards.” Zwilling and Nahla Thomas ’23 earned first team All-Conference nods.
VARSITY CREW
In June, Varsity Crew spent ten days in Henley-on-Thames, U.K., at the Henley Women’s Regatta. Pictured here, the team attending a reception dinner.
Athletics
CREW
Winningest Season in 22 Years
HEAD COACH: JOHN HAYBURN ASSISTANT COACH: CHARLES JORDAN CAPTAINS: CAROLINE O’MARA ’22 AND JULIA VAN DER ZWAN ’22
Agnes Irwin Crew is making AIS athletics history. “This is the best season that the team has had in at least the past 22 years,” said Head Crew Coach John Hayburn, who is in his third year with Agnes Irwin Rowing. “This season’s results are a reflection of the work that the student-athletes have put in every step of the way since September. This group truly performed their best.” Co-captain Julia van der Zwan ’22, who rowed all three seasons for four years, attributed this year’s success to “pushing through difficult workouts and our coaches who pushed us to be the best versions of ourselves. My favorite moment was winning the Stotesbury Cup Regatta in the Varsity Quad. It was great to see all of our hard work pay off and to show our speed.” In June, the Varsity Quad and Varsity Double competed in the Henley Women’s Regatta in the U.K. where our Varsity Double (Chloe Saulnier ’22 and Claire Lingle ’24) earned an impressive 17th place in the time trial. They narrowly missed advancing but the team is more motivated than ever!
USRowing Mid-Atlantic Youth Championships
1st place Varsity Double 1st place Varsity Quad 3rd place Freshmen Quad
Philadelphia Scholastic Rowing Association Kate Godwin Trophy for girl’s sculling
1st place awarded to Varsity Crew for accumulating the most wins against 40+ schools over four regattas in March and April
Stotesbury Cup Regatta
1st place Senior Quad 1st place Ltwt Double 2nd place Freshmen Quad 4th place Senior Double JV Quad made it to the semi-finals
USRowing Mid-Atlantic Youth Championships
1st place Varsity Double 1st place Varsity Quad 3rd place Freshmen Quad
City Championships
1st place Varsity Quad 1st place Varsity Double 1st place Varsity Ltwt Double 1st place Freshmen Quad 5th place JV Quad
Scholastic Rowing Association of America Regatta
1st place Ltwt Varsity Double 2nd place Varsity Double 4th place Varsity Quad 4th place Freshmen Quad
Varsity Quad at Henley Women’s Regatta Claire Lingle ’24, Chloe Saulnier ’22, Head Coach John Hayburn Katherine Ernst ’22
LANDMARK LEGISLATION TITLE IX TURNS 50
Fifty years ago, Title IX broke barriers for women and girls throughout the United States. The landmark gender equality legislation banned discrimination based on sex in federally-funded education programs and had a tremendous impact for women and girls in sports and athletics. Sue Knorr Gale ’71 reflected on her experience as a female student-athlete before Title IX changed the landscape for girls in sports. “Agnes Irwin truly gave me a start in athletics – the confidence to be a woman and an athlete,” she said. “Athletics has defined me, from playing in college, even before Title IX. When I was playing in college [at the University of New Hampshire], the players coming in below me were getting athletics scholarships [for the first time]. It was happening just as I was graduating. The girls about four years behind me might have had the excitement of getting a scholarship, but it wasn’t there for me yet! I would have loved that chance, but it was just too early for my years.” Mary Beth Noel Todd ’95, Girls Director, Southern Marin Lacrosse Club, played field hockey and lacrosse at William & Mary. She shared, “In the fifty years since Title IX has become law, doors have been opened for women and girls everywhere. Personally, I benefitted from the trailblazers who came before me, including Agnes Irwin role models, Mrs. Ramsey, Mrs. White and Ms. Anthony. There was never a question that my teammates and I belonged on the field, court or gym. My life has been richer and more full because of the access that I had to play and compete in high school, college and beyond. We now know for certain that, given the same opportunity, girls can achieve the same heights as boys, and women deserve the same opportunities as men. When this happens, we all win!” This year, seventeen student-athletes committed to playing their sport at the collegiate level. “We are so proud of these young women who are playing their sport in college,” remarked Athletic Director Courtney Lubbe. “They are following in the footsteps of many Irwin’s athletes before them and, at the same time, are setting an example for younger students in our community who look to them as role models.”
LACROSSE
HEAD COACH: LAUREN WRAY OVERALL RECORD: 11-9 CAPTAINS: KATHERINE ERNST ’22, SAMANTHA HARK ’22, CATE PARSELLS ’22, MARISSA WHITE ’22, CARLY WILSON ’22, SYDNEY WILSON ’22
USAL All-American Marissa White ’22 USAL All-Academic Katherine Ernst ’22 Inter-Ac 1st Team Katherine Ernst ’22, Cate Parsells ’22, Marissa White ’22 Inter-Ac 2nd Team Colby Macaione ’22, Ella Springer ’24, Sydney Wilson ’22 Inter-Ac Special Recognition Carly Wilson ’22
PhillyLacrosse.com Scholar Athlete Award
Jackie Heinerichs ’22 PASLA All-Academic Samantha Hark ’22, Jackie Heinerichs ’22, Sydney Wilson ’22 Marissa White ’22
FIELD HOCKEY STAR GAME ON!
Lauren DeRose ’23, Agnes Irwin’s two-time Varsity Field Hockey Captain, was selected by USA Field Hockey to play in the U.S. Rise Women’s National Team series vs. Canada.
Lana Clarke ’24 Jamia Nelson ’23, Mia Birkmire ’24, and Kathrine Minnis ’23 were part of the Inter-Ac at the Carpenter Cup
Zoey Moua ’27
GOLF
HEAD COACH: MARIE LOGUE OVERALL RECORD: 5-3 CAPTAINS: EMMA TWITMYER ’22, LILLY PRESS ’23
Inter-Ac Athletic Director Sportsmanship
and Leadership Award Emma Twitmyer ’22
Individual Competition in the PAISAA
Tournament Lilly Press ’23, 11th place Team improvement over 2021 4-4 season Inter-Ac Tournament Lilly Press ’23 represented the team PAISSA Tournament Kathryn Chang ’23, Leslie Forman ’23, Caitlyn Monestere ’25, Lilly Press ’23, and Emma Twitmyer ’22 participated Jamia Nelson ’23, Gioanna Zhao ’22
SOFTBALL
HEAD COACH: MEGHAN HALBERSTADT OVERALL RECORD: 6-11 CAPTAINS: JENNA ZWILLING ’22, KATHRINE MINNIS ’23
Inter-Ac 2nd Team All League
Mia Birkmire ’24 and Jamia Nelson ’23 Improvement in record by two wins Inter-Ac win against Penn Charter in extra innings PAISAA Playoffs first appearance in over five years Paris Holiday ’25
AIS Track competed in the 4x100 and 4x400 at the Penn Relays
TRACK
HEAD COACH: PAT WILLIAMS CAPTAINS: OLIVIA HELDRING ’22, GOLDA MEHL ’22
New school record Blake Stefan ’23 in the 400m with a time of 59.69 at PAISAA Championship
Delco and Inter-Ac Championships
Blake Stefan ’23 finished fourth in the 400m Inter-Ac Championship Maya Johnson ’23, Sydney Puriefoy ’24, Chloe Robert ’24, and Blake Stefan ’23 finished third in 4x400m relay PAISAA Championship Elise Gill ’24, Golda Mehl ’22, Sydney Puriefoy ’24, and Natalya Russin ’23 finished third in 4x100m relay
Center for the Advancement of Girls
BEST FOR GIRLS
CAG Turns Ten
CELEBRATING A DECADE AND COUNTING OF ADVOCACY, RESEARCH, AND PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE AIS COMMUNITY AND GIRLS’ EDUCATION
2013
International Women’s
Day 2013 | Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and women’s rights advocate Sheryl WuDunn visited AIS. Debbie Clower P ’08, ’10, ’14 (right) and her mother, Sara Schupf (left) enjoyed the keynote address to Middle and Upper School students on the topic of “Why Students Should Care About the World and Change it.”
2014
Leading for Change | The Upper School student organization, Council for the Advancement of Girls, hosted the inaugural Leading for Change conference, inviting girls to hone leadership skills and build their networks. Writer and political analyst Zerlina Maxwell was the keynote speaker for the event which welcomed over 150 high school student-leaders from area schools.
2011 2013 2014
2011
Launch | The AIS community celebrated the launch of the CAG at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Tina Brown, journalist and former editor of Newsweek and The New Yorker, gave the keynote address, and fourth grade student Peyton Weber ’19 presented her original poem, “Leader of the Pack.”
2013
Lower School
Leadership Toolkit | Introduction of the Leadership Toolkit© , created by a team of Lower School teachers and administrators as an engaging and thoughtful way to introduce important qualities of leadership to our youngest girls.
2015
Sharing Solutions STEM Conferences and Events | In partnership with The Franklin Institute, CAG hosted an annual Sharing Solutions: Advancing Girls in STEM Conference from 2015-17. The goal of the conference was to identify and design actionable steps and partnership models that participants could utilize and implement to advance girls and women in STEM fields.
2018
Business 101 Conference | Agnes Irwin Economics students engaged in a half-day conference led by professors at the Villanova School of Business, designed to extend learning beyond the classroom. Now in its fourth year, this partnership between CAG and Villanova introduces students to various career paths and industries in the field of economics where there is a significant gender gap.
2015 2018 2021 2022
2015
Real Girls. Real Voices. Real Impact.
Workshop Series | CAG launched a series of leadership workshops for middle school girls from local schools. The program was designed to combat the dip in confidence in fifth and sixth grade girls and to cultivate girls’ voices, values, and leverage their unique strengths.
2021
Welcome Nan Wolfe! | CAG supported the launch of the Sharon Rudnicki Writing Center by hosting Nandini D’Souza Wolfe, VP of Global Storytelling and Editorial at Tory Burch. Ms. Wolfe chronicled her career in New York City fashion journalism, marketing, and brand development. She emphasized the continued importance of writing saying, “No matter what you do in life, it’s critical to be able to write...and write well. It’s how you express yourself and your ideas.”
2022
International Women’s Day
All School Celebration | CAG spearheaded programming with a school-wide mini-conference on Agnes Irwin’s third CORE day focused on excellence. Rolling out this coming fall, a new initiative, the Middle School Leadership Keys, will include a series of activities, reflections, and discussions related to the meaning and iterations of leadership in the AIS Middle School.
