Belmont Hill t h e bu ll e t i n for be l m o n t h i ll s c h o ol
winter
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s p r i ng
2021
contents
features
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chapel talk
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tokyo dreams
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dr. rachel levine ’ 75 selected next assistant secretary for health
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advisory changes
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working together again
departments
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belmont hill archives
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speakers on the hill
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community & diversity
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arts on the hill
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coaches’ corner
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alumni events
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class notes
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in memoriam
our mission statement working together
Belmont Hill School educates boys in mind, body, and spirit to develop men of good character. Our community encourages and challenges students to discover and pursue passions, seek excellence, and face adversity with resilience. We cultivate critical thinking and creativity, teamwork and competition, hard work and reflection, tradition and innovation. Valuing our differences and working together, we embrace camaraderie, compassion, and service to others. Our school strives to instill in each boy ethical judgment, a sense of common humanity, and a lifelong love of learning. On front cover: Benny Wanger ’15, Alexander Richards ’14, Andrew Reed ’10, and Michael DiSanto ’08. Inside front cover: Dara Alizadeh ’11 was unable to make the photo shoot in December. He will represent Team Bermuda in rowing.
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tokyo dreams
Introduction
TOKYO DREAMS By Bill Mahoney
Hanging in the hockey rink in the Jordan Athletic Center are banners proudly honoring the 12 Belmont Hill alumni who are Olympians. Remarkably, this year alone, five alumni, Michael DiSanto ’08 (who represented Team USA in Rio in 2016), Andrew Reed ’10, Dara Alizadeh ’11, Alexander Richards ’14, and Benny Wanger ’15 are training for the Tokyo Olympics. Benny Wanger, playing baseball for Team Israel, and Dara Alizadeh, rowing for Bermuda, have already qualified, while the other three, all rowers, are working to make the US National Team that will be announced later this spring. Each of them was
Andrew Reed ’10, Alexander Richards ’14, and Michael DiSanto ’08.
a three-sport varsity athlete while on the Hill. That Belmont Hill may have five alumni participate in one Olympic competition is unprecedented, and their fellow alumni will be watching closely for them as the Games approach. Enjoy the stories here of how each of these talented athletes came to have Tokyo Dreams.
Left: Alexander Richards ’14, Benny Wanger ’15, Michael DiSanto ’08, and Andrew Reed ’10.
Benny Wanger ’15.
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tokyo dreams
Ready to Represent: US Olympic Rowing Team
READY TO REPRESENT: Three Alumni Strive to Make the US Olympic Rowing Team
Alexander Richards ’14, Michael DiSanto ’08, and Andrew Reed ’10.
The days start early, go long, and the training is feverishly intense for the three Belmont Hill alumni who are trying to make the US rowing team for the Tokyo Olympics. But Michael DiSanto ’08, Andrew Reed ’10, and Alexander Richards ’14 enthusiastically embrace the work that needs to be done, as each is eager to represent his country and go for the Olympic gold. The journey to being on the cusp of Olympic competition has been long and challenging. “I am fortunate to have had a relatively straightforward path to where I am today,” says Alexander Richards, whose father, Chris Richards, is the legendary, longtime coach of Belmont Hill rowing. “I began rowing in seventh grade. High school set me
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up to race with the Junior National Team; rowing in college put me around some really good international rowers and prepared me for under-23s and the Senior National Team. So, it was a lot of little steps that I just kept taking that got me to this level.” Andrew Reed says that he constantly focused on improving. “That includes improving my physical fitness as well as my rowing technique and mentality,” he notes. Mike DiSanto waxes philosophical when pondering his journey. “To quote Michelangelo, ‘If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all.’ The path to get to the Olympics was paved with commitment, struggle, determination, persistence, setback, support, and luck.”
Coach Richards: Personal Reflections on the Rowers While each of these young men has put himself in the position of making the Olympics, he will still need to qualify in order to get there. The training is brutal and exhausting, and they work their training around their careers. Alexander and Andrew describe training between 10 and 12 times per week primarily on the water but also on the ergometer (rowing machines) and in the weightroom, with at least two sessions a week competitive and performance based. “It is monastic,” adds Mike, whose storied career includes a tenure as president of the Oxford University Boat Club where he was a multiple-time winner of the prestigious Boat Race. “On a typical day I wake up around 5:30 am and get on the water by 6:15 am. I finish up morning practice by 8:30 am, have breakfast and work from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Then I go back to the boathouse for another practice – weights or erg – get home around 5:30 pm, cook dinner, and either finish up work or watch TV before bed at 9:30 pm.” They went through similar training last year until the pandemic caused their Olympic dreams to be put on hold. While obviously disappointed, each found a way to move past it and focus on training even harder, albeit with some safety limitations due to COVID-19. “We fortunately were able to continue training and working on our fitness,” Andrew says, “but the pandemic affected the ways in which we were able to train. Due to COVID-19 precautions, we weren’t able to train in the 8-man shell, and for a long period of time we were only able to train in singles.” Alexander says the postponement allowed him to do some personalized training in the first few months and then work on technique in the single over the summer. Mike concurs: “Right after the announcement, I flew back to Boston to be around loved ones. Through the support of my family, friends, Coach Richards, and the Harvard coaches, I was able to keep training and not miss a beat throughout the spring, summer, and fall.”
Michael DiSanto ’08 “In the winter of 2006, Don Bradley told me that I needed to get Michael to row. I didn’t really know Michael at that point, so I went to watch him wrestle and thought ‘Mr. Bradley is right.’ It took a few conversations, but Michael ultimately decided to give it a try. Ten weeks later he was a NEIRA Champion in our third boat, and just over a year after that, a National Champion in our first boat. The rest is history: captain of the Harvard heavyweight crew, president of the Oxford University Boat Club, 2016 US Olympic team, and now hopefully a second-time Olympian. The guys Michael rows with and competes against are often bigger than he is, but they are almost never better.”
Andrew Reed ’10
“ The path to get to the
Olympics was paved with commitment, struggle, determination, persistence, setback, support, and luck. – Michael DiSanto ’08
”
“I first coached Andrew not in rowing but in Middle School cross country, and there was a race in which he came across the line hobbling badly. It turned out he had fractured his ankle part way through. I said to him something like: ‘Well, Andrew, if you are tough enough to finish a race with a broken ankle, you are probably tough enough to row.’ And sure enough, he was. Andrew, like Mike, won Youth Nationals at Belmont Hill and then went on to have a great collegiate career and an even greater one at the Elite level – competing in three World Championships (winning silver in the USA 8+ in 2017), and now vying for a spot on the Tokyo Olympic Team.”
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Coach Richards: Personal Reflections on the Rowers AN ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITY
The rowers seem humbled by the enormous opportunity of representing their country in Olympic competition. Mike already experienced this in Rio in 2016. “Rowing at the Olympics has always been about repaying the debt I feel I owe to many people,” he says. “I’ve been presented with so many opportunities due to the sacrifices of others. I am only in this position because a number of people have helped me along the way.” Andrew sees it as a culmination of 15 years of training and focus. “It’s a chance to compete on the highest, most competitive stage the sport has to offer. It would be an honor to represent the United States.” Alexander adds, “It is a rare opportunity to be able to represent one’s country on an international level.” IT ALL BEGAN ON THE HILL
Dara Alizadeh ’11 “Dara was captain of the crew his senior year, and one of my distinct memories is of him finishing our grueling rowing practices and then hopping straight in the car to eat dinner as his mom drove him to Dana Hall, where he had the lead role in the spring musical. He is a guy of many talents! After Belmont Hill, Dara went on to be captain of Penn Crew, stroke of the silver medal USA 8+ at the 2017 U23 World Championships, and president of the Cambridge University Boat Club, where he won two Boat Races. He has made a very successful transition from sweep rower to sculler, and it is thrilling to think about him racing for Bermuda at the Olympics.”
Alexander Richards ’14 “I think people probably assume that there was pressure or an expectation that Alexander would row, but the truth is there wasn’t – it really was completely up to him. But I am glad he decided to pursue it, and it truly was a blast for me to get to coach his high school crews and then to watch his development in college and beyond. I think the work ethic he developed at Belmont Hill has served him very well. My own dad loved the Olympics, and he passed that down to me; so it is, of course, pretty exciting that a family member may get to compete in the Games!”
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The road to their Tokyo Dreams began at Belmont Hill. Alexander states that Belmont Hill set him up very well to get to where he is today. “The School helped me get into Harvard, one of the top programs in the country, where my rowing developed even further. The coaching and teaching helped me learn to be ‘coachable,’ which is an important skill at the national team level.” Andrew believes that being in the challenging Belmont Hill environment pushed him to achieve more than he thought possible. “On the rowing team, being surrounded by so many successful older students who were getting recruited to amazing colleges motivated me and encouraged me that being successful in this sport was a real possibility.” Mike recalls being motivated by great teacher-coaches. “My teachers and coaches reinforced the greatest gift my parents gave me: They believed in me,” he states. “Never once did Mr. Richards, Mr. Bradley, or Mr. Butler ever say what couldn’t be done. They empowered me to believe anything I wanted was in reach. They equipped me with the tools and the attitude to get there.” Pointedly, the young men speak poignantly about the impact Coach Richards has had on their lives. “Aside from my parents, there is no one else who has been so influential in shaping me into the man I am today,” Mike says. “He saw something in me I didn’t realize existed. He provided the framework and guidance to foster its growth and always believed that the sky was the limit.” Andrew also has fond reflections on Coach Richards. “I loved the atmosphere he created on the team,” he says. “He made it feel like by being on the team and trying your hardest, you were a part of something really special. I was incredibly proud as a senior to win a national championship with him as my coach.” And Alexander, of course, knows Coach Richards more commonly as his dad. “He introduced me to the sport and was my coach freshman through senior year,” he reflects. “He definitely helped me develop a love for the sport, as his love for rowing is so clear. We even rowed together at the Head of the Charles a couple times! He has been very influential in my getting to where I am today, and I know I wouldn’t be where I am without him.”
tokyo dreams
Ready to Represent: US Olympic Rowing Team
BEYOND THE GAMES
Whether or not they realize their Tokyo Dreams, there is life beyond the Olympics. Alexander, the youngest of the three, says that rowing for another few years is certainly a possibility. “I could see myself training on my own next year and working a bit more of a full-time job before joining back with the team,” he notes. “I also will apply to medical school down the road as I hope to be a doctor one day. Time will tell.” Andrew is simply looking forward to coming back to the East Coast and spending more time with family. “Also, I am looking forward to getting back into cross-country skiing and moving forward with my career.” The group’s elder statesman, Mike, is looking forward to moving to New York with his girlfriend of seven years, who he describes as amazing. He plans to work full-time for the private equity firm he currently works for. “The Olympics are a zero-sum game: Some will make it and others will not. Rowing is often referred to as the ultimate team sport. But if you’re not careful,
it can seep into other parts of your life. I’m doing my best now and will continue to focus on and prioritize the truly important things, which I have I missed out on due to rowing: weddings, funerals, relationships, careers, and, most importantly, time with the people I love.” Their place on the Olympic team is not guaranteed, and indeed, with the pandemic still a factor, neither are the games themselves. But, as with their fellow alumni Benny Wanger and Dara Alizadeh, the dream is alive. Having five Belmont Hill alumni on the doorstep of competing in the Olympics is truly an astonishing feat. One can be certain that the Belmont Hill community is rooting hard for these remarkable young men, as they strive to realize their Tokyo Dreams.
Alexander Richards ’14, Coach Chris Richards, Michael DiSanto ’08, and Andrew Reed ’10.
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Representing His Heritage: Benny Wanger
REPRESENTING HIS HERITAGE:
Benny Wanger ’15 to Play Baseball for Team Israel
On May 6th of 2015, Benny Wanger ’15, then a senior at Belmont Hill, pitched a perfect game, defeating Nobles. It is believed to be the only perfect game in Belmont Hill history. But even with that remarkable performance on his already-impressive résumé, never did he think he might one day be playing in the Olympics, representing Team Israel. The road to Tokyo began after his junior year at Yale, when he met Eric Holtz, manager of the Israeli national team. “He had seen my teammate Eric Brodkowitz and me play,” Benny explains. “He offered us spots on the team, and Eric and I committed to playing for Team Israel in the qualifying tournaments in the summer of 2019.” The team faced a daunting task in order to qualify for the Olympics. It included playing four sequential international tournaments in Bulgaria, Lithuania, Germany, and Italy. “Since only six countries’ teams qualify for Tokyo in baseball, there would only be one team from all of Europe and Africa,” he notes. “Although it seemed like a pipe dream at the time, I agreed to play for the chance at the Olympics, no matter how small.” In March of 2019, a major roadblock befell him in his senior year at Yale, when an injury necessitated season-ending surgery that included a six-to-eight-month rehabilitation. This forced him to miss the first two tournaments in Bulgaria and Lithuania. “I also decided during that time to take a graduate transfer year at the University of Southern California for my last year of NCAA eligibility,” he adds. When he learned that Team Israel had won the first two tournaments, he knew he wanted to join the team, even though he was still in the rehabilitation process. “I decided to leave USC on the second day of school – though I would Zoom into classes at 4:00 am – to fly to Tel Aviv and start my six-week journey with Team Israel.”
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Coach Mike Grant: Personal Reflection on Benny He would eventually fly to Germany with three teammates – all former Major Leaguers – for the European Championship. After coming in 4th in the European Championship (the top five teams advance to the Olympic qualifier), the team flew to Italy for the final round of the tournament. Team Israel mounted an incredible run and ended up defeating all the top European teams (Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Germany), each of whom had defeated them in the earlier European Championship tournament. Only the winner of the Italy tournament would qualify for Tokyo, and Team Israel clinched that spot after defeating South Africa 11-1. Benny recorded three hits, scored four runs, and drove in three more for the tournament. He also tossed 4.1 scoreless innings on the mound, giving up just one hit and one walk, while striking out five batters. THE ROAD AHEAD
When the pandemic struck and caused the subsequent postponement of the Olympics, the team was disappointed but did not let this deter their spirits. The plan right now is for all the players to stay in shape and play their own respective seasons up until about a month and a half before the games. They will then regroup and scrimmage against some summer league/ professional teams. After completing his master’s degree at USC in entrepreneurship, Benny learned that the NCAA would give athletes another year of eligibility due to COVID-19. He has transferred to the University of Miami, playing baseball while completing a master’s in international business. Benny states that this experience has given him a greater perspective on his heritage. “I feel that I’ve developed a much stronger connection to both the land and the people as well as Jews all over the world. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be representing my heritage by competing for Team Israel.” He believes strongly that Belmont Hill helped him develop the tools to succeed. “Belmont Hill has a way of pushing students toward achievement in many different areas,” he states. He also calls particular attention to his former Belmont Hill coach, Assistant Head of School Michael Grant. “Coach Grant
“Benny was a part of a storied run of three consecutive ISL titles at Belmont Hill, playing a key role on two of those teams. Even amongst squads that sported upwards of eight or nine eventual college players, he always stood out, both on the mound, in the field, and at the plate. Benny had tremendous poise as a pitcher, no moment ever seemed too great. He always would have the same relaxed, confident approach, and he played the game with energy and joy – he was a big part of why these teams just loved going out and competing together. That game against Nobles is still one of the best games I have ever seen pitched in person, at any level. The entire game only took 75 minutes, and that is only because of what we did offensively. He only threw 71 pitches, and still had 9K’s – fastballs to both sides of the plate, two-plane slider, and a nasty changeup. Ben had three college-level pitches at the high school level!”
is probably the most impactful coach I’ve ever had. He really set me on a path towards success in baseball and beyond. He teaches all of his players to be mentally tough and was instrumental in showing us how to compete.” While completely focused on his college season and then the Olympics, he has even bigger dreams down the road. “I’m hoping to have the chance to play professional baseball. That will start with the MLB draft in July, which is right before the Games.” Exciting times, indeed, and quite an amazing journey for this accomplished young man. Scorecard for Benny’s perfect game for Belmont Hill.
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Daring to Dream: Dara Alizadeh
DARING TO DREAM: Dara Alizadeh ’11 Will Compete for Team Bermuda
but was raised in Bermuda – was always a consideration, but it posed one very significant challenge: He had to learn how to scull (rowing with two oars as opposed to one), and scull well, in very little time. Deciding to delay his senior year at Cambridge, Dara raced in the 2019 World Championships after just three months of sculling training. He describes that regatta as humbling, as he finished near the bottom, but also as an important learning experience. He then traveled to Australia for three months of training, where the quality of his racing improved significantly. He returned from Australia ready to compete in the Americas Olympic Qualifier in Rio de Janeiro, but that race, and eventually the Olympics, was canceled due to COVID-19. He then returned to Cambridge last September to work on his dissertations while continuing to train for the rescheduled qualifier. The postponement was a disappointment, but he saw it as an opportunity to train hard and improve. “I thought to myself, ‘OK, this is the reality: How can I use this situation to get better?,’ he explains. “I saw it as more time to improve my fitness, my technique, my racing capacity, and more.” In March, Dara succeeded on this mission in punching his ticket to the Games. INSPIRATION FROM THE HILL
Rowing along the Charles River during many a practice in his years at Belmont Hill, Dara Alizadeh ’11 always dared to dream, and his dreams were of one day rowing in the Olympics. “It is the peak of rowing, and I always looked up to the Olympic athletes,” he recalls. Already qualified to row for Team Bermuda in the Tokyo Olympics, Dara has realized those dreams. His journey began on the Hill, and continued at the University of Pennsylvania, where he medaled in the U23s (for rowers under 23 years old), and at the University of Cambridge in England, where he raced on two teams that won the prestigious Boat Race. He also served as president of the Cambridge University Boat Club. In 2018, he spent the summer in Oakland, CA, rowing with fellow Belmont Hill alumni Michael DiSanto ’08, Andrew Reed ’10, and Alexander Richards ’14 with the US Senior team. It was during this time he said he learned that the standard was very high for the U.S. sweep team (in sweep rowing, each rower has one oar), and that going back to continue studying at Cambridge would mean he couldn’t row full time. Rowing for Team Bermuda – his mother was born in the UK
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His Belmont Hill experience has stayed with him and inspired him even in the most challenging circumstances. “I’ve taken a lot away from my time at Belmont Hill, from both the classroom and the river,” he says. “I was very fortunate to have great coaches in Middle School like Mr. Wood and Mrs. Sweeney. I was equally fortunate to then join a varsity program under the guidance of Mr. Richards. He taught me that in order to do something well and be the best, you need to live what you’re doing. The rowing team at Belmont Hill for me was a lifestyle, one of discipline, hard work, no excuses, and above all, ‘pull harder.’ I’ve continued to live this 10 years later. This isn’t just for the rowing though; it’s for everything I do.” Dara says that even when he graduated from Belmont Hill, Mr. Richards continued to be deeply invested in his life. “At each step of my rowing, I always knew I had him to talk to. I have the utmost respect for Mr. Richards as a person, as well as his turning Belmont Hill rowing into a powerhouse. I owe him a lot.” And what lies beyond his Tokyo Dreams? “Not sure yet!” he exclaims. “I’ll probably enter the real world. I’ve had a pretty good run so far. Paris 2024 sounds pretty sweet though… .”
belmont hill archives
FROM THE ARCHIVES By Caroline Cushman, School Archivist
BELMONT HILL SCHOOL OLYMPIANS Belmont Hill has a rich history at the Olympics in the hockey, rowing, and cycling events. As we watch some of our alumni pursue their dreams in Tokyo, here are our Olympians during their time on the Hill. Bill Cleary ’52 Hockey 1956 - Cortina d’Amprezzo - Silver Medal 1960 - Squaw Valley - Gold Medal
John Allis ’60 Cycling 1964 - Tokyo 1968 - Mexico City 1972 - Munich
Stewart MacDonald ’67 Rowing 1968 - Mexico City 1972 - Munich 1984 - Los Angeles (coach) Silver Medal, 8+/4-
Bob Cleary ’54 Hockey 1960 - Squaw Valley - Gold Medal
David Weinberg ’70 Rowing 1976 - Montreal
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belmont hill archives
Tom Darling ’77 Rowing 1980 - Moscow 1984 - Los Angeles - Silver Medal, 8+ 1988 - Seoul
Mark Fusco ’79 Hockey 1984 - Sarajevo
Scott Fusco ’81 Hockey 1984 - Sarajevo 1988 - Calgary
David Jensen (member of the Class of 1984), back row, fifth from left. Hockey 1984 - Sarajevo C.J. Young ’86 Hockey 1992 - Albertville
Ted Murphy ’90 Rowing 1996 - Atlanta 2000 - Sydney - Silver Medal, 2-
Michael DiSanto ’08 Rowing 2016 - Rio
To see a video assembled in 2014 about Belmont Hill Winter Olympians: https://vimeo.com/498471296/e0e51cd56e
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