Fantastic Fall! School spirit is alive and well at Fort Worth Country Day! The Falcons enjoyed one of their most successful fall seasons in recent years. The stands at football games were packed with spectators in red, flag runners were up and down the sidelines and students lined the field. Two fan buses traveled to Dallas to support field hockey at the Championship game and after the win, formed a tunnel the width of the field for the team and coaches to run through. Field Hockey won the SPC Division I Championship! Winning the Championship capped off a perfect 10-0 record in conference play and a 12-1-3 overall record. The team entered the SPC tournament as the North Zone Champions and top seed in the North. After initial jitters wore off, the team rallied to beat St. Stephen’s of Austin in the first round and Trinity Valley in the semi-finals to advance to the finals. In the Championship game, the team came out with their strongest performance of the season, beating All Saints’ 4-0. The team was led by eight amazing seniors: Annie Heinzelmann (captain), Julia Jennings (captain), Kate Kirtley, Marilyn Newberry, Hannah Pohler, Emily Samuelson, Elizabeth Vance (captain) and Allison Yamagata. The seniors worked hard to bring the team together by displaying tremendous dedication, determination and drive. They found the perfect balance of hard work and fun that equaled success. They will be greatly missed and have left a wonderful legacy for the younger players.
Football celebrated one of its most successful seasons in recent years. There are many pieces to the puzzle for this success, but one overwhelming reason was the senior leadership. The attitude and leadership displayed by these 11 players throughout the year proved to be the catalyst for creating a memorable season. Senior captains Robby LeBus, Cameron Horton, Peter Ray and Keller Reese led by example on and off the field. Through the hot August two-a-days and long days in the weight room, the captains kept everyone positive and enthusiastic. There were several highlights of the season. The team opened up play at home with a big win against St. Mark’s. The team beat All Saints’ for the first time in several years. They finished 7-2 overall and third place in the conference. Fans at homecoming enjoyed a victory against St. Stephen’s of Austin. Several players enjoyed great individual achievements over the course of the season. Alex Espinoza (11) and Thomas Cunningham (12) combined to rush for 1,027 yards and 13 touchdowns behind the blocking of Michael Diffley (12). Reese, Reed Brunette (12) and James Snyder (12) caught a total of 49 passes for 739 yards and five touchdowns. Horton completed more than 50 percent of his passes for 796 yards and six touchdowns. The defense gave up an average of less than 15 points per game, led by LeBus, Burke Kleinheinz (12), Ray, Christian McLeod
Matt Heinzelmann
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WINTER 2009
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Lisa Koger
Championship field hockey team is recognized at an US assembly.
Thomas Cunningham (12) rushes in the homecoming game.
(12), Elkin Kleberg (12) and Reese. Leading tacklers were LeBus, Taylor Arnold (11) and Clifton Harlin (11), who combined for 35 solo tackles and 141 assists.
the top 10 at SPC, where every member of the team ran under 20 minutes in their three-mile race. Miles finished ninth overall, earning him allconference recognition.
missed. Their hard work, enthusiasm and dedication were appreciated by their teammates and coaches.
Cross Country ran with great success all season. For the boys team, Miles Bratton (12) opened up the season with a win at the Lake Highlands Invitational, the first win of his career. This would be Miles’ first of three wins this season. The boys team was able to crack into
Girls Cross Country had its best race at the Lake Highlands Invitational, where every member took home an individual medal. At SPC, Erin Loth (12) led the way for the girls, helping improve their overall race time from last year. The team says goodbye to 12 seniors, who will be greatly
Robert Malloy (9) and Thomas Samuleson (10), take down an opponent in their victory over All Saints.’ 2
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Girls Volleyball had an exciting season. The team played competitively in all their matches, eight of which were decided in five games. Big wins for the team were against All Saints,’ Casady and Houston Episcopal. The team proved to never be out of a match and always played with heart. The team is losing two seniors, Courtney Carter and
Elizabeth Eliot Dyess (12) flies high with the support of her teammates.
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Bump! McKenna Breedlove (8)
Set! Jay Kurani (10)
Spike! Elizabeth Powers (12)
Elizabeth Powers, both of whom will be greatly missed. The upside is that the majority of the team will return to the court next year.
young team of 10 sophomores and one freshman. Hall finished the season with 22 kills, 25 service aces and a pass rating of 1.78. Fore finished the season with 46 kills, 9 stuff blocks and 13 service aces. The future of the team looks bright with the younger players gaining valuable Varsity playing time. Kevin Murphy
(10) and Alex Morrissette (10) were the season’s top scorers at 292 points and 113 points respectively.
Boys Volleyball ended its season on a high note, going 2-2 in the SPC Tournament. Seniors Aaron Hall (captain) and Troy Fore led the very
The middle school and junior varsity programs enjoyed great success this season as well. While outdoor sports were hampered by the crazy weather, the teams still fought hard and continued to develop their fundamentals through rain or shine. JV Football finished the season with a spectacular record of 7-1, beating all the SPC schools they played. Seventh Grade Football finished the season with big wins over All Saints’ and Trinity Valley, and eighth grade finished with a fabulous win over Trinity Valley.
Vicki Devine
Sawyer Stratton (7) and Melody Rodriquez (7) led the way for MS Cross Country.
The cross country team shows off their hardware from the Lake Highlands Invitational.
One of the season’s high points was both MS Field Hockey teams beating perennial powerhouse Hockaday on the road. JV Field Hockey enjoyed playing in the Hockaday Festival and Continued on page 4 3
Fall Postseason Athletic Awards countrydayphotos.com
Boys Volleyball Most Valuable – Kevin Murphy (10) Most Improved – Alex Morrissette (10) SPC All Conference – Kevin Murphy (10) SPC All Zone – Alex Morrissette (10) SPC All Conference Honorable Mention – Troy Fore (12) Cheerleading LeBlanc Award – Elizabeth Eliot Dyess (12) Cheer Spirit – Caroline Reyes (12)
Field Hockey Most Valuable – Annie Heinzelmann (12) Heart and Hustle – Kyle Fraser (11) and Allison Yamagata (12) SPC All Conference – Annie Heinzelmann (12), Julia Jennings (12), Hannah Pohler (12), Elizabeth Vance (12) SPC All Zone – Kyle Fraser (11), Kate Kirtley (12), Emily Samuelson (12), Allison Yamagata (12) SPC All Conference Honorable Mention – Nancy Bonds (11), Claire Buechele (10), Tara Gordon (10) Football Most Valuable – Keller Reese (12) Outstanding Offensive Player – Cameron Horton (12) Outstanding Defensive Player – Robby LeBus (12) Outstanding Lineman – Peter Ray (12) Outstanding Special Teams Player – Alex Espinoza (11) SPC All Conference – Alex Espinoza (11), Robby LeBus (12), Peter Ray (12), Keller Reese (12) SPC All Conference Honorable Mention – Thomas Cunningham (12), Cameron Horton (12) Girls Volleyball Most Valuable – Lyndsey Garrison (11), Courtney Reimer (11) Most Improved – Erin Parker (10) SPC All Conference – Courtney Reimer (11) SPC All Zone – Lyndsey Garrison (11) SPC All Conference Honorable Mention – Kat Hyde (10), Erin Parker (10), Elizabeth Powers (12), Meredith Shroyer (11)
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Madison Nelson (8) above; Nithin Reddy (9) left traveling to Oklahoma, where they beat the always tough Casady Cyclones. Girls Volleyball improved with every play. By the end of the season, the MS girls were able to put together a bump, set and spike. JV Girls Volleyball finished with an impressive record and won seven of their games in just two sets. JV Boys Volleyball hosted a tournament and finished fifth overall. As we move forward to the Winter season, we must say thank you to the 44 seniors who participated in a Fall sport. These athletes were recognized during halftime at the “Battle of Bryant Irvin.” Your leadership, commitment and dedication has been invaluable to your teams and FWCD. Thank you for all your hard work!
Lisa Koger
Cross Country Most Valuable Boy – Miles Bratton (12) Most Valuable Girl – Erin Loth (12) Most Improved Boy – Justin Willis (11) Most Improved Girl – Margaret Lee (10) SPC All Conference – Miles Bratton (12)
Seniors Robby LeBus, Keller Reese, and Peter Ray were selected for the Tom Hillary DFW All Star Classic, which will take place Dec. 12 at Nolan Catholic High School. Kick-off is at 1:30 p.m. Frank Gendusa, athletic director and head football coach, will coach the Fort Worth team.
Ask the Trainer
Q:
What is the purpose of the new vehicle the athletic trainers have been driving around campus?
Trainer Ed: I have always dreamed of having a vehicle that allows us to respond quicker to an injur y or emergency situation. After talking to Athletic Director Frank Gendusa about this over the summer, he said, “Put what you need on the wish list.”
The ERV is literally a Training Room on wheels. It allows athletic trainers to patrol the entire campus, with all the tools necessar y to care for an injur y at their fingertips. It is stocked with tape, bandages, crutches, splints, nebulizer, medications, tools, cordless screwdriver, AED, emergency response bag, emergency oxygen and anything else the athletic trainer may need to provide the finest care to someone in need. Ever ything is organized and labeled for easy use. When responding to an injur y, we no longer have to figure out what we might need and load it on a golf cart; ever ything we need is already on the ERV. This ERV is so much more than a golf cart, our previous form of emergency transportation. Kubota is a brand known for quality of engineering and sustainability. This vehicle will be working on our campus long after other vehicles here today are out of ser vice. The front end of the ERV is a standard vehicle with a steel cab. The rear is totally custom-built to FWCD’s specifications.
Lisa Koger
When the Falcon Club contacted the Athletic Department about needed items not in the budget for its program, I told them about the Kubota Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV). With encouragement from Coach Gendusa, the Falcon Club granted the request. FWCD’s student athletes will reap the benefits of this generous gift! The ERV is versatile. It is equipped with three gears and a choice of 2- or 4-wheel drive, meaning we are able to access almost any place on campus if an injur y occurs. It will be ver y handy in chasing the runners during FWCD’s annual Cross Countr y Thrill of the Hill! The ERV can transport people who are sitting or lying prone if necessar y, something that could not be accomplished in a golf cart. It is capable of hauling six passengers, along with extra equipment or ice chests, all while pulling up to five electric water stations. Some might view the ERV as a luxur y, but I believe we are setting the new standard for athletic trainers to better care for our student athletes.
FWCD was the first school in our conference to build an authentic Athletic Training Room for its athletes. Most SPC schools have since followed suit. FWCD also was the first school in our conference to employ two full-time athletic trainers to provide the best possible care for injured athletes, and most have since followed our lead. A wise man once told me, “Be a leader, set the standard, raise the bar and let the others follow.” I believe we have done just that with the addition of the ERV. When you see the ERV you should immediately recognize it for its purpose. It stands out, as it should. From its bright red front end, to the signs on the side identifying important emergency equipment, this vehicle is obviously serious about its work. Thank you, Falcon Club!
If you have a question for the athletic trainers, e-mail echisholm@fwcds.org.
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NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID FORT WORTH, TX PERMIT NO. 676
4200 Country Day Lane Fort Worth, Texas 76109-4299
Winter Season Coaches ATHLETIC TRAINING Head Trainer Ed Chisholm Associate Trainer Jenna Strom BASKETBALL Boys Varsity Head Coach Joe Breedlove ’78* Asst. Coach Billy Coffin Asst. Coach Pepper Ackers ’92 JV Red Head Billy Coffin Red Assistant Eric Boberg Blue Head Robby Roberts Blue Assistant Nate Kogan MS A Head Coach Chris Anderson MS B Head Coach Victor Mann ’01 Developmental Jim Brady Larry Coffee Chuck Maddux Girls Varsity Head Coach Shelley Rains* Asst. Coach Ken Allen
Asst. Coach TJ Hendricks JV Head Coach TJ Hendricks MS A Head Coach Butch Traeder MS B Head Coach DeAnn Hall Asst. Coach Dan Jones CHEERLEADING Varsity Head Coach Robin Willis* JV Head Coach Emily Ferris ’99 SOCCER Boys Varsity Head Coach Mike Vincent* Asst. Coach Vassar Cates JV Head Coach Jeff Rozanski MS A Head Coach Ed Craver MS B Head Coach Charley Lloyd
Follow our Falcon Alumni to the Next Level In addition to the college athletes listed in the Fall Athletics Newsletter, the following FWCD alumni are playing in college: Baseball Jake Berman ’08 – Davidson College Golf Matt Johnson ’07 - Texas Christian University Michael Levy ’07 - Texas Christian University
Girls Varsity Head Coach Tarik Guendouzi Asst. Coach Merrick Bean ’02 JV Head Coach Joni Simmons MS A Head Coach Chris Pinkerton MS B Head Coach Aaron Hoover Developmental Vassar Cates SWIMMING Varsity Head Coach Molly Risewick-Zeno* WRESTLING Varsity Head Coach Joe Murph* Asst. Coach Greg Duke Asst. Coach David Denton ’96 MS Asst. Coach Ivan Loya Asst. Coach Jose Hernandez * denotes program director
Got Questions? Get Answers! If you have a question about the athletic program at FWCD, e-mail Coach Frank Gendusa at AskFrank@fwcds.org.
Support your Falcon teams. Join the Falcon Club Today! Go to the athletic page of the Web site, www.fwcd.org.