As the spring sports season continues, here are some players to look out for on the field, court, and course.
Boys Lacrosse:
Malik Mustafa ’24 is one of two captains on the Boys’ Lacrosse team. A current sophomore, Mustafa has been playing the sport since he was in third grade. Mustafa is a vocal and physical midfielder, and teammate Jack Rowe ’24 describes him as “a good leader who encourages others.”
With a shutout in the team’s very first game, goalie Leo Dabrow ’24 continues to prove that he is a vital part of this team. Though he has only been playing for about a year, Mustafa says he is “an inspiration, [whose] work ethic is unmatched, makes good saves when we need him to, [and] can always be heard on the field.”
The lacrosse team had 12 goals in their first game of the season. Captain Jack Bitman ’24 and player Jack Rowe ’24, who both play attack, have commanded the field. They racked up more than half of the goals in that game, Bitman with 5 goals and Rowe with 3 goals. The two have been “leaders this season who have great chemistry,” said Dabrow. Mustafa also said that Rowe “uses both hands and has a fluid shot” while Bitman is “fast, elusive, and aggressive.”
Credit: Dinah Megibow-Taylor, Elina Shah, Hannah Puc
Girls Lacrosse:
One of the few 9th graders on the team, Mikelle Smith ’25 has shown her contribution to the team since the beginning of the season. She mainly plays midfield, but is able to play all around the field when needed. Unfortunately, Smith was injured at the beginning of the season but is now ready to play. She said she is “looking forward to bonding more with the team and is excited to have a winning season.”
Ava Blumberg ’24, has been on the lacrosse team since her 9th grade year, and normally plays midfield or defense. Smith said that Blumberg “hustles a lot, and gets really good checks, [and is] so supportive and a good friend on and off the field.”
Other players to look out for this season are Team Captain Kendall Borbi ’22, who has played for MFS in the past three years, and Tia Obermeier ’23, a strong midfielder.
Credit: Dinah Megibow-Taylor, Elina Shah, Hannah Puc
Golf:
Peter Tummarello ’22 and Skye Mada ’22 both began playing when they were in 9th grade, and were starters that same season. Tummarello said, “I really respect Skye as a teammate and a leader … [she’s been] helping out the younger generation as the seniors did when we were freshman.”
Alex Kwak ’23, started playing competitively last year. One of the greatest challenges for Kwak has been turning the page after a bad hole, but he shot a 42 against Delran, tying for the lowest score. Another notable player is Hannah Puc ’24, who is a regular starter and according to Tummarello is “part of the reason we’re so successful and why team morale is so high. [She] always brings great team spirit.”
Credit: Dinah Megibow-Taylor, Elina Shah, Hannah Puc
Baseball:
Jaylen Patel ’23, has been the starting pitcher for the past two years. He is an aggressive, yet focused player who aims to win every game. Patel did not let up any runs in the first game against Abington Friends School, helping to secure the 15-0 win. He also struck out 14 of Academy of the New Church’s batters in a row.
Credit: Dinah Megibow-Taylor, Elina Shah, Hannah Puc
Team captain Connor Hull ’22, is the starting shortstop. Patel described Hull as a “great leader on the team [who] picks everyone up and tries to keep the energy up.” Being one of the two seniors on the team, Hull has brought the team together in and out of the game.
Sulayman Hussain ’23, despite only playing second base for about a month, has already shown he is a strong middle-infielder. Hussain claims his highlight of the season was against Germantown: “[The pitcher] was throwing 90 mph and I took a line drive to center field, and that was our team’s only hit.”
Another player to watch is Matthew Schlotterbeck ’25. Though he’s only a freshman on the team, Schlotterbeck bats cleanup and starts in left field. He’s also been playing baseball for 10 years. After hitting a double off of Abington Friends School’s starting pitcher in his very first at bat, Schlotterbeck proved he is one to look out for this season.
Boys Tennis:
Dhru Ponnamaneni ’24 began playing for the tennis team during his freshman year and has quickly made his way to the top, receiving the position of 1st singles’ as a sophomore this season. Although he hasn’t been playing tennis for long, Ponnamaneni has already made a name for himself on the team and was given the title of team captain this season.
During his first year in the Upper School, Chase Konzelmann ’25 has already shown what he can do, quickly advancing to the 3rd singles position on the team. Although he’s had a tough time in his first weeks of the season, teammate Ponnamaneni ’24 said that “he can be a very strong player [and] his forehand is amazing.”
Other players to look out for this season are 2nd singles Colby Wiener ’22 and 1st doubles team Luciano Mazzotta ’23 and Jason Strauss ’22.
While the team has had a rough start, going 2-5, team captain Ponnamaneni ’24 said that he “can’t wait to go to all the tournaments and just get better as a player, as well as mentoring the younger players.” The team has a remarkable lineup compared to past years, as many current members of the team are underclassmen.
Credit: Dinah Megibow-Taylor, Elina Shah, Hannah Puc
