here - Suffield Academy

Sports
7- The Bell December 2005
Cross Country Teams Running Toward Championships
Brie Beaudette ’07
Coachesʼ Corner: Tiger B
Soccer
Kristen Bautz ’06
When the staff of The Bell
opened up a discussion about teams
to profile, Tiger B (also known as
Fourths) was mentioned most, primarily
because of the wit and wisdom of
coaches Mr. Krasemann and Mr.
Toutounas. Fortunately, both were ready
to discuss their ever-evolving team.
The average tiger can run
up to thirty-five miles per hour. It is
no wonder why the boys’ and girls’
Cross Country teams did so well this
fall, especially as the girls became
the 2005 Division II New England
Champions. These tigers led the
way each and every Wednesday and
Saturday earning victory after victory.
The boys’ team, holding
down a 9-1 record, was led by Cocaptains
Ned Booth ’06 and Steve
Root ’06. Other returning varsity
runners were senior Chris Scholem,
juniors Kevin Brown and Charlie
Huck, and Sophomore Joel Glassman.
Another standout and new addition to
the team was junior Steve Marangos.
Led by new head coach Mr.
Yates and assistant coach Ms. Thacker,
the tigers defeated numerous teams
such as the rival Berkshire Bears. As
Sometimes, when things run
smoothly, no one bothers to question
or reflect upon what makes them so.
However, I would like to introduce you
to Victor Dotel, also known as Victor
from “the cage,” an individual who
has been a part of our community for
almost eight years. His job is crucial
in ensuring the flow of everyday life
at our school. While Victor admits that
“it can get pretty stressful and crazy at
times,” he works hard to prepare and
manage our gymnasium and much of
our sports equipment; yet, few people
are aware of what really makes him
a hero and worthy of recognition.
Victor was born and grew up
in the Dominican Republic. Spurred on
by poor economic conditions, he applied
for a permit that would enable him to try
his luck in the United States, if only for a
short, fixed period of time. In 1989, after
being rejected twice by the US embassy,
he and fifty-three other members of
his community knew that they had to
find another way to change their lives,
and took matters into their own hands.
Together, they built a boat that
they hoped would take them to Puerto
Rico, where it would be relatively easy
to gain entry into the US. Realistically,
only half the people who attempted
this task generally accomplished it,
due to dangers at sea. Seventy-two
people, many of whom Victor knew
well, had all drowned not long prior to
his own attempt at leaving the country.
Luckily, after a two day
journey under extremely stormy and
tight conditions, the makeshift boat
made it to Puerto Rico. Victor was
forced to beg for temporary shelter
until he could secure a ticket to New
York. After three days, he was finally
on his way to the United States, where
he met up with a few family members.
To some, this may seem
the boys’ team looked forward to the
rest of their season, Co-captain Steve
Root noted, “Lime face. Lemon face.”
The unstoppable girls’ team
were almost undefeated for the season.
Led by four-year senior and Captain
Alison Leonard, the tiger team was
small but full of talent. Returning varsity
runners included juniors Margot Genvert
and Jenny Schnaak and sophomore
Ally Nelson. Strong and experienced
additions to the varsity team this year
were Juniors Katy Higgins and last
year’s JV New England Champion
Anna Childs, and sophomore Becca
Joslow. New students and varsity
runners included junior Katy Heydinger
and sophomore Tsuneko Jarris.
Led by experienced coaches
Ms. Cohen and Ms. Alekseeva,
the girls have had an undefeated
season the past three years and they
Victor Dotel: A Hero Uncovered
Monica Markowski ’07
a happy ending, but it was just the
beginning. At this point in time, Victor
was without money, and without any
means to support himself. Determined,
he quickly took charge and did what
he had to do to make ends meet. He
worked at various jobs, including ones
at grocery stores, restaurants, and even
at Shea Stadium, home of the Mets.
Victor says, “it wasn’t hard to find jobs
that were just good enough to get by on.”
In 1993, he found himself
in Springfield, Massachusetts, where
he worked odd jobs until he had the
The bell has been a popular
Suffield tradition and campus mark since
its early days. As an important landmark
for the school, it is important to know
what we as a community use it for.
There are two circumstances in
which the bell is rung: celebrating team
victories and senior commencement.
Besides these two situations, the Bell
is to remain at peace overlooking Bell
Hill. For new students unaware of
these circumstances, it goes like this:
When your team wins a game or match,
the team can go up and ring the bell
together. Each team may decide to ring
the bell differently than others. Some
choose to lift up their teammates, while
photo by Cole Archambault ’06
Ringing the Bell
Bianca Molta ’07
continue to keep the tradition alive.
When asked about her
cross-country experience overall this
year, Captain Alison Leonard wrote,
“Practice is one of the bests part of my
day. We’re just a bunch of crazy girls
who like to run and have fun. You go
to practice and you know that you
are going to train hard, but you also
know that you will laugh hysterically.”
The girls earned their
championship win at home on
November 12, when Suffield hosted
hundreds of runners -- boys and
girls -- on a sunny, warm, muddy
day. Both the boys’ and girls’ teams
boasted impressive performances. The
girls’ win was particulary satisfying
because they finished second in 2004.
opportunity to become a security guard
on a fulltime basis, working extremely
long hours. He came here as a security
guard when construction of the new
dorms began. While here for the first time,
Victor expressed interest in working at
Suffield Academy permanently, and four
months later he began his present job.
Today, Victor is one of the best
known and liked people at SA; yet, he is
also a junior at American International
College in Springfield, MA, a newspaper
deliverer at 3:00 in the morning six days
a week, and a happy husband and father
of five children. (Many of you have seen
little Victor running around campus!)
Overall, Victor’s dedication
to our community and the endurance
he possesses in pursuing seemingly
impossible goals are remarkable qualities.
others have their captain(s) give the bell
a ring. The main point of this is to let the
community know of the team’s victory.
The second circumstance in
which a student may ring the bell is at their
graduation. Seniors, on commencement,
each get a chance to individually ring
the bell. Not only is it usually a popular
photo opportunity but a memorable
piece of the Suffield experience.
Keeping the bell a special tradition is
the reason for the two opportunities for
ringing it. Saving your opportunity to
ring the bell at a special point in your
Suffield career is highly encouraged
and hopefully practiced by all.
Bell: How surprised were
you that your win came so early in the
season? What did the team do well that
enabled them to win that game?
Krasemann: “We are surprised
by every win. [We won because] the
other team was worse than we were.”
Toutounas: “[Deerfield, the
team they defeated 2-1 in their fourth
game of the season] didn’t have skills
or talent that our team had. Our team
was obviously very well-trained and
prepared to meet the opposition.”
Bell: How do you pump your
team up before a game?
Krasemann: “You don’t want
to know.”
Toutounas: “There are always
a few threats. We don’t want them
to think they’re
invincible -- we want them to know
there’s a battle ahead.”
Bell: How do you usually run
your practices? Is it a more laid-back
atmosphere, or do you bring the same
intensity to practices that, say, the varsity
team would?
Toutounas: “[Normally, during
practice,] they have to run, warm up, and
go through the rigors of practice. Then
they are rewarded with scrimmages.
They apply their skills [gained from
practice] in their games. If God wills,
they might win.”
Krasemann: “If the other team
stinks.”
Bell: What do you hope that
your players will take away from this
season?
Toutounas: “A sense of good
sportsmanship, and an appreciation for a
great game. As in life, you don’t always
win [in soccer].”
Bell: What constitutes a
successful season for you?
Krasemann: “[A successful
season is one in which] nobody breaks
their nose. [As far as wins] we like to
win one game per season.”
Bell: What is unique about this
team? Is there anything that makes them
stand out from past teams?
Krasemann: “They are even
worse than last year’s team.”
Toutounas: “We miss Oak.”
Bell: What is the best part of
coaching Tiger B?
Toutounas: “The camaraderie.
They love to win, but they know
how to take a loss. Some players
from other teams cry after a loss
-- our players don’t cry.”