Including some of the top athletes in the school, the Hill School Class of 2023 impressed community members in achieving high athletic milestones.  From students on national teams to setting new school records, this class has proved itself athletically– on the court, field, track, and mat. 

Maggie Kondrath ’23 was an integral member of Hill’s varsity girls field hockey team.  More so, she is a member of U-18 Women’s National Team.  “Having the opportunity to be apart of the USA U18 National Team was truly like no other. With this, I was blessed to travel to the Netherlands this past April with the team to compete against the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium’s top U18 teams. It was truly an amazing trip and experience and I was truly grateful to be apart of an amazing team of women,” Kondrath said. Next year, she looks forward to playing on Duke University’s division 1 team. 

At the start of her season, Sarah Kenvin ’23 had the 100-meter record time in the back of her head, hoping to set a new school record.  Not only did she break the girls 100 meter dash record with a time of 12.49 seconds, Kenvin also broke three individual and two relay records.  Specifically, in addition to the 100 meter record, she broke the 55 meter, 60 meter, 4X100, and the sprint medley.  She was also the captain for both the girls indoor and outdoor track and field teams.   

Kenvin shared her gratitude for the support she has received. “I have suffered a lot with injuries throughout the last few years, and my coaches as well as the trainers have been great with being smart about how to approach my season physically to ensure I make it without injury to the end,” Kenvin said. “My teammates have been nothing but amazing and supportive. They have celebrated my wins with me and lifted me up after bad performances. They keep me optimistic and energetic, and I look forward to seeing them every practice.” 

Looking towards the basketball court, Augie Gerhart ’23 reached one thousand points in his final season with Hill’s varsity boys basketball.  He praises the Hill Boys Basketball team for helping him reach his goal. Without them, he believes he would not have reached one thousand points.   

“I would not have even gotten close to the goal without them. The whole coaching staff helped so much with many facets of basketball including skill work, breaking down film, helping me feel more comfortable in the offence, and many more things,” Gerhart said. “It is hard to name every way that they helped. As far as my team is concerned, I would not have scored any points without them. They all helped so much, everyone. From getting me better in practice, to bringing bench energy, helping me keep my head, giving me great passes to easy buckets, having great spacing, hitting open shots so teams could not double, and much, much more. I would not have had half my success without them.” 

Hill boys wrestling had two 6th formers achieve their 100th win this past winter season: Colby Isabelle ’23 and Hunter Sloan ’23.  Isabelle went into the season knowing that achieving that 100th win was in sight, and it was something he always dreamed of achieving.  “Hill has taught me what it means to truly dedicate yourself to your sport and so think that will be beneficial in college. Most importantly Hill has taught me to build and foster strong relationships with teammates and coaches that go far beyond the constraints of the practice room,” said Isabelle.   

Similarly, Sloan achieved his 100th win during his winter season.  

“It’s always been a dream of mine to join the 100-win club,” Sloan said. “In the hill wrestling room we have plaques and names of every single wrestler who has reached 100 wins in their career, and I am just happy that I can join this wall with some of the greats.  

“This was never my ultimate goal, but it’s one that I am proud of,” Sloan said. “I couldn’t imagine being on any other team or having any other coach I would want to celebrate this milestone with me. I am truly humbled to have my name alongside some of the greats of our sport.” 

Hill’s varsity girls lacrosse Sam Cifra ’23 recorded her 400th save during a game against MAPL rival Peddie on April 29.   

“I am just appreciative of my team and coaches for making it feel so special,” Cifra said.  

Meanwhile, on the softball field, Aryanna Bodge ’23 ended her season with 100 strikeouts in the first inning of the May 10 Friends Central game.  She has been the Hill varsity girls softball pitcher for the past two years.  

“I was very excited to finally hit 100 strikeouts this year because this has been one of the best seasons I’ve had at Hill,” Bodge said. “I’ve put a lot of time into pitching since I was 10 but I couldn’t have done it without the girls by my side to support me every day.  

“My biggest supporter has been Belle DiCampello for being my cornerstone even since we were little,” Bodge said. “She always knew how to keep me in line during the bad innings, put a smile on my face when the competition was high, and pushed me to be better.  All credit goes to my catcher, drove mate, and best friend.” 

It is also important to note two school records broken by 6th form during the 2021-2022 school year. On the track, Quinn Craig ’23 broke the 13-year-old 55m dash record with a time of 6.56 seconds. Craig was the captain of the boys indoor track and field team for both the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons. 

During her 5th form year, on Saturday February 5, 2022, Summer Lam ’23 broke the oldest Hill School girls swimming record in the 100 butterfly. Lam is the captain of the girls swimming team for the 2022-2023 season.   

 As these athletes take their next step in college athletics, they will use what they learned during their time at Hill. Dedication and building strong relationships with teammates and coaches will set future college athletes up for success and we cannot wait to see what milestones they will reach in college.