On Thursday, May 22, members of the Williston Northampton School community piled into the Phillips Stevens Chapel for the Wildcats’ annual Spring Athletics Awards Assembly – which honors spring sports teams and top senior athletes for their contributions to athletics at Williston.

Of the awards, Williston’s Athletic Leadership Award is one of the most prestigious, and it is presented to seniors who “have distinguished themselves through exceptional leadership, character and sportsmanship,” said Williston Director of Athletics Jade Morris.

Each year this award is presented to two student-athletes, one who participates in boys athletics and one who participates in girls athletics. Morris continued to say that the recipient of this award “leads by example, elevates those around them and represents Williston with pride and integrity.”

The two student-athletes to receive the 2025 Athletic Leadership Award were Jake Smith of Hadley and Lucy Hoyt of Hatfield.

Smith was a four-year member of the Wildcats baseball team, and a three-year member of the hockey team. He served as a captain in both sports throughout his senior year and was honored with the sportsmanship award in hockey for three straight seasons. He also earned that award in baseball this spring. Smith was described by Morris as selfless, hardworking, humble and “deeply committed to his teammates and the Williston community.”

She also went on to say Smith is the kind of leader that every team hopes for, which is something head hockey coach Derek Cunha echoed.

“From his first weeks on the hockey team as a sophomore, Jake exuded leadership,” Cunha said. “Even in a year with limited ice time, his voice was consistently heard — offering insights that coaches and older teammates quickly came to value. Over time, Jake became the model of what every coach hopes for: a selfless, hard-working athlete who always puts the team first. Whether on the ice, on campus or representing Williston elsewhere, Jake has led with integrity, humility and class.”

As for Hoyt, she was quite the standout athlete and leader herself. The Hatfield native was a five-year member of the Williston water polo team, and also competed for four years in both swimming and cross country. This past year she served as a captain in all three sports – which speaks to how Hoyt’s coaches and peers view her.

Hoyt is a multi-season recipient of the sportsmanship award and a two-time MVP in cross country. However according to Morris, her impact goes far beyond accolades.

“Her steady presence, tireless work ethic and deep commitment to her teammates have made her a leader in the truest sense,” Morris said. “She inspires through action, carries herself with grace and has left a lasting legacy on every team she’s been part of.”

Hoyt’s head swimming coach, David Koritkoski, had similar thoughts.

“When we were thinking about captains last year, Lucy was one of those automatic choices,” he said. “She has earned the respect of her teammates and coaches and has never failed to have a positive impact on those around her. The unselfishness she has displayed over her four years is what I will remember most.”