As the school year comes to an end, Archer’s sports teams commemorated a year of practices, competitions and achievements at the annual Athletic Awards Night in the Zeller Student Center May 16 to celebrate upper school student athletes and gain insight into their seasons.

The event was split into three segments each dedicated to accomplishments of the fall, winter and spring sports teams. All athletes who participated in an Archer sport this year were invited to attend the event, along with their families and Archer coaches.

This year’s major award recipients were Evan Weingarten (’26) for Rookie of the Year, Sienna Ozar (’23) for Scholar-Athlete and Treasure Brown (’23) for Athlete of the Year. Weingarten said she worked extremely hard as a starting player for the varsity soccer team and greatly improved her defense skills throughout the season.

“I was really surprised when I found out I won Rookie of the Year because there are a lot of amazing athletes in the school, especially in ninth grade. Playing defense with my sister was a really big accomplishment, and it was so fun being together for her senior year and my freshman year,” Weingarten said. “Being recognized in front of my teammates, coaches and the Archer community felt really nice.”

Athletics Director Kim Smith opened the awards ceremonies, and then student athlete presenters shared the highlights from each of their seasons. The presenters announced the Panther — an award given to the athlete who best demonstrates the spirit of Archer Athletics — most improved, and MVP award recipients for their sport. Following the presentations, student athletes took team photos and enjoyed food, catered by CulinArt, in the courtyard.

Smith, along with Athletics Assistant Madison Witt, began preparing for the event over a month in advance. Advancement, the marketing department, the technology department and the facilities team were all involved in the planning of the event.

“It’s a big night for us, so we have to get everyone involved. There’s definitely a lot of planning that goes behind it,” Witt said. “I made sure that everyone knew the role that they needed to take on. On the night of, I ran though the presentations with the presenters and was there behind the scenes to make sure everything went smoothly.”

Sophomore Gabriella Specchierla presented the varsity cross country team’s awards and expressed her gratitude for her coaches’ support. Specchierla said she enjoyed the event because she was able to reunite with her teammates and coaches.

“It’s really nice to be able to support one another and have the whole team come out. It’s not only about celebrating cross country, but all the other sports as well,” Specchierla said. “It’s a really great night that was filled with all-around joy, and it’s great to share your accomplishments with your friends and other teams.”

Witt said the primary goal of Athletics Awards Night was to recognize the hard work of Archer’s student athletes.

“We have the awards that some of the athletes get, but the night, in general, is to celebrate all of the players and our accomplishments this season,” Witt said. “We all know and acknowledge that it’s not easy being a student here and then on top of that a student athlete, so we all really appreciate the time and dedication that you all put into sports.”