Concord Monitor Players of the Year

Every season, the Concord Monitor selects athletes who went above and beyond the competition in their respective sport, overcame adverse circumstances and exemplified the best of the best in NHIAA competitions.

Now that the year is coming to a close, it only seemed right to give them one more victory lap. The following list compiles every Concord Monitor Player of the Season for Winter 2024-25, Spring 2025 and Fall 2025. Here they are:

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Winter 2024-25

Boys’ basketball: Evan Berkeley, Pembroke

Berkeley emerged as the leader of Pembroke’s Spartans, capping his senior season by guiding the team to a Division II championship and earning D-II Player of the Year honors from the New Hampshire Basketball Coaches Organization. A complete guard, he led the team with 15.5 points per game while also contributing 1.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.9 rebounds, showcasing his shooting ability, defensive intensity, and all-around impact.

Girls’ basketball: Kayla Smith, MV

Smith had an outstanding senior season by surpassing 1,000 career points and leading Merrimack Valley to the Division II quarterfinals. Building on her D-II All-State Second Team honor as a junior, she earned First Team recognition after averaging 17.7 points and 13.5 rebounds per game, recording 18 double-doubles in 23 contests and establishing herself as one of the division’s toughest interior players. Finishing her career with 1,025 points, Smith became just the seventh girl in school history to reach the milestone, leaving a lasting legacy.

Boys’ hockey: Rowan Arndt, Concord

Senior forward Arndt finished his career with Concord’s Crimson Tide by scoring the Division I championship-winning goal in quadruple overtime against Bishop Guertin, highlighting a playoff run defined by clutch performances and leadership. Serving as team captain, Arndt’s selflessness and influence elevated those around him, while his production of 12 goals and 13 assists in 24 games was punctuated by a team-high five game-winning goals.

Girls’ hockey: Brooke Nelson, Concord

Nelson, now a junior leader on the team, had a breakout season for the Crimson Tide in 24-25. She led the team in both goals and assists while helping power one of Concord’s strongest runs in years, including a 15-5-0 record, a No. 2 seed, and a trip to the Division I semifinals. She scored a team-high 38 goals with four hat tricks, including a five-goal quarterfinal performance against Kingswood, and she added 32 assists to pace the Tide.

Boys’ Alpine skiing: Lucas Golden, Concord

Golden reached the podium at every level of competition, earning medals at the Division I championship and Meet of Champions before scoring highest overall in the Eastern High School Alpine Skiing Championships against elite skiers from across the East Coast to place New Hampshire second as a team.

Girls’ Alpine skiing: Ellie Worster, Concord

Worster showcased remarkable toughness and leadership during her senior season, battling through a dislocated shoulder at the Division I state championship to help keep Concord in title contention by finishing second in both the GS and slalom. As the leader of a deep Crimson Tide squad, her strong performances powered the team to a second-place finish at the D-I championship.

Boys’ Nordic skiing: Dean Ayotte, Concord

Ayotte anchored his team throughout the season, leading the Crimson Tide to a fourth-place finish at the Division I championship as the team’s top finisher in both the classic and freestyle races. He then finished third at the Meet of Champions. He further distinguished himself by earning All-State honors at the N.H. Nordic Coaches Series, the only Capital Area skier to do so in a field of public and private school competitors.

Girls’ Nordic skiing: Reese Bove, Hopkinton

Bove emerged as the top Capital Area Nordic skier after leading Hopkinton to a third-place finish in Division II and a strong showing in the statewide Coaches Series, capped by a fifth-place performance at the Meet of Champions. She placed sixth in freestyle and 14th in classic at the D-II championship, anchoring the Hawks’ success.

Boys’ swimming: Tucker Raymond, Coe-Brown

Raymond was dominant, winning two individual state titles and contributing to two scoring relays to help the four-swimmer Bears place fifth at the Division II championship. He captured the 200-yard individual medley by more than two seconds and won the 100-yard butterfly by eight seconds, then anchored a third-place 200 freestyle relay and swam on the fourth-place 200 medley relay.

Girls’ swimming: Lena Thompson, Bow

A four-year veteran of the Bow swimming program, Thompson concluded her senior season by helping the Falcons finish in fourth place at the Division II championship. Thompson’s victories in the 100-yard butterfly (58.71 seconds) and 100-yard freestyle (54.43) both set school records.

Boys’ indoor track: Rio Calle, John Stark

Calle led John Stark to a third-place finish at the Division II championship by defending his high jump title with a personal-best clearance of 6 feet, 4 inches and placing second in the long jump at 21-8.5. His analytical approach and steady improvement earned him qualification to New Englands, where he placed 12th in the high jump and 21st in the long jump.

Girls’ indoor track: Ella Goulas, Concord

Goulas helped Concord to a runner-up finish at the Division I championship, scoring the most points with two individual titles. She won the long jump at 17-8.75, placed third in the high jump, and ran a leg on the title-winning 4×200 relay, helping the team qualify for the New Balance Nationals Indoor Championship.

Wrestling: Jackson Hall, Bow

Hall was a key athlete in the growth and development of Bow’s wrestling program. Hall won back-to-back D-III titles at 215 pounds and finished third at the Meet of Champions to advance to New Englands in the 2024-25 season. As one of just two seniors on Bow’s roster, Hall was a captain of a relatively young team that didn’t have much experience at the varsity level and coached up his teammates to compete.

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Spring 2025

Boys’ Lacrosse: Gilbert Bean, Coe-Brown

Bean, a senior attacker, led the Bears in points with 78, followed closely behind by Sam Frye. Bean was the go-to guy on a well-balanced offense and helped Coe-Brown reach the D-III state championship game for the first time in program history.

Girls’ Lacrosse: Taylor Gionet, Merrimack Valley

Gionet, a goalie, only allowed opponents to score in double digits four times in 16 games and held down the goal when her team struggled to score at the other end of the field. Gionet posted an 8.86 goals-against average.

Baseball: Chase Philibotte, John Stark

The senior was named the Division II Player of the Year with high-level performances on the mound and at the plate to lead the Generals to a 17-3 overall record. Through 10 starts as a pitcher and 59 innings in total, Philibotte had an 8-1 record with a 1.31 ERA, very low 0.966 WHIP and 105 strikeouts. He had a .371 batting average and led the Generals in on-base percentage.

Softball: Kayla Smith, Merrimack Valley

Smith was named the Division II Player of the Year by the N.H. Softball Coaches Association for another stellar season with Merrimack Valley. She sported a .558 batting average to lead the Pride among the biggest bats in D-II. She amassed 25 RBIs with help from a .951 slugging percentage.

Boys’ Outdoor Track: Rio Calle, John Stark

Calle continued his success from the winter into the spring and leapt 23 feet, 7.25 inches in his last meet in a Generals uniform, on his sixth and final attempt. His mark was exactly 2 inches further than the previous record, set back in 1998. Calle posted that new state record at the Meet of Champions after he won the Division II long jump title a week prior with a leap of 22-0.75.

Girls’ Outdoor Track: Grace Saysaw, Concord

Saysaw showed that she is clearly the best sprinter in the state, sweeping the 100 and 200 meters at both the D-I championship and at the MOC before finishing second in both at New Englands, where she also set two state records.

Boys’ Tennis: Liam Miller, Kearsarge

Miller, a senior, led the charge during the Cougars’ Division III championship-winning season. He solidified his position as the top player for Kearsarge after five years on the team and was part of three championship wins. He also reached the singles tournament semifinal in a stellar final season.

Girls’ Tennis: Tucker Dragon, Kearsarge

A freshman during the spring 2025 season, Dragon led the way in the No. 1 singles position, going 13-3, while also picking up some wins at No. 1 doubles with a 4-4 record.

Boys’ Volleyball: Ryan Kouchoukos, Coe-Brown

Kouchoukos led the Bears to a boys’ volleyball state title as the libero on a strong and well-organized team. He led with 156 digs and was the team’s most prolific serve receiver. The senior’s effort on and passion for the defensive side of the game were a catalyst for a powerful attack.

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Fall 2025

Football: Colin Savard, Concord

Savard was followed closely wherever he went. At any moment, he could explode downfield for a big chunk play or a long touchdown. Savard rushed 194 times for a Division I and state-leading 1,382 yards in the regular season and 16 touchdowns with an efficient 7.1 yards per carry. His junior season was a success, and the hopes for advancing in the playoffs remain high for next season, as he can only go up.

Girls’ Volleyball: Liv Chandonnait, Belmont

Division III Player of the Year Liv Chandonnait led the Red Raiders to the semifinals, including a set win over top-seeded Inter-Lakes, with a standout season marked by consistency and all-around excellence. She contributed directly to 203 points, recorded 138 kills, 61 aces on 237 serves with just 22 errors, 175 digs, and 259 successful service receptions across 18 games.

Field Hockey: Caylin Worthen, John Stark

Senior Caylin Worthen was named to the Division II All-State First Team last season, and one-upped herself with another strong season to win the D-II Co-Offensive Player of the Year. She broke the school record for points with 149 and will become the first General to play D2 field hockey at Franklin Pierce.

Boys’ Soccer: Finan Murphy, Hopkinton

Murphy was a D-III All-State First Team player and was named as a top-11 player in high school soccer across all divisions this year. He scored 14 goals and 15 assists in his senior season to place fourth amongst all Hawks since 2006.

Girls’ Soccer: Madi Lamothe, John Stark

Junior Madi Lamothe led Division II in goals scored with 24 and provided five assists on an offensively talented Stark squad that was only shut out once. She reached the 100 point milestone and was named to the D-II All-State First Team.

Golf: Zach Nelson, Concord and Mady Savary, Bishop Brady

Nelson finished runner-up in D-I. He was named the 2025 NH Golf Association’s Jr Boys Elite Player of the Year after playing in 10 events on the tour this summer.

Savary led Bishop Brady to back-to-back D-III team titles and was the runner-up in the girls’ individual championship, just one stroke shy of the championship. She was the best NH girls’ golfer again in the regional championships and came in second place.

Boys’ Cross Country: Josiah Conley, Concord

Josiah Conley performed best at the Division I Championship. He led the Concord boys’ team with a third-place finish and returned the Tide team to the Meet of Champions for the first time since his freshman year.

Girls’ Cross Country: Maddy Lane, Hopkinton

Lane won her third consecutive Division III Championship and won the New England Interscholastic girls’ cross country championship to cap off an excellent and nearly perfect junior season.