Varsity teams from across the Capital region had successful seasons in every single spring sport. Many teams and individual student-athletes secured state championships, and others had deep postseason runs, which were testaments to the talent in the area.

Three times a year, the Monitor names players of the season for every varsity sport in the fall, winter and spring. These awards are earned through sportsmanship, talent, dedication, leadership, individual statistics and a big impact on team success, among other factors.

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.

His shifty movements and intelligent positioning saw him find the right spots to score. Bean led the Bears in assists by a wide margin by creating space and finding cutting teammates from wherever he stood.

He kept a clean sheet in penalties as well and was gritty but sportsmanlike. Bean also recorded 13 ground balls and occasionally created a few turnovers on offense.

Girls’ Lacrosse: Taylor Gionet, Merrimack Valley

The Pride had a huge run in the playoffs, and it was in large part thanks to senior goalie Taylor Gionet.

She 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 averaget, and the Pride had one of the toughest defenses in the division.

Always sporting her staple checkered pajama pants while tending net, Gionet managed to stay acrobatic and awake in goal. She was the one and only goalkeeper for the team and played every game through the state championship.

Gionet will continue playing in goal at New England College in the fall and bring energy and grit to hold down the Pilgrims’ goal.

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 and a very low 0.966 WHIP. On every statistical measure, he was dominant. He finished the season with 105 strikeouts and kept opposing batters at bay with a .141 batting average against.

At the plate, Philibotte had a .371 batting average and led the Generals in on-base percentage. Even though his team fell in the state championship game to Souhegan, he left it all out there for John Stark.

Philibotte will stay local and recently committed to continue pitching for Franklin Pierce University, which made the D-II baseball championship at the NCAA level.

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, and she got on base often to run the bases herself. Even when her team faced its toughest challenge of the season in the state tournament semifinals against Coe-Brown, Smith was key to the team’s attempts to come back and make up a deficit.

On the defensive side, errors were very few and far between for Smith as a shortstop. On the mound, she was a consistent winner with a cool and calm demeanor.

Smith will play at Central Connecticut State University at the Division I level beginning this fall.

Boys’ Outdoor Track: Rio Calle, John Stark

Calle has been one of the best jumpers in the state for the past two years and cemented his legacy this season by breaking the state long jump record. Calle 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; he won the Division II long jump title a week prior with a leap of 22-0.75.

While Calle’s best event is the long jump (he regularly would reach 21-22 feet in meets), he was skilled in many of the field events, also finishing second in D-II the javelin, sixth in the triple jump and seventh in the high jump. He singlehandedly scored 19 of John Stark’s 54 points, leading the Generals to fifth place as a team in D-II.

Calle previously won the D-II long jump title in 2023 and finished as the division’s runner-up in the long jump in 2024.

Girls’ Outdoor Track: Grace Saysaw, Concord

With four Division I titles, four Meet of Champions titles, two New England runner-up finishes, two state records and a team championship, Saysaw put together an outstanding junior year resume.

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.

Saysaw initially broke the D-I standards on May 30 at the D-I championship at Portsmouth High School, where the Crimson Tide won its first girls’ track title since 1988. Saysaw’s 100 time of 12.07 seconds broke a record that had stood since 1988, and her 200 time of 24.41 bested a D-I record set in 1970.

Two weeks later, at New Englands at Willow Brook Park in New Britain, Conn., she lowered those times even further to 12.00 in the 100 and 24.29 in the 200, besting the previous state records of 12.01 (set in 2014) and 24.44 (set in 1970), respectively.

Saysaw was also a force in the relays, anchoring both Concord’s 4x100 and 4x400-meter teams to victory at both the D-I championships and the MOC.

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.

Miller’s serve and technique at the baseline earned him lots of victories. His quick reactions and volleys at the net made him a difficult opponent to draw out. Always poised, with strong topspin and a quick wrist shot, he was a leader and mentor for the Kearsarge team.

Ranked amongst the top boys’ players in the state, he reached the semifinals in the boys’ singles tournament, falling to the eventual champion, Alex Molda of St. Thomas.

Miller will take his talents to the University of New England to continue playing tennis at the collegiate level.

Girls’ Tennis: Tucker Dragon, Kearsarge

Dragon, a freshman, made an immediate impact in her rookie season with Kearsarge. The Cougars, who went 3-11 and missed the playoffs in 2024, improved to 11-5 and reached the Division III semifinals, nearly taking down No. 1 Gilford in an eventual 5-4 semifinal loss.

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. Dragon’s impressive play throughout the season earned her a spot in the NHIAA state singles tournament, a significant honor, especially for a freshman. Only 30 players are selected from the entire state, and Dragon was one of just seven D-III players represented.

She faced a tough opponent in the opening round, Portsmouth’s Aia Tracz, who led the Clippers to the D-II final, ultimately falling in the first round, 8-4.

The Cougars will be counting on Dragon next season with the departure of six seniors.

Boys’ Volleyball: Ryan Kouchoukos, Coe-Brown

The Bears’ undefeated, championship-winning season would not have been possible without the leadership and consistency of Kouchoukos.

He was 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.

Coe-Brown was dominant all season long and only dropped three sets in 19 matches. Sweeping your opposition is no easy task, and Kouchoukos was a stalwart in keeping his team ahead.