Athletics Photos

The season for the junior varsity Panthers was an eventful one. Through the ups and downs, the team stuck together, dealt with injuries and persevered through some dramatic games. This year’s promising freshman class was the backbone of the team for much of the season. Despite their neophyte status, several members of the freshman class grew immensely throughout the season.

The Panthers finished 9-12 overall and 4-8 in league play. For the first time in a long time, the JV squad had a chance to clinch a playoff berth but were unable to beat a talented Calhoun team to earn the spot in late January. Despite the disappointing loss, the team continued to fight and ended the season on a high note against Trinity in what may have been the highlight of the entire season.

Buoyed by the support of their rabid fans comprised not only of the student body but also many of the faculty, the JV team made a valiant comeback at home to win the game by 11 points. Emotions were at an all-time high in a positive way and, given the circumstances, the season could not have ended any better for the JV squad. The future is bright for Browning basketball on all levels, and we are looking forward to more success next year. View photos.

–Coach James Miller

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The Browning varsity squash team finished its first year with an impressive record of six wins and three losses. This stat is all the more impressive because we faced much older and experienced players. Our varsity team is relatively young – the four oldest players are in Form IV and the other eight are in the younger grades. The age and size discrepancy largely contributed to our losses, which were nonetheless all close matches. Most important, everyone had fun, and we look forward to a much more competitive season next year. View photos.

–Coach Roland Lafontant

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The seventh and eighth grade Red team had a strong season, winning 13 out of 15 games (10-2 conference), and defeating the top seed in the league, Columbia Prep, on their home court. Browning led the league in defense, only allowing on average 20 points a game. The team was well known for their pressure “havoc” trapping style defense. Leading that pressure were William Bousquette ’21 and Maxwell Beem ’20. The Browning Big-3 comprised of William Hatfield ’20, Robert Michaelson ’20 and Hercules Sotos ’21, were a dominant back line who valued rebounding and blocking shots. Skyler Bell ’21 led the offense, and his speed and dribbling skills created lots of scoring opportunities for him and his teammates. Skyler also led the team in points per game with just over 12 per game. Every player contributed to the success of the team, and in 10 out of 15 games, every player on the team scored at least once. View photos.

–Coaches Lauck Blake and Gerald Colds

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With this collection of 16 young men, the phrase “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” could not be more true. Individually this team was made up of some beginners and some boys who lacked confidence, but once they came together they were a force to be reckoned with.

With hard work, trust and the occasional happenstance of remembering a play, this team finished the season 10-2. While it took a lot to get there, the great thing is that they arrived together... as a TEAM! The lessons learned on the basketball court this season will be invaluable tools in each boy's game of life. It was a pleasure taking this journey with this team, and to all Browning Panthers... Excelsior! View photos.

–Coaches Lance Williams, Elijah Franze and Andrew Wolf

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The sixth grade team had big sneakers to fill this year, after last year's undefeated season. The team started strong, winning games that on paper they could have easily lost. The best game of the season was against a strong and big Allen Stevenson, which the Mini Panthers won by one point. Although the team finished with a 3-5 record, at no time did the boys throw in the towel; they should be proud of their commitment and their ability to stick to the task and give their all.

A special mention must go to William Rich ’22, who was our top scorer for the season with 87 points from eight games and led the team by example. I look forward to watching these youngsters compete for spots on the seventh and eighth grade team next year. View photos.

–Coach David Watson

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The fifth grade team had a great learning experience in their first season of Browning athletics. The purpose of fifth grade basketball is to teach fundamental skills, sportsmanship and how to be a good teammate. These boys are a tight-knit group of friends who competed with class. Though the boys finished the season with only one win, they learned the fundamental skills and tactical awareness necessary to be successful at the next level. View photos.

–Coach Matthew Brown

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This season started with a successful soccer camp in late August with a record number of players in attendance. But no sooner that the boys had returned than the first match was upon them, taking them by surprise. Although the match was a tie, the Panthers allowed a late-tying goal, and, unfortunately, that seemed to be the theme for most of the season.  

The boys played hard and competed well in every match but would lose by the odd goal in a number of fixtures. Added to that, the squad lost two of their defensive starters in mid-season, which affected the make-up of the team.

However, the players certainly improved over the course of the year, and I look forward to 2016 with the core of players returning to do battle on the fields at Randall’s Island. View photos.

--Coach David Watson

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This was a rebuilding year for junior varsity as we welcomed many new players to the team, a number of whom were new to the sport. Despite the challenges, the group became a solid unit by the end of the year. We started building from the back, focusing on making our opponents earn (almost) every goal they scored. By mid-season, we were adept at the possession game, often holding the ball for the majority of matches even when we came up short on the scoreboard.

Unfortunately, the goal-scoring aspect of the game eluded us through the end of the season, and consequently, looking at our results does not adequately represent the progress this team made over the course of the season. This was a team that played like a team. We had no single player who stood out, but rather, the coordinated efforts of each boy made this season a valuable experience. View photos.

--Coaches Jeff Lisciandrello and Lauck Blake

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The varsity cross country team participated in the NYCAL Championships at Van Cortland Park. With a slight breeze and a sunny sky, the running conditions were excellent, but the tone of the event was somber following the loss of the young man from Loyola earlier in the week. Spectators, coaches and participants observed a moving minute of silence in his memory. In terms of Browning’s runners, Ivan Maslennikov, the captain and best runner on the team, was suffering from a cold and made the wise decision not to run. Moreover, two weeks ago, one the five top runners decided to quit the cross-country squad for personal reasons. As a result, Browning's remaining runners, feeling diminished both in number and morale, struggled to generate the energy and focus required for a strong finish. I, along with the boys who are committed to the sport, are eager to put this season behind us and focus on energy in the 2016 season. View photos.

--Coach Dominique Bernard

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The seventh and eighth grade soccer team had a very successful season. We had a very deep team of boys who competed all season long, showing marked improvement both individually and as a team. The boys were quite possibly playing their best soccer as the season came to a close. We finished with a 6-4-1 overall record, finishing the season strong with three straight victories. It was a pleasure coaching the boys this season, and as coaches we were very pleased with the progress they made since the start of the year. The future is bright for next year’s team as we bring back a lot of talent and experience. We wish our departing eight graders good luck, and we know they will have a profound impact on the Upper School soccer program next year. Thanks for a great season! View photos.

--Coaches Matt Brown and Mike Cohn

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Having just completed my second season with the Middle School cross country runners, I am pleased to report that interest in running and enthusiasm for the team remains high and has even increased since last year. The team boasted 10 runners this year. Ryan Aotani’s injury early on put him on the disabled list for the entirety of the season, which was a setback that revealed some weaknesses in the team. Co-captains Alex Kwok and Sharif Nsouli did an excellent job of marshaling the runners, leading stretching circles, keeping times, and suggesting routes. Giovanni Taveras and Alex Naber proved themselves the fastest of their teammates, finishing in the top 10 at the final meet. The competition between them was healthy and invigorating for the whole team. Logan Flynn, Alec Candidato, Keaton Ramey and Christian Kim were consistently ready to run with good attitudes, each of them getting stronger and more confident every week. Eric Sigg taught us all valuable techniques and demonstrated the value of regular running on one’s own time. His dedication to the sport and the enthusiasm of all the runners promise great things for next year’s Middle School and varsity teams. Indeed, a good number of our runners are interested in doing more this year by petitioning to join the Winter Running Club and Track teams. View photos.

--Coach John Young

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On November 3, the Randall's Island soccer season concluded with a game in Central Park vs. St. Bernard's involving a select group of Browning fifth and sixth grade boys who show real promise in soccer. St. Bernard's dominated play throughout the game, with a final score of 8-1. The Browning boys exhibited good citizenship on and off the field, day in and day out. The young Panthers fared much better in a game held last week vs. St. David's, where Browning was victorious by a score of 2-0.

However, the bulk of the season is not reflected in these two very special games played by 20 Browning boys, but rather in an intramural tournament involving all 57 of the boys.

Coach West, Coach Wolf and I felt that this was one of our best seasons ever, with a high level of play on the field and with an ever-increasing level of sportsmanship and positive teamwork amongst the boys. Our focus was to help each boy grow stronger and more confident in his soccer abilities and to help them realize that they each have a valuable contribution to make to the team.

Please congratulate these young men on a job well done. View photos.

--Coach Marcia Wallace

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The varsity baseball team had a very successful 2015 season. Finishing with a 6-4 regular season record, the team clinched the NYCAL 2015 regular season championship and secured a berth in the NYSAIS Tournament. Led by co-captains Alec Morea ’15 and Junior Anthony Carrasco ’16, the boys had both the most prolific offense and the stingiest pitching staff in the league. The team played excellent defense and displayed great team chemistry, jumpstarted with our spring training trip to Florida in the pre-season.

With a young, deep and talented team returning next year, Browning is poised to build on their excellent season in the future, but it will be tough to replace our ace, Alec! We have never been more proud to be the coaches of such a wonderful group of gentlemen. Go, Panthers! –Coaches West, Zeuner, Brown and Cohn

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The Panthers had a very successful season, finishing 6-2 in league play and 7-3 overall. They ended the season by earning their unprecedented fifth straight NYCAL Tournament title.

Singles players Del Schunk ’16 at #1, George Allen ’17 at #2 and Jaime Gomez-Sotomayor-Roel ’18 at #3 anchored the team, with George and Del earning medals in the tournament.

Doubles teams Oliver Obeid ’20 and Calvin Sherman ’19 playing as #1 doubles won a medal in the tournament. William Abelt ’15 and Peter Florescu ’15 playing as # 2 doubles evolved their play consistently throughout the season, culminating with their last tournament match victory to secure the title for Browning by one point.

Each of the alternate players, Teddy Florescu ’18, Grant Thompson ’18 and Sharif “Reef” Nsouli ’20, gained valuable match experience and contributed to the team’s success.

Del Schunk earned the MVP award for his fifth straight undefeated season in league play, and Oliver Obeid earned the Rookie of the Year award for his multiple victories in both doubles and singles.

Above all, our captains Peter Florescu ’15 and William Abelt ’15 led by example, with our players exhibiting respect for the game through their sportsmanship all season. Thank you to the Browning community for their support.–Coach Klein

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The 2015 NYCAL season reached a riveting conclusion and delivered its verdict on Tuesday, May 12, at Riverbank Stadium. The Browning School boys were just edged out by a strong, experienced Calhoun School team who won the competition. Excellent results for our boys! Yet, it was not as simple as it seems.

Track is a difficult sport, and every track and field runner deserves respect. The last two weeks have not been easy for the Browning varsity track team. At a crucial moment of the season, some of the boys were less motivated and with attendance at practice has increasingly inconsistent, our results at last week’s meet fell short of those we have achieved in the past. After much consideration, I decided to convene only the 10 boys who qualified for the NYCAL championships held yesterday at Riverbank Stadium. I also decided to bow out of several events, as it was highly unlikely we would score points. As a reminder, the scoring for each race is 10-8-6-4-2-1. For example, if a runner ranks seventh in the mile, he does not bring any points to his team and he has wasted his energy for any subsequent events. I simply asked our runners to enjoy the meet, have a pleasant time and concentrate their energy on our strongest areas, the three relay races.

This strategy worked very well. Winning second place is an excellent result, indeed, and we all can be very proud of the boys! We won the 4X400, the 4X800 and placed third in the 4x100. The relays are really the most spectacular races, and watching them yesterday gave me chills. The Browning boys enflamed the entire stadium during those three events. Christopher Keyko, Diego Lopez-Liranzo, Connor Harkins and Yvan Maslennikov were outstanding during the 4X800. The quartet of Brandon Keno, Diego Lopez-Liranzo, Jamil Guzman and Connor Harkins won the 4X400 with poise and courage. Arthur Mensah, Jamil Guzman, Michael O'Connor and Brandon Keno placed third in the 4x100, raking in six more points in the general classification. Captain Christopher Keyko, who has been impeccable during his entire track and cross country career at Browning, finished second in the 3200, followed by Norman Degado in fourth and Yvan Maslennikov in fifth. Alexander Young finished third in the long jump. The season is not over, since we are slated to participate in the NYSAISAA outdoor Track & Field Championships on Wednesday, May 20. Whatever happens during this last meet, the 2015 varsity track season will remain in my mind as one of the most difficult but also a most rewarding and captivating experience. –Coach Bernard
 

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With only two members of the team returning from last year and neither one a senior, the varsity golf team was young and fairly inexperienced. The goal, therefore, was to improve their scores every match, regardless of the result, and this they did!

By the end of the season, the players had improved their skills and bettered their scores by seven shots on average. Considering the matches are over a nine-hole course, that becomes quite an achievement.

The future looks bright for golf at Browning, with Middle School players ready to step into the varsity squad next year and continue the quest for glory! –Coach Watson

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The 7-8 baseball team is filled with talent. From a strong pitching rotation to a solid rally hitting lineup, the Panthers are currently 7-2 and on their way to capping off an impressive season. Team captain Eric Pena has had stellar performances on the mound with four wins and no losses, along with Will Eun pitching like an ace throughout the season. Gabe Flicker provides power in the lineup, while Jesse Starr bats in front of him with one of the best on-base percentages in the league. Excellent defensive play has been the calling card of these Panthers. Whether it’s Zack Brown making diving catches in center, or Wes Bauer robbing hitters of singles up the middle, the team as a whole took away opponents’ opportunities to score by playing together and communicating. Jacob Kibel stole bases with ease, utilizing excellent speed and tenacity on the base paths and providing much needed runs in crucial moments late in games. With a combination of great talent and terrific fundamental play in these 7th-8th graders, it’s safe to say Browning has a bright future with its baseball program. –Coaches Wolf & McKenna

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The Browning Panthers put together a successful 2014-15 squash season. Led by seasoned captain Alex Gottdiener, the Panthers showed much improvement both tactically and technically through the year. Fueled by an energetic influx of Middle School boys and the addition of the Harmonie Club group, the Browning squad enters next season primed for even more success.

The Panthers practice Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3:30-4:20 p.m. Practices generally comprise of conditioning games, supervised match-play and squash conditioning and flexibility. We look forward to more success and growth next year! –Coaches Kapur and Lafontant

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When only one senior was at tryouts for varsity (and junior varsity) basketball, we knew it was going to be a difficult year. That being said, we set our team goals and made sure each player on the team knew they would be an integral part of the team's success. We started the season with a win, but found wins tough to come by as the season progressed. Success was measured on whether we were getting better as a team each and every day, rather than on wins. There were times throughout the season when we felt things were really starting to gel, and our players were buying in to the team concept in practices, but once the games started, we often strayed from the plan. The season ended with a first-round playoff loss at the hands of a very athletic and fast Calhoun team, but as coaches, we were proud that the whole team battled to the very end. Each boy on the team has an off-season checklist of things they must work on for next season. With a talented crop of Form II boys coming up, we are confident that we are on the right path. –Coaches West and Cohn

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The building blocks for this year's JV team were: development, competitiveness and having fun. Although young and new to the competitive high school basketball environment, the boys represented Browning in an impressive way. The boys showed “grytte” (always playing hard and never giving up), were adaptive (took something away from every game) and were always good sportsmen.

As a building year, it was very “successful.” Co-captains Luke Spellman ’17 and Teddy Florescu ’18 and Coach JJ (John Lindenthal) helped to motivate and move the team in the right direction. Luke (“shortest distance between two points is a straight line”) Spellman, who led the team in scoring, helped with many skillful drives to the loop which excited the entire team. Teddy (“no, I did not break my hand – just a finger”) Florescu was a real inspiration to the whole team. Philip (“not in my house”) Raftopoulos ’18, in one game, set a record for blocked shots. A few of his rejections silenced the entire gym. Finally, Coach (“yes, I have my stress ball”) JJ brought a refined basketball skill set to the boys. His knowledge of the game and hands-on experience helped increase the overall team performance. All in all, the season could be summed up as: grytte, education, sportsmanship and finally: “Let's go Panthers.” –Coaches Walker and Lindenthal

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