For the first time in twenty-one years Concord Academy took home the Chandler Bowl after beating rival Pingree School in six out of ten matches. “It was a really remarkable win,” said Athletic Director Jenny Brennan. A 2–0 victory by the girls junior varsity volleyball team kicked off the day of athletic competition. The boys junior varsity soccer team followed up with a 2–1 win of its own. Then the boys cross-country team trounced its competition and the girls cross country team did the same. The girls junior varsity soccer team lost to Pingree 2–1 to round out the morning's action.
By 3:00 p.m., as the waning afternoon sun warmed the crowd at the Moriarty Athletic Campus, Concord Academy needed just one win to bring home the Chandler Bowl.The boys varsity soccer team handed in a hard fought 3–1 victory over Pingree. And then the girls volleyball team brought home the final victory with a 3-2 win in five very close sets. Girls varsity soccer and girls varsity field hockey both played hard but unfortunately lost their matches.
Success was certainly sweet for the athletes and the two hundred or so friends and family who turned out to watch the matches at the Moriarty Athletic Campus. This year, however, the Chandler Bowl was about more than just winning and losing. The Chandler Bowl for Changing Lives was a charity fundraiser in honor of three-year old Luke Seston, son of history teacher Sally Zimmerli and Tim Seston, who has cerebral palsy. CA athletes decided to raise money to sponsor children with cerebral palsy to attend the Minutekids Afterschool program—a program that benefits Luke and other children just like him.
According to Athletic Director Jenny Brennan, the students came up with the idea because “we believe in the power of athletics and in creating opportunities for children like Luke to share in the benefit of being part of a team.”
On Saturday, Luke did just that by participating in the coin toss before many of the games and, in general, happily stealing the spotlight from the athletes.
Through a combination of T-shirt sales and donations, a staggering $4,500 dollars was raised.
“This was a year of firsts. Our first win in twenty-one years, our first Chandler Bowl at the Moriarty Athletic Campus and the first year we have played it as a charity event. It was a very special day,” said Athletic Director Jenny Brennan.
Click here for photos of the day.