Lower School Athletes to Watch
When Ronin Kaplan ’23 was eight years old, he lost his first game 11-0 against a future top-ten player in US Junior Squash, but his love of the game lured him back. At Bronxville Middle School, he played at the number one spot and led his school to finish second in a national tournament.
David Prockop, coach of boys varsity squash, said, “Ronin will certainly be on the top half of varsity. He is a very promising player who has enough experience and understanding of the game.”
Ronin is teeming with anticipation and “is excited for his first game in high school level squash.”
Henry Haskell ’23 is a huge addition to boys varsity basketball, not only figuratively, but also literally. With a formidable stature and a deep-rooted love for the game, he will surely transfer his experience playing in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) to high school basketball.
Last year, he sustained a knee injury that sidelined him for many months. However, he believes that “having the injury made me a better teammate and understand the game from a coach’s perspective.”
Basketball is a family passion for Madison St. Clair ’23: she played for a club team her mother founded called the Renegades and now plays for the Huskies in central Massachusetts. Over the summer competing against players across the country and Canada, she renewed her love of basketball because of “how fast-paced and competitive it is.”
She noted that it will be a tough transition into high school basketball, but prepared “by shooting a lot over the break.” Looking ahead at the season, she said, “I look forward to playing with older girls and developing skills by playing outside my age group.”
Keira Ley ’24 is only in second form, but don’t let her age fool you: she has won three state championships and has been selected twice to play at a USA Hockey development camp. In addition, she plays for a selective team that competed in a tournament in Chamonix, France.
At five years old, she fell in love with the “feeling of skating down the ice and feeling the wind,” and she cherishes “the close friendships made while playing hockey.”
This winter, she will skate alongside her two sisters: Aine Ley ’22 and Neve Ley ’21. Keira’s versatility as a defensive player coupled with the support from her sisters sets her up as a rising superstar.
