Middle School Athletes Honored at Award Ceremony
Another successful athletic season was cause for celebration at the Middle School Winter Sports Awards Ceremony on March 16. Seventh and eighth graders, faculty, and parents filled the Middle School Community Room at the all-school assembly, which recognized athletes for their accomplishments and contributions to their teams. Some exciting highlights of the season included the Boys Varsity Soccer Team winning the San Fernando Valley Private School League Championship, the Girls Varsity and Boys JV Soccer Teams advancing to the Finals, and the Boys Varsity Basketball Team making the playoffs. According to Middle School Athletic Director Lisa Steenport, this was the most successful season for Milken’s soccer program to date.
Each team member was recognized, receiving hearty applause when their names were announced and they walkedto the front of the room to receive their certificates. Coaches praised the athletes for their determination, dedication, and growth. Student speakers recounted their seasons, noting their successes and lessons learned. Some common themes reiterated were about never giving up, always working hard to improve, and developing teamwork skills. They also spoke about how much fun they had playing sports.
Sofia Goldenstein ’23, a member the Girls Varsity Soccer Team and recipient of the Newcomer of 2018 award, addressed the crowd, acknowledging that the season was a “great learning experience ...I improved a lot from the soccer player I was at day one,” she commented.
Most Improved Player of the Tennis Team Chloe Rastegar ’23, offered a similar reflection, and expressed how much she learned over the course of the season. She described how her bad habits faded away as she learned the fundamentals of the game.
JV Black Basketball TeamDefensive Player of 2018, Troy Yroshalmiane ’23, lamented not making the playoffs, but still enjoyed the ride. “For every game, we tried our best and did not give up,” he said. “Overall our season was very successful and we had a lot of fun on the journey.”
Milken Team Tournament winner Aaron Baker ’22, a first year member of the Milken Tennis Team, told the crowd he did not know what to expect when he joined the team. “The coaches helped me improve my forehand, my backhand, and my self-confidence. My team and I had a lot of fun playing together as we improved our tennis skills.”
Captain’s Award winner Dex Frank ’22 and Team Player Award winner Xavier Redding ’22 — members of the champion Boys Varsity Soccer Team — reflected on their winning season and the tweaks they made as it progressed. “[At first,] we were playing as individuals and not talking or playing like an effective team,” explained Frank. Redding added, “So, we talked it through as a team and trained hard four days a week, every week with a lot of dedication.”
Steenport summed up the season saying, “The greatest success for the winter season beyond the wins was the number of participants engaged in after school athletics … Between the four soccer teams, boys basketball, and coed tennis and golf we had 99 student athletes!”
Middle School Sports Awards Assembly
Winter Season 2018 Award Winners
Co-Ed Tennis
Coach: Tark Dano
Tournament Winner:
Tournament Winner:
Aaron Baker ’22
Most Improved Player:
Chloe Rastegar ’23
Most Improved Player:
Boys White Basketball
Coach: Justin Flint
Offensive Player of 2018:
Shaya Schwarz ’23
Defender Player of 2018:
Solomon Margolis ’23 Boys JV Black Basketball
Coach: Elijah Kirkland- Cuffee
Hustle Award of 2018:
Hustle Award of 2018:
Andrew Shirian ’23
Defender Player of 2018:
Troy Yroshalmiane ’23
Defender Player of 2018:
Troy Yroshalmiane ’23
Boys JV Soccer
Coaches: Bastiaan Beukema and Elliott Turner
Defensive Player of 2018:
Defensive Player of 2018:
Teddy Gillman ’23
Captain’s Award:
Brett Damavandi ’23
Captain’s Award:
Brett Damavandi ’23
Leadership Award:
Nick Nehorayan ’23
Nick Nehorayan ’23
Offensive Player of 2018:
Hudson Goldman ’23
Hudson Goldman ’23
Boys Varsity Soccer
Coaches: Bastiaan Beukema and Elliott Turner
Coaches: Bastiaan Beukema and Elliott Turner
Defensive Player of 2018:
Ilay Vayzer ’23
Ilay Vayzer ’23
Captain’s Award:
Dex Frank ’22
Dex Frank ’22
Team Player Award:
Xavier Redding ’22
Xavier Redding ’22
Offensive Player of 2018:
Seth Cohen ’23
Seth Cohen ’23
Co-Ed Golf
Coach: Dan Brink
Coach: Dan Brink
Male Golfer of 2018:
Ethan Hoffman ’22
Ethan Hoffman ’22
Female Golfer of 2018:
Arianna Hoffman ’23
Arianna Hoffman ’23
Boys JV Royal Basketball
Coach: Justin Kuhn
Coach: Justin Kuhn
Most Valuable Teammate of 2018:
Ethan Pakravan ’23
Ethan Pakravan ’23
Most Valuable Player of 2018:
Pierce Gabayzadeh ’23
Pierce Gabayzadeh ’23
Boys Varsity Basketball
Coach: Dante Sarmiento
Coach: Dante Sarmiento
Most Valuable Player:
Elan Dardashti ’22
Elan Dardashti ’22
Defensive Player of 2018:
Brandon Damico ’22
Brandon Damico ’22
Most Improved Player of 2018:
Jordan Shak ’22
Jordan Shak ’22
Girls Varsity Soccer
Coaches: Marc Rudajev and Aaron Caver
Coaches: Marc Rudajev and Aaron Caver
Newcomer of 2018:
Sofia Goldenstein ’23
Sofia Goldenstein ’23
Wildcat Spirit Award:
Lauren Bernstein ’22
Lauren Bernstein ’22
Most Valuable Player of 2018:
Rachel Sarvian ’22
Rachel Sarvian ’22
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