Being a captain of a WHS varsity sport is not just about the title. Chosen by teammates, and in some cases coaches, captains carry the responsibility of setting the tone in practice, encouraging the team through challenges and representing the sport with pride on and off the field. Each team has its own goals and obstacles, but every captain shares the same obligation to foster a positive team environment and a successful season.
Boys Basketball
The captains of the boys basketball team for the 2025-2026 season are seniors Connor Whelan, Jake Russell and Max MacEacheron, all of whom have been part of the program since their freshman year. Whelan played as a varsity swing his freshman year and has been on the varsity ever since. Russell has been on varsity all four years and MacEacheron began on the freshman team and jumped to varsity his sophomore year.
All three captains play different positions: Russell plays point guard, MacEacheron plays shooting guard and Whelan plays center. Each position works together on the court to keep the offense flowing and put the team in the best position to succeed. As the team’s primary ball-hander and playmaker, Russell said, “I often try to get all my teammates involved early, dictate the pace of the game and take over when I need to.”
As of Jan. 4, the Blue Devils were 3-5. “We started off a little slower than we wanted to, but we have some key players returning from injury at the start of the new year and we are looking to build momentum,” said MacEacheron. Whelan agreed, acknowledging how the team is aiming to turn things around and be a winning team going into the new year.
MacEacheron, Whelan and Russell have been strong voices on and off the court for the Blue Devils, aiming to be role models for the younger players while also showing them more about the game of basketball as a whole. “I want to be an explanatory voice for the underclassmen who don’t understand the game as well as they could,” said Whelan. “I know firsthand how difficult being thrown into the fire is, especially in the hardest conference in the state.” Being a strong captain also requires leadership and the ability to connect with teammates. Russell said, “I want to make an impact by being a vocal leader on the court, in the locker room and leading by example on the court, which will hopefully leave a lasting impact on players under me to carry on the winning culture.”
These captains have had strong moments in their careers at WHS that they will never forget. For MacEacheron, his is beating Piscataway in the second round of the state tournament last year. For Whelan, his is beating Union Catholic in their own gym last season when they were a top-15 team and Westfield was unranked. Looking into the rest of the season, Russell is excited to upset any top-20 team this year. On a broader spectrum, Whelan said, “I am ready to leave it all out there with no regrets alongside the guys I grew up with.”
Neither Russell nor Whelan has plans to play basketball at the collegiate level, while MacEacheron is committed to playing at Gettysburg College.
Boys Ice Hockey
The captains of the boys’ ice hockey team for the 2025-2026 season are seniors Andrew Lisnock, Nick Benson and Troy Conover. Both Lisnock and Benson have been on varsity since their freshman year, while Conover was a swing his freshman year, dressing for a few games and going to some practices. By sophomore year, he had a spot on varsity and has been on the team since.
All three captains have different positions on the ice. Lisnock is a left-winger on offense, Benson plays on defense and Conover is the team’s goalie. The Blue Devils lost strong senior players from last year, but the underclassmen have stepped up to fill those roles. Conover said, “We have been able to quickly build team chemistry on and off the ice that has helped us find success so far this season.”
As of Jan. 4, Westfield was 6-1. “Right now, the team is thriving in almost every aspect,” said Benson. “While there are a few things this team is lacking, it’s only a matter of time before we fix these problems and our team chemistry becomes indomitable.”
All three captains know the importance of being a leader on and off the ice. Lisnock said, “I want to make an impact on the team by supporting everyone when they need support and leading this team to success by staying positive.” Benson agreed, acknowledging how his position of offensive defenseman requires him to bring energy and consistency every shift while remaining someone the team can rely on defensively. He said, “I want my teammates to trust me in big moments and know I’ll always compete and try my hardest.”
Forming bonds and trust with the underclassmen is also something the captains greatly value. Conover’s primary goal is to be a role model for the younger kids on the team. “I always maintain strong and disciplined habits, like showing up on time, giving feedback to others and working hard every practice, and my main hope is that my hard work and determination will spread to others, especially the younger players, for when they may become captains in the future,” said Conover.
The captains’ best memory from their high school hockey careers thus far is winning the 2025 NJSIAA Public State Championship last season. Conover said, “Winning that game in front of my parents and the whole student section, along with my best friends right there with me on the ice, was an unforgettable experience.” Regarding this season, Lisnock’s best moment was beating Livingston on Dec. 10, 6-1, because of the hype going into the game against one of their rivals, but also the dominant result.
While Lisnock, Benson and Conover have no plans to play ice hockey at the collegiate level, Lisnock has plans to play club hockey at whatever school he ends up attending, and Benson and Conover potentially may follow in that same path.
Bowling
The captains of the Westfield bowling team for the 2025-2026 season are seniors Deven Davies, Thomas Stavrovich, Kenzie Schiller and Roux Swaminathan. After his freshman year on junior varsity, Davies has been on varsity for three years; Schiller has been on the team for three years, beginning on varsity her sophomore year; Swaminathan was on JV their freshman year, has been on varsity since their sophomore year and has been a captain since their junior year; Stavrovich has been on varsity since his sophomore year.
As of Jan. 4, the Blue Devils are 4-1, with their only loss being against Scotch Plains-Fanwood. Currently, they are third in the county with their goal being to be second or first by the end of the season.“This year we’re putting on a pretty strong showing,” said Davies. “We had a tough match against Scotch Plains, but other than that, we’ve been doing very well. We had some decisive wins against Roselle, Rahway and Union Catholic.”
The biggest goal for the captains has been to help the underclassmen feel comfortable and support their entire team. They will be losing a large number of seniors next year, yet they currently have a lot of freshman members. Schiller said, “As a captain, my goal is to help integrate new players while continuing to direct the team as a whole. I aim to keep everyone motivated while ensuring that we, as a team, can have fun together.”
Swaminathan agrees and also aims to always assist teammates on the more technical aspects. “I want to see how far I can push the team. I try to accomplish this by providing my teammates tips on their form, motivating them, and supporting them throughout the season,” they said.
The Blue Devils’ season has had many positive moments so far and the captains are very excited for what is to come. “The team has navigated tricky games while maintaining a supportive atmosphere, and I can’t wait to see what happens next for us,” Schiller said.
Keeping the team’s supportive atmosphere in mind, Schiller said that her favorite moment was the Blue Devil Invitational. She said, “Our team came together on a cold Saturday morning to play our best and support one another. We had a strong performance while also sharing a lot of laughs.”
Looking back at their previous seasons, Swaminathan noted his best moment was during their state qualifying round in his sophomore year. “I bowled one off a perfect game,” they explained. “I got 11 strikes and a 9, resulting in a game of 299.”
Schiller is very grateful that New York University, the school she is committed to, hosts a club bowling team, and she plans to continue playing through it. Davies, Swaminathan and Stavrovich, however, do not plan to play at college besides for fun.
Boys Swimming
The captains of the Westfield boys swimming team for the 2025-2026 season are seniors Logan Welsh and Dylan Lagrimas. Welsh has been on the team since his sophomore year, which was also his first year ever swimming, and Lagrimas has been swimming with Westfield for the past 4 years, and has 10 years of competitive swimming under his belt.
Welsh and Lagrimas’s main swimming specialties are breaststroke and sprint freestyle, while Lagrimas also competes in the individual medley.
As of Jan. 4, the Blue Devils are 3-1, with their only loss being to Scotch Plains on Dec. 23, losing by only three points. “We’ve still got room to improve,” said Lagrimas. “The team is very different from last year after graduating the best class in team history, so achieving the same level of success is going to be tough. I will say, though, we’ve seen a lot of promising swims from some of the younger guys, and as the season continues, I hope to see continued progress and growth.”
Losing a very large senior class last season and having only three seniors on the team this year makes being a role model much more critical to Lagrimas and Welsh. “Part of being a captain and just being a senior is setting an example for what the team does and what leads to our success,” said Welsh. “In particular, it is important to set the tone during matches and show them when it’s time to lock in.”
Due to having only four meets under their belts, the captains know that there is much more to come for the season. This also includes fun traditions. Welsh is very excited about their hair-shaving party before their sectional final, especially since the sectional finals look to be a tough meet this year. Lagrimas is looking forward to the counties in late January. “The county final is the most competitive and up-for-grabs it’s been in years, but we have a real shot at winning, and I’d love to win counties all four years of my high school swimming career,” said Lagrimas.
The best memory for both captains is winning their third consecutive NJSIAA Group A title in February 2025, marking their 29th overall boys state swimming championship, the most in New Jersey history.
Currently, Welsh has no plans to swim at the collegiate level, but he still wants to continue swimming in his life, as it is a helpful way to stay in shape while doing something he loves. Lagrimas, however, is still looking into a few programs, awaiting acceptances and other matters. “If I don’t end up swimming varsity, I’ll definitely still swim club to maintain a connection to the sport.”
Boys Track & Field
The captains of the 2025-2026 winter boys track and field are seniors Brody Toriello, Keegan Caherly, Christian Buonopane, and Declan McGorty, and the sprint captains are seniors Lucas Damji and Griffin Bach. Bach has been in the program for three years, while all the others have been in it for four. The captains are looking forward to where this season will take them.
Toriello, Caherly, Buonpane and McGorty were captains of the fall season of boys track and were covered in our previous article. Damji runs the 100, 200, 400 and high jump, while Bach runs mainly 200 and 400.
“Over the past 3 years, we’ve been exceptional, and this year we have a lot of expectations to work up to,” said Bach. The boys’ track and field team has always been a well-performing team, and the captains look to continue that streak.
These captains have understood that in order to perform during meets, they must create a welcoming environment during practices, especially for the younger kids. Damji said, “I want to be someone that the younger guys can look up to and show them the right way to do things.”
Bach said, “I want to be able to get people to not only continue to come out for the sport each season, but to also get the most potential out of them.” The commitment and dedication of these runners is what makes the foundation of a great season.
Despite the winter being a time of cold weather, the track teams continue to practice outdoors, and in these conditions, it’s important to have encouraging captains to motivate the team.
Both Bach and Damji’s best memories are from tournaments. Bach will always remember his time racing at Penn Relays at the University of Pennsylvania track. This race allowed him to compete and get a great experience at a highly competitive meet. Damji’s favorite moment was when he medaled at a high jump relay with his old teammates.
Both captains do not plan to continue their career at a collegiate level but will run casually with friends.
Girls Basketball
The captains of the 2025-2026 girls varsity basketball team are seniors Darby Hubner, Megan Logan and Sophie Lane. All three of these players have been in the program for four years. Logan has been on varsity since her freshman year, and was joined by both Hubner and Lane in their sophomore year.
Lane and Hubner share the same positions of small forward and shooting guard, while Logan is a guard. Teamwork and chemistry are a large part of basketball because of the need for trust on the court. The captains work together along with the rest of the team to skillfully progress the ball and come out on top.
As of Jan. 4, the Blue Devils were 7-0. Lane said, “We’re doing really well so far and getting better each game. We have a strong core from last year, so we are continuing to build on that.”
All three captains have prioritized leaving a positive impact on the team. Logan said, “I aim to create a supportive environment where everyone feels motivated and excited to play basketball.” Having a comfortable space to grow as a team is very important for them, and the Blue Devil girls’ basketball team does a great job of establishing that.
Hubner looks to continue the positivity by being a role model both on and off the court. Hubner said, “We have been playing very well together, and our chemistry is definitely apparent on the court.” The reflection of their team bond is shown through the team’s perfect record thus far this season.
This season, they were able to translate their connection off the court onto the court and continue their undefeated season. Their wins are adding momentum that will continue to carry them throughout the season.
While Hubner is not attending college for basketball specifically, she still wants to continue the sport on an intramural level. Both Logan and Lane are planning to play Division 3 and continue both their academic and athletic career. Logan will be attending the University of Scranton and Lane will be attending Gettysburg College.
Girls Ice Hockey
The captains of the girls ice hockey team for the 2025-2026 season are Ella Delaney, Lauren Delaney and Sarina Sherman. All captains have been in the program for four years, and have played together since middle school. Ella, Lauren and Sherman all play center, and Sherman added that she sometimes plays left or right wing.
As of Jan. 4, the Blue Devils are 4-3. “I think we’re just trying to get on our feet because the past couple of years have been rough,” Ella explained. Over the past three seasons, the team has had a losing record. However, last year, the girls made it to the quarter finals of the state tournament, ultimately resulting in a 3-8 loss to Trinity Hall. Lauren added, “We are doing pretty good. I think we can definitely step it up and win more games against better teams, but we just need to practice harder.”
All three captains agreed that in their position, they want to prioritize team camaraderie and the team’s work ethic. “I want the team to be more of a family than it has in the past years, and I want everyone to feel welcome,” Lauren said. “I want the program to grow since we’re definitely on the smaller side.”
Ella recalled one of her favorite moments of this season being their game on Dec. 17, where they played Kent Place at the American Dream mall. Despite losing 3-10, the atmosphere of the rink was notably different for the Blue Devils. Regarding team-bonding, Lauren noted it as one of her favorite aspects of the season, mentioning their hang-outs and how it allows them to get to know each other better.
“I’m looking forward to the state tournament because I really think that we can win state games this year, more than one state game like last year. We have a lot of new girls that are very good, and I think that we can win in the tournament,” Sherman said.
Although the three captains are not planning to take their hockey careers to a collegiate level, they all hope to play club hockey at their respective schools.
Girls Swimming
The captains of the girls swimming team for the 2025-2026 season are Ava Contract and Cecilia Wiggins. Both Contract and Wiggins have been on the team for all 4 years of high school, and in addition to swimming on a club team prior, they have both been swimming for around 10 years.
As of Jan. 4, the team was 5-0, outscoring their opponents by an average of 67.6 points in their meets. “We’ve had a really strong season,” Wiggins noted. “Last year, we had a great season. It [ended] with a really close meet against Bridgewater. We were winning the whole time up until that last four-free-relay, so it was close.” Ultimately, the girls ended their 2024-2025 season with a loss in a close match to Bridgewater-Raritan, with a final score of 82-88 in the NJSIAA North 2, Group A Tournament, finishing their season 9-5. Wiggins said, “This season, we have a much bigger team, we have a lot of strong swimmers, so I think we’re going to make it even farther this year.”
Going into their 2025-2026 season, the girls have a relatively young team; of 35 members, 21 of them are underclassmen. “I want to be there for the younger swimmers and make sure that we’re cheering on everyone, being there as a team and not just focusing on the individual,” Contract said. “Also, I want to make it fun and have a great last season.” Along with herself and co-captain Wiggins, there are three other seniors this year on the team.
With an early undefeated season and a team full of promise, both captains touched on their excitement to see how far the team will go in the state tournament. Contract said, “I’m excited to see how far we will go and hopefully bring home a title that we haven’t gotten since our freshman year. I definitely didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have freshman year when we did.”
Wiggins agreed, saying, “Freshman year, going into that state championship, we kind of had everything on the line, and we put our best foot forward, but we did end up losing.” In 2023, the Blue Devils lost to Cherry Hill East 72-98 in the NJSIAA Group A Girls Swimming Championship. “Our ultimate goal this year is hopefully making it back to state championships and bringing home a championship ring.”
Neither Contract nor Wiggins plans to continue their swim career at a collegiate level.
Girls Track & Field
Captains have not yet been released.
Wrestling
The captains for the 2025-2026 varsity wrestling are seniors Jake Zemsky, Josh Semler, Luke Sluberski and Daniel Berardi. All captains have been in the program through all four years of high school. Sluberski has been wrestling since first grade, and Semler throughout middle school. With only one wrestler per weight class, the captains spread amongst the weights.
This year, they are a very senior-heavy team, which makes having trustworthy captains that much more important. With a large amount of the team leaving next year, Semler said, “I want to make an impact by being a role model, but not just by what I say, but by my actions and the legacy I leave behind.”
As of Jan. 4, Westfield was 3-2. “The team is doing good so far. We are currently dealing with injuries but overcoming it,” said Zemsky. Zemsky himself has been dealing with a shoulder injury but has still managed to be an impactful captain to the team.
All four captains have many responsibilities for the team. Despite wrestling being an individual sport, the support from teammates and coaches helps reflect on a good performance. “I like to help the younger guys by pushing them to improve and help them out with technique,” said Sluberski. The captains acknowledge the idea that they need to help guide their team in order to come out on top.
The idea of helping the younger kids and creating good team chemistry is a common goal the captains share. “I want to make a lasting impact on the team by creating team chemistry and for everyone in the wrestling team to get along and grow a bond,” said Zemsky.
Zemsky’s best moment was when he won his 12th-round match at the state tournament to make it to the top 8 in the state. The others enjoy the bonds that have been formed through the season and how they carry out through the school year.
Semler does not plan on wrestling in college, while Sluberski and Berardi are still undecided. Zemsky will continue his wrestling career at Stevens Institute of Technology.
