Hearing from our First-Team All-State Athletes

Three outstanding Colorado Academy Upper School students helped their respective athletic teams to success this past fall and have now been recognized for their individual skills by being named First Team All-State by the Colorado High School Activities Association.

 

They include seniors Isabel Chandler and Nellie Turnage, who both played on the teams that won three state championships in Field Hockey while at CA and will also play collegiately at Middlebury College and Davidson College, respectively.

 

They were both named to the 2016 First Team All-Colorado Field Hockey team. Turnage led the Mustangs in points with eight goals and eight assists, and Chandler had nine goals and four assists on the season.

 

CA Junior Larson Baker was also named First Team All-Colorado for his work on the soccer field. Baker had 12 goals and three assists on the season for the Mustangs as they made a deep run in the state soccer playoffs. Critical to the success of CA athletics, all three of these individuals play another CA sport at a very high level. Baker is a standout midfielder for the lacrosse team, Turnage is a strong two-way midfielder for the Mustangs State Championship Lacrosse Team, and Chandler is a force on the soccer team in the spring. I had a chance to speak with all three of these athletes about their time at CA and what it means to compete for the Mustangs.

 

 

Baker: I chose to attend CA because of the challenging academics and rigorous athletics.

Chandler: I looked at Kent, Mullen, Regis, and South, and the community at Colorado Academy was the most friendly and inviting. The teachers and the classes at CA were an obvious plus, but as a field hockey and soccer player, the strength of the athletic program was a major attraction.

Turnage: CA was the only school I applied to, because I liked the community and especially the field hockey and lacrosse programs. I never really looked anywhere else.

 

Baker: Personally, I think the best thing about CA athletics is the friendships that are created.

Chandler: This is easy--the CA teams’ culture and success.

Turnage: The best thing about CA athletics is the care that coaches put into each practice, and the success we have on the field.

 

Baker: You get out what you put in, good sportsmanship, your team is only as good as your weakest player, nothing is given and everything is earned.

Turnage: Playing for CA has taught me that you can only achieve your goals with preparation, hard work, and teamwork.

 

Baker: The CA tradition that I value most is Homecoming. Every game that takes place on Homecoming will be one to remember because of the ridiculous energy that Homecoming provides.

Turnage: Winning state championships!

 

Baker: After school, practice has always been my time to work, and that’s when I train. I stay in shape by participating in multiple sports throughout the year.

Turnage: In season we all obviously practice together. Out of season, I like to work out in the mornings before school, and then I normally play or have practice after school.

 

Baker: My role models are my parents. They have demonstrated every trait of a good and successful person, and they have made their family and children their top priority. I strive each day to represent the kind of people they are.

Chandler: On my college survey, my counselor asked for my role models. She told = me she chuckled when she saw them. Two of them were famous people, but the three others were upper classmen I played with on my CA soccer team: Petal Niles, Sarah Sibley, and Marin McCoy.

Turnage: My role models my whole high school career have been my CA coaches Veronica Scott and Steph Sanders; two of my former CA teammates, Emma Richards and Maddie Webster; and my mom, Natalie Turnage.

 

Baker: My greatest strength is my speed. I have never really been a “big guy,” which means I have never been able to run “through” players. Instead, I just run around them or run past them. I also think that my competitive attitude is a strength.

 

Baker: When I leave CA I want to be known as…a dual sport athlete, a good student, competitive and willing to try new things and take risks.

Turnage: I hope people remember our teams as really fun and competitive. We always had the best time together.

 

Baker: My proudest accomplishment as an athlete would be this past soccer season. At the start of the season I could hardly juggle a soccer ball, and by the end of the season, I was offensive MVP, and made First Team All-State. This was all due to great coaches, my work ethic and an exciting team.

Turnage: Winning the state championships in field hockey and lacrosse are my proudest accomplishments.

 

Baker: I will remember my coaches and my teammates. The experiences I have had would not be possible without them.

Chandler: I will remember my team sleepovers, our morning breakfasts, our victories at state, as well as our losses. But most of all, I will remember the closeness of my teams and the love we share for one another.

Turnage: My teammates. My closest friends have been made from teams at CA, because CA sport teams become so close. I’m proud of the experiences all of our students are able to be a part of here at CA, and I am thankful for the guidance and energy our coaches put into their teams and the athletes in their programs. Check the CA website for upcoming games as we head into league and state competition in February, and come to a game to support CA’s athletes. Go Mustangs!