Chase Gilbert of Old Lyme proudly holds her 1600 meters first place award at Saturday’s New England Track and Field Championship. Photo by A. Mercaldi.
NEW BRITAIN— On Saturday, Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) Junior Chase Gilbert took first place in the 1600 meters at the New England Outdoor Track and Field Championship with a time of 4:48:33.
The event was held at Veteran’s Stadium at Willowbrook Park in New Britain.
Next Friday, June 20, Gilbert will run the 1600 meters again in the New Balance National Championship being held at University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) in Philadelphia.
Lyme-Old Lyme High School Senior Zoe Eastman-Grossel will be running the 200 meters at the same championship.
Chase and Eastman-Grossel will be joined by two additional LOLHS athletes—Tabitha Colwell and Serena Mazzi—at the UPenn championship. Together the four girls comprise the LOLHS Sprint Medley team, which is currently ranked 14th in the nation.
Many congratulations to Chase.on her win yesterday and good luck to all four competing on Friday at UPenn.
The 96 graduates of the Class of 2025 threw their caps in the air on June 12 at the culmination of Lyme-Old Lyme High School’s graduation ceremony.
OLD LYME–UPDATED—MANY NEW PHOTOS ADDED. At Lyme-Old Lyme High School’s 52nd Annual Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, 96 “beginner level adults” were prepared to be unleashed on the world.
Class valedictorian Simon Karpinski directed his speech toward the parents arrayed in hundreds of folding chairs in front of a dais filled with Region 18 District dignitaries.
He invoked the message delivered not more than 10 minutes earlier by Principal James Wygonik, who had warned the graduates just how knowledgeable their parents would prove to be in the next phase of their lives.
Longtime Lyme-Old Lyme High School Principal James Wygonik suggested to the students that they would soon see their parents wisdom level in a different light. Photo by LOL Schools.
“Mr. Wygonik said you’re all going to seem smart in a couple years,” Karpinski told the parents. “Let’s see if I can help you with that.”
In addition to tips on how to use the iPhone’s FaceTime function and a reminder about the importance of always having dinner leftovers available when their children come home from college or work, the Harvard-bound government major reminded parents that their kids will still need them.
“Look, we’ve leeched off of you for two decades now, and let’s agree that there’s no need to do anything rash or change overnight just because we’re headed off into the real world, whatever that means,” he said. “Parents, we still need you and everything that comes with you. We may be adults, but we’re like beginner-level adults.”
He asked them to be accepting of new ideas that their children will bring home as they try to make sense of the wider world around them.
That means making room for their children’s voices, according to Karpinski – and allowing them to fail.
“As we learn, we are bound to be imperfect,” he said. “Warn us when we need it, tell us ‘I told you so’ after we insist we know better. Parents, give us a chance to fall down and get back up.”
Class valedictorian Simon Karpinski kept the crowd’s attention with his advice for parents.
Class President and Honor Essayist Kaela Hoss recalled being a military kid from Cape Elizabeth, Maine when she arrived at Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School in seventh grade. She said she didn’t know then that Old Lyme would become the place she’d always want to come back to.
“Sure, everybody’s parents look at the safety of an area, investigate the real estate market across the state, or even prioritize finding a ‘private school experience in a public school setting’ as we say around here,” she said. “But one cannot understand the dynamic of a town or city without truly living there.”
Class President and Honor Essayist Kaela Hoss joined Lyme-Old Lyme Schools in seventh grade, never realizing Old Lyme would become the place to which she would always want to return. Photo by LOL Schools.
She described some things as constant in shoreline towns, like beaches and ice cream stands. But she said there is “something truly special” about Old Lyme.
Her experience wouldn’t have been the same in Old Saybrook or Waterford, according to Hoss. And she wouldn’t be the same person, either.
She credited English teacher Jennifer Burke with summing it up something like this: “The small, measurable differences between each distinct town in this area make an immeasurable impact on the lives of the people within.”
Lyme-Old Lyme High School’s combined choirs, led by choral director Kristine Pekar, sing “The Times They Are A-Changin'” as the graduates’ class song.
Salutatorian Ryan Shapiro said he’ll be taking with him hard-won lessons about not being in such a rush to become an adult.
“Now that I’ve grown up—though my parents might disagree—I realize I could have experienced more in each moment before they passed me by,” he said.
He said he’s been focused for years on a concept he once read about that emphasized “inward lights”: A series of personal goals to motivate him to get up each morning and work hard.
Now, he said he’s learned life is as much about looking around as it is about looking inward.
He cited memories he’ll take with him like going to the prom, taking trips to Europe, and the whole class getting sunburned at Misquamicut Beach.
Ninety-six seniors listened to fellow students and educators before receiving their diplomas.
“So yes, work hard in college, and at your jobs, or wherever you go when we soon part ways,” he said. “But, whenever you can, stop to look around you. See the world and appreciate the beauty it holds. Be unique and interesting. Learn constantly, find what you’re good at, and rebel against the wrong you see in the world. Say yes whenever you can, because by the time you realize you have regrets, the moment may have already passed.”
Commencement Speaker Brett Eckhart stold the graduates, “This place is special.” Photo by LOL Schools.
Commencement Speaker Brett Eckhart, a social studies teacher, said he hoped the students would hold onto the memories forged in the tight-knit community filled with unique personalities.
He referenced quirks among his colleagues including business teacher Leslie Traver’s “Crocs for every occasion” and social studies teacher Aron D’Aquila’s “unwavering affinity for Abraham Lincoln.” He recalled the spray and spatter blood patterns that showed up in the science wing thanks to teacher Dawn Kelley.
Confetti flies through the air as members of the Class of 2025 receive their diplomas.
He said all people, like all teachers, are different. It’s how the graduates see and react to those differences that will continue to shape the world and the way they experience it.
“I’ve worked in other places, and this place is special,” he said.
Math teacher Emma Cox was honored by the graduating class with the Mildred Sanford Outstanding Educator Award. Photo by LOL Schools.
Diplomas were presented amid cheers, the occasional drumroll from the band section, two explosions of confetti in the crowd, some posing among graduates, and one shout of “Free Palestine.” When the newly minted graduates had all turned the tassel on their caps to the left and the sun continued its descent toward the horizon, Assistant Principal Jeanne Manfredi stood up for a farewell address.
The ceremony capped 34 years in public education for the teacher, including 30 in the Lyme-Old Lyme District.
Assistant Principal Jeanne Manfredi , who is retiring after some 30 years in Lyme-Old Lyme Schools, addressed the students for the final time. Photo by LOL Schools.
“At first glance, graduation and retirement might seem like opposites: one at the start of a career, the other at its close,” Manfredi said. “But standing here tonight, I see something more meaningful. We’re both turning pages. We’re both closing chapters we’ve cherished and we are stepping into a future that is unwritten.”
She emphasized the foundational lessons learned in the Lyme-Old Lyme school district don’t end with a diploma – or a retirement.
The expert advised the beginner-level adults to be bold, curious and kind as they make their way in the world.
“And know that even as you move on, you are never far from home,” she said.
Proud families cheered on their children, some of whom were featured in big head cutouts like this one, as they received their diplomas.
A mother greets her graduate after the ceremony.
Family and friends celebrate the new graduates.
The Class of 2025 is on its way.
Editor’s Notes: i) The full list of graduates comprising the Lyme-Old Lyme High School Class of 2025 is below. ii) The spelling of Leslie Traver’s name has been corrected.
Guess what is happening the next day for these (and all other) Lyme-Old Lyme High School seniors! All photos by Michele Dickey.
OLD LYME — On Wednesday evening, the seniors from Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) took the streets — Lyme Street, that is — to celebrate their penultimate day as students at the school.
This car proudly displayed the Class of which these LOLHS seniors will be members for the rest of their lives.
They held a carefully planned parade in their decorated cars traveling slowly down Lyme St., ably supported by Old Lyme’s Police, Fire and Ambulance Departments.
Banners displaying the ‘Class of 2025’ were everywhere.
The soon-to-be-graduates, who will celebrate their Commencement Thursday evening, June 12, were cheered on by parents, friends and community members all along the parade route.
Smiles abounded in this vehicle.
The residents of both Lyme and Old Lyme took this special opportunity to wish the seniors well in the next chapter of their lives.
Vehicles came in all shapes and sizes!
Congratulations to all the LOLHS seniors on their impending graduation!
A view of the parade down Lyme Street.
We hope you (seniors) enjoy the Thursday evening post-graduation festivities … and here are a few more photos from the parade for you and all our readers to enjoy!
Enthusiasm for the next day’s graduation ceremony was visible everywhere.
So much to celebrate!
Old Lyme emergency vehicles particpated in the parade. First a firetruck …
… then an ambulance, and then several more.
Our photographer, Michele Dickey, celebrated the soon-to-be-graduates—and one in particular—with her grandchildren, Cecilia and Luca.
The Wildcats became two-time state Class S girls track and field champions on June 2 with the return of last year’s title. Clockwise from bottom left are Serena Mazzi, Vivian Boller, Maia Giusti, Tabitha Colwell, Zoe Eastman-Grossel, Margaret Thuma, Chase Gilbert and Isabella Presti. All photos and video courtesy of Lyme-Old Lyme High School Athletics, except where noted.
LYME-OLD LYME–Jan Merrill-Morin—Olympian, world record holder, and Lyme-Old Lyme track and field coach—knows there will never be another girls team like this one.
Last Monday, a celebratory escort of police, fire and ambulance vehicles led the bus holding the returning CIAC (Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference) Class S state champions from the town limits to Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS).
On the bus were senior Zoe Eastman-Grossel with three first place medals, including a state record in the 300 hurdles; junior Chase Gilbert, who achieved triple crown status with wins in the 800 meter, 1600 meter and 3200 meter races; and prolific thrower junior Margaret Thuma, who took the gold in discus.
Merrill-Morin on Wednesday recalled the procession as “glorious.”
“You can’t critique that,” the longtime coach said. “It’s a moment in time.”
Merrill-Morin is in her second outdoor track season at the high school, where she focuses on distance running for both the boys and girls teams. Her husband, Jeff Morin, covers sprinting. Both carry decades of experience at the high school and college level.
Police cruisers, fire trucks and and ambulance escort the returning Lyme-Old Lyme High School girls track and field champs. Video courtesy of Lyme-Old Lyme High School Athletics.
“We will not probably ever enter this realm again like this,” Merrill-Morin said from the track fence on Wednesday. “So you take it – like I said, the moment in time – and you grab it. You grab right on.”
Eastman-Grossel, internalizing similar lessons learned from Morin, calls it “being where your feet are.”
That means living, running and hurdling in the moment, Eastman-Grossel said. It’s being OK with losing or not achieving a personal record with every meet. It’s letting your teammates have your back.
Despite a spine injury that relegated Eastman-Grossel to the YMCA elliptical machine and swimming pool for most of 2024, the sprinter returned to earn two medals at the Adidas Nationals in Virginia Beach this winter. She said the experience, combined with her new coaches, has changed her mindset when it comes to training.
She credited Morin with helping her hone her athleticism this season.
“He also helped me mentally with being where my feet are,” she said. “And not stressing so much about meets and times.”
For Merrill-Morin, that’s what life is: Moments measured not by a stopwatch but by grit and gratitude.
“My mother never had a stopwatch,” the Olympian recalled. “And she would say, ‘honey, do the best you can. Work hard.’ And no one can critique that.”
Freshman Maia Giusti hands off the baton to senior Tabitha Colwell in the 4×100 relay (second lane from left in photo) that also included junior Serena Mazzi and freshman Vivian Boller at the Class S championship event. They came in fifth place.
Intrinsic Motivation
From a camping chair set up on the track surface near the gate, Merrill-Morin on Wednesday could see Eastman-Grossel practicing sprints on a red, rubberized straightaway. Gilbert appeared and disappeared in wide loops around the campus. Out past the fence, Thuma threw with Amy Gonsalves, who coaches champions in track and crew.
Everyone’s sights were set on the state open event that would determine the best of the best from the CIAC’s five classes, which are determined by student size of schools (LOLHS is Class S.)
Like Eastman-Grossel, Gilbert is no stranger to injury. She had to take off eight weeks midway through her sophomore year when a weak glute muscle gave out.
Gilbert said the experience made her realize how lucky she is to be able to go out every day and push herself.
“I think it’s just, you know, appreciating the ability to train hard every day,” she said. “And just not taking things like that for granted, and putting the effort in on days where the effort’s required.”
Coach Alyssa Mercaldi, who has been at the school for five indoor track and three outdoor track seasons, said the girls’ intense focus sometimes requires coaches to remind them how much is too much.
“They’re so motivated and they want to do whatever it takes to get to their goals and their team goals,” she said. “And…sometimes you have to take it easy to achieve those goals. Going out there every day and running these crazy sprints and stuff does not always mean that you’re going to get faster.”
She said the Lyme-Old Lyme track and field approach differs from other similarly small schools in the Shoreline Athletic Conference, where fewer available students run more events to bring in the most points.
She said small schools often have athletes competing in up to four events.
“And that’s not our philosophy because that’s not what’s best for the athlete. It might look nice on paper for the team, but that’s a lot,” she said.
Merrill-Morin called it an “athlete before wins” approach.
The coaches said none of their athletes competed in four events at the conference championship last month. The team came in second place with 102 points to East Hampton’s 113.
At the state competition earlier that week, Eastman-Grossel and Gilbert each raced three and won three. Gilbert took the distance triple crown. Eastman-Grossel won the 100 meter race, set a state record in the 300 hurdles and went on to win the 200 meter race in what sports writers hailed as a remarkable feat in news reports across Connecticut.
Lyme-Old Lyme High School senior Zoe Eastman-Grossel, left, and junior Chase Gilbert led the girls track and field team to its second consecutive Class S state championship on June 2.
Merrill-Morin attributed the two girls’ success to intrinsic motivation far, far beyond that of most high school athletes.
“They are intrinsically motivated like I was as an Olympian,” she said.
Morin, Eastman-Grossel’s coach, could not come up with another high school student in his coaching career who matched the sprinter’s physical and mental aptitude for running.
“There aren’t that many athletes that you have a chance to come across that have talent and have the desire to excel,” he said.
He said his wife is experiencing the same phenomenon on the distance side.
“Jan’s lucky right now to have Chase, you know, but after Chase is gone, when’s the next Chase coming along? Who knows,” he said. “When’s the next Zoe coming along here in Lyme-Old Lyme? Don’t know.”
Sprinting coach Jeff Morin worked with senior Zoe Eastman-Grossel this week to prepare for the state open championship. The sprinter, who holds the state record in the 300 hurdles, will attend the US Naval Academy in the fall. LymeLine photo.
A Cohesive Unit
Eastman-Grossel will don her graduation robe this week as the doors to Lyme-Old Lyme High School close and the gates to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis open. She was selected to become a midshipman and a member of the Division I track and field team as part of a grueling college experience that will culminate in eight years of military service.
She was hopeful her experience as an athlete will help her survive the notorious plebe experience designed to test the mental resolve of first year students.
“I feel like I’ll be prepared for that because, I don’t know, you just can’t quit,” she said. “I think any athlete is not a quitter.”
The sprinter anticipated her biggest challenge will be all the long distance running that midshipmen have to do.
Gilbert, who committed last week to the University of Virginia starting in the fall of 2026, offered her teammate advice on endurance.
“Just focus on the lap that you’re on,” she said.
Eastman-Grossel joked that Gilbert will be cheering for her from the academy’s gates.
“Oh, yeah, I’m coming to the gates,” Gilbert agreed. She said she won’t be allowed into the military installation, so she’ll cheer from the outside.
Coach Jan Merrill-Morin stands behind the Lyme-Old Lyme High School girls track and field team’s Class S championship title.
The back-and-forth between the girls represents the kind of team bonding that Merrill-Morin described as the overriding key to the team’s success.
She said promoting cohesion has been a focus since Mercaldi returned as outdoor track coach after taking a break the previous season.
“I think this year with Alyssa here, we’ve worked very hard to make it a fun, cohesive unit. We go out with the same type of talent, but do even better because during the season, we could practice together and get things done,” she said.
Freshman Maia Giusti was at the track Wednesday running laps with Gilbert even though she did not qualify for the state open event.
“My season’s technically done right now, but I want to come back, not just with Chase, but with the team for at least this last week,” she said.
She said she hopes to model the upperclassmen’s welcoming and supportive attitude next year when she’s no longer among the youngest athletes on the team.
Giusti described the pride and surprise she felt when she finished seventh in the 800 meter race at states, when the pain and her burning throat served as good indicators of how far she had pushed herself.
“But it was being pushed by Chase especially. She’s my biggest inspiration,” she said.
Freshman Maia Giusti, left, winds down with junior Chase Gilbert after a workout Wednesday. LymeLine photo.
‘Behind the Scoreboard’
The team, by all accounts, has evolved over several years thanks to athletes and coaches with unusual resolve and a commitment not to let sports become an obligation.
“I feel like, a lot of times, we’re like, ‘just go out there and have fun,’” Mercaldi said. “’Do your best. Work as hard as you can. Show people how amazing you are on the track, and whatever happens, happens.’”
Eastman-Grossel and Gilbert know the success of the team isn’t just about their individual contributions to the overall score at each meet. It’s also about what everyone else lends to the team to create what Gilbert described as a “fun and exciting and hardworking” culture.
“I think there’s a lot more behind the scoreboard,” she said.
Morin on Wednesday said Eastman-Grossel would not be competing in the 300 hurdles at the state opens, despite being one of Connecticut’s best all-time hurdlers, because they want to make sure her back remains strong.
“I hope she can stay healthy, and not just for track and field,” he said. “I’d like to see her stay healthy as she goes through the rigors of being a naval cadet, which is going to be a heck of a challenge.”
Merrill-Morin, a competitive athlete for over a decade and a coach for almost 40 years, kept falling back Wednesday on the importance of encouraging respect for each fleeting victory that defines the girls on the track and off.
“This is a moment in time,” she reiterated before paraphrasing her overarching message to athletes: “You’re going to be out of high school in four years. So do the best you can. We’re going to hopefully give you the correct system and the work and the day-to-day tasks to do. But do the best you can.”
And sometimes, she said, a coach gets blessed by the kind of talent that comes around rarely, if ever.
Mercaldi marveled over the likelihood of having two athletes like Eastman-Grossel and Gilbert on the team at the same time.
“We’re lucky, the cards that we were dealt, and you just have to utilize them,” she said. “Because we’re not going to ever have a team like this ever again.”
Editor’s Note: At the State Open Girls Championship on June 7, Gilbert placed first in the 3200m race and second in the 1600m race. Eastman-Grossel placed second in the 100m and 200m dash. Both athletes qualified for the New England Championship meet on June 14. The girls led Lyme-Old Lyme High School to a fourth place finish in the meet.
The Wildcats celebrate their second girls track and field state championship in a row – and in program history. From left to right are Jeff Morrin, Chase Gilbert, Maggie Thuma, Alyssa Mercaldi, Jan Merril, Serena Mazzi, Vivian Boller, Zoe Eastman-Grossel, Maia Guisti, Bella Presti and Tabitha Colwell. All photos courtesy of Lyme-Old Lyme High School.
OLD LYME–On Monday, the Lyme-Old Lyme High School girls track and field team successfully defended their title as Class S State Champions.
The team was led by junior Chase Gilbert, distance triple crown winner, and senior Zoe Eastman-Grossel, whose three wins included a class record in the 300 hurdles.
Scores show the Wildcats were victorious with 89 points. Canton came in second with 41 points and Windsor Locks took third with 38.
Runners listed in the results below with their respective event places are all from LOL High School.
Girls 100m
Zoe Eastman-Grossel in lane six takes first place while Serena Mazzi in lane seven takes third in the 100m dash finals.
