Multiple Dover High School Athletic Teams Recognized for Sportsmanship

DOVER — The Dover School District is proud to share that five Dover High School athletic teams were recognized by their peers for outstanding sportsmanship. 

At the conclusion of the athletic seasons, Athletic Directors across the NHIAA gather to vote on the award, with guidance from each school’s coaching staff. Each Athletic Director completes a ranking of all of the teams, and those rankings are averaged to come up with the final list. 

Five Dover High School athletic teams placed within the top three within their respective divisions. 

Boys Ice Hockey 

The boys ice hockey team came first in the sportsmanship rankings for Division II teams. 

The squad, which posted a 12-6 regular season record before losing in the state quarterfinals, is led by head coach Mike Young and assistant coaches Chris Hitchcock, Tyler Briand and Zach Cobb. Ben Zbikowski, Nicholas Carrier, Andrew Leblanc and Cam Bourque were the team’s captains. 

Girls Ice Hockey

The girls ice hockey team, which is a cooperative team between St. Thomas, Winnacunnet and Dover student-athletes, placed second in the overall rankings. 

The team is coached by Maria Hendrickson and assisted by Colleen Fagan and Ryan Gionet. Dover students on the team are Lauren Lagasse, Adrianna Morganella and Claire Baillargeon. 

During the regular season, the team held a record of 11-5-2, and suffered a postseason loss in the state quarterfinal round. 

Spirit

Not only did the spirit team have a successful season, claiming the NHIAA DI State Championship title and winning the New England Coed Championships, but the squad also earned a second place ranking for sportsmanship. 

The squad is coached by Kelsey Daigle, Mikaela Leighton, Aliyah Leighton and Ashlyn Smith. Jadeyn Leighton and Sophia Wack were the team’s captains. 

Boys Alpine Ski

Coached by Chris Hunt and led by captains Carter Silva and Jack Nelson, the boys alpine ski team placed 5th overall in giant slalom and 7th in slalom at the NHIAA DI State Championships, earning them 5th place overall out of 18 schools.

The crew earned a third place sportsmanship ranking. 

Unified Basketball 

The unified basketball team is coached by Allan Krans and Laurie Wisniewski, with every student-athlete rotating in and out of leadership roles throughout the season. The team placed third in sportsmanship rankings for DI teams. 

The team completed the season with an undefeated record, winning all seven of their games. A one-point loss in the state semi-finals would end their season. 

“I am proud of our entire Athletics Department, coaches, and student-athletes for fostering an environment for athletics that values respect, teamwork, and sportsmanship just as much as it does competitiveness and athletic accomplishment,” said High School Principal Peter Driscoll. “It is a testament to our Athletics Department that other schools’ conference-wide recognize those values within our teams. Congratulations to each team on their amazing seasons, and I hope that Dover Athletics continue to set a standard for how student-athletes should act in and out of their respective sports.”