Hunter Reynolds ’17 and Jack Vara ’17 will be important figures this spring.
Every year, a number of single-sport athletes come to Choate to spend a postgraduate year, but what happens in his or her off seasons? For Hunter Reynolds ’17, a postgraduate from South Orange, New Jersey, there has proved to be no off-season. He joins Choate’s Boys’ Track team this spring. Reynolds is coming off of a New England title with the Football team this past fall, and recently committed to the University of Michigan to continue his football career.
For Reynolds, track isn’t new, commenting, “I decided to run track my sophomore year because I needed to develop my top end speed,” he said. “I felt like track was the best method to achieve that.” While he has previously competed in the 4x100m and 4x200m relays, Reynolds plans on participating in the 100m, 200m, and the long jump this spring. Trying these new events might prove difficult, but Reynolds seems up for the challenge. “I think that my competitiveness and work ethic translate well,” Reynolds said. And while there won’t be any receivers to cover up at the track, Reynolds emphasized that it was important for him as a cornerback to develop the attributes that track focuses on.
Track may not have been the deciding factor in Reynolds’s choice to delay college for Choate, but he is excited for the year. “I’m looking forward to meeting new people, winning events, preparing for college, and being a part of a successful, cohesive team.”
This spring, Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse will enlist the help of PG faceoff-specialist and Princeton commit, Jack-Henry Vara ’17. Originally from Medfield, Massachusetts, Vara attended Medfield High School before coming to Choate, where he played both hockey and lacrosse, though he now chooses to focus on lacrosse. As a PG, Jack Vara brings a wealth of knowledge, not to mention skill, to the Boys’ Lax team.
Vara said recently, “I found out about Choate through my college coach who recommended I postgrad here. I decided to come to Choate not only because it is a challenging school, but because it’s athletics are outstanding.”
Vara immediately found Choate to be a welcoming place. He said, “The community was extremely friendly. The environment was not very intimidating, and it seemed like the perfect school to prepare me for college.”
Being a PG for a spring sport provides its own set of difficulties, as well as its own set of opportunities. Vara said, “Life as a spring PG has been a grind but I managed to fill my time with school, gym time, and practice.” He went on, “The most difficult adjustment for me at Choate was the step up in the workload. My previous high school was hard, but it does not compare to the amount of work I have here.”
Vara has adjusted well to the environment here at Choate, and he is looking to finish his year well. The Boys’ Lacrosse team is shaping up to do well this year, certainly in part to Vara’s expected contribution. Be sure to catch him and the rest of the boys this spring as they look forward to a successful campaign.
