Ranked near the top of their school’s respective senior classes and dominant performers on the athletic field, Newburyport High cross country star Sam Acquaviva and Swampscott High soccer standout Maddy Foutes have been honored as the Moynihan Lumber Student-Athletes of the Month for November
Ever since her arrival at Swampscott High, Maddy Foutes has excelled in every arena she’s entered.
A four-year varsity player, Foutes’ teams have reached the tournament every year. Foutes broke into the starting lineup as a sophomore, and this year she was a senior captain and starting midfielder on a team that won the Division 3 North championship and advanced to the state semifinals.
“It was a long time coming,” Foutes said. “Personally, I was a bit of a late bloomer athletically. I worked really hard as a freshman to sort of get my foot in the door on varsity, but I really came into my own as a sophomore and started getting more minutes. It was rewarding to see my hard work pay off and I loved every minute of it.”
Foutes said the experience of winning the Division 3 North title was among the highlights of her high school experience, and it was special to have that breakthrough after so many talented teams had fallen short before.
Outside of soccer, Foutes’ academic achievements are quite impressive. She’s ranked No. 2 in her class, is a member of her school’s National Honor Society, and has received dozens of awards for academic excellence. Among them, she is the 2018 recipient of the Rensselaer Medal, the Jennie McVey Memorial Award for Excellence and Superior Achievement in AP European History, and has received other awards for her performance in AP US History, AP Physics, Computer Applications, English, Pre-AP Chemistry and Media Literacy.
She has also won an Excellence Award for Character and Leadership in Foundations for Fitness, and Foutes said the key to her success has been making sure she find the time for everything in her life.
“I’ve put in a lot of work but really time management has been a key factor, because I’ve been busy with sports,” Foutes said. “I think the biggest thing is knowing to prioritize school but not take over everything, so I can keep doing the things I enjoy.”
Foutes is currently undecided on her college plans, though she has been recruited to play Division II college soccer. She said she wants to be sure she finds the right fit academically, and once she does get to college, her hope is to study economics and history.
This time last year, Acquaviva was honored as Moynihan Lumber Student-Athlete of the Month after turning in one of the greatest cross country seasons in area history. Now, the senior distance standout has surpassed his exploits from a year ago, defending all of his individual championships while leading his team to its first-ever Division 2 All-State championship.
He also maintained his dominance in the classroom. With only a few months to go before graduation, Acquaviva has never received a grade lower than an A in any class, putting him at the top of his senior class.
“I have a really supportive community,” Acquaviva said. “We have a great team, a great coach, my family is always supporting me, so that’s helpful. I’ve always stayed patient and had confidence.”
Acquaviva’s resume is unlike any other. He is a two-time CAL Runner of the Year, a two-time CAL Open champion, a four-time Daily News MVP (cross country and track), a two-time Division 4 EMass champion and a two-time Division 2 All-State champion. This year he led the Clippers to an undefeated dual meet season, a CAL Kinney Division title, and team titles at the CAL Open, Division 4 EMass meet and Division 2 All-State meet.
He also won the prestigious Frank Kelley Invitational, and the only race in Massachusetts that he lost all season came at the Bay State Invitational, where he placed second to eventual Division 1 All-State champion Ryan Oosting of Arlington. He finished his season by placing 20th in the Foot Locker Northeast Regionals championship race.
In the classroom, Acquaviva boasts a 4.80 GPA while taking all honors or AP classes, and he has served as class president for the past three years. He hopes to attend MIT, his father’s alma mater, though he’s considering running Division I cross country for UMass Amherst too.