2025-2026 League Champions

• Baseball – Avon Old Farms School
• Boys’ Basketball – The Hotchkiss School
• Girls’ Basketball – The Loomis Chaffee School
• Boys’ Cross Country – The Loomis Chaffee School
• Girls’ Cross Country – The Loomis Chaffee School
• Field Hockey – The Hotchkiss School
• Football – Avon Old Farms School
• Boys’ Golf – Westminster School
• Girls’ Golf – The Hotchkiss School & The Taft School
• Boys’ Ice Hockey – Avon Old Farms School
• Girls’ Ice Hockey – The Loomis Chaffee School
• Boys’ Lacrosse – The Loomis Chaffee School
• Girls’ Lacrosse – The Hotchkiss School 
• Boys’ Soccer – Avon Old Farms School
• Girls’ Soccer – Miss Porter’s School
• Softball – The Choate Rosemary Hall
• Boys’ Squash – The Hotchkiss School
• Girls’ Squash – The Hotchkiss School
• Boys’ Swimming – Choate Rosemary Hall
• Girls’ Swimming – Miss Porter’s School
• Boys’ Tennis – The Hotchkiss School
• Girls’ Tennis – The Hotchkiss School
• Boys’ Track & Field – The Loomis Chaffee School
• Girls’ Track & Field – The Loomis Chaffee School
• Volleyball – The Loomis Chaffee School
• Wrestling – Avon Old Farms School

2024-2025 League Champions

• Baseball – Kingswood Oxford School
• Boys’ Basketball – Choate Rosemary Hall
• Girls’ Basketball – The Loomis Chaffee School
• Boys’ Cross Country – The Loomis Chaffee School
• Girls’ Cross Country – The Loomis Chaffee School
• Field Hockey – The Hotchkiss School, The Loomis Chaffee School, The Taft School
• Football – Choate Rosemary Hall
• Boys’ Golf – The Taft School
• Girls’ Golf – Choate Rosemary Hall
• Boys’ Ice Hockey – The Taft School
• Girls’ Ice Hockey – The Loomis Chaffee School
• Boys’ Lacrosse – The Loomis Chaffee School
• Girls’ Lacrosse – The Hotchkiss School 
• Boys’ Soccer – The Taft School
• Girls’ Soccer – Miss Porter’s School
• Softball – Choate Rosemary Hall
• Boys’ Squash – The Taft School
• Girls’ Squash – The Hotchkiss School
• Boys’ Swimming – Choate Rosemary Hall
• Girls’ Swimming – Miss Porter’s School
• Boys’ Tennis – Choate Rosemary Hall
• Girls’ Tennis – The Hotchkiss School
• Boys’ Track & Field – The Loomis Chaffee School
• Girls’ Track & Field – The Loomis Chaffee School
• Volleyball – The Loomis Chaffee School

 2023-2024 League Champions

 

The M.D. Nadal Sportsmanship Award was established in 1969 to honor Manuel D. “Bill” Nadal, an outstanding athlete, coach and steadfast supporter of athletics at Kent School. A member of Kent’s Class of 1917, Nadal excelled in football, hockey and baseball, earning a total of 14 letters and serving as captain of the hockey and baseball teams. After serving in WWI, Nadal returned to Kent and coached football, hockey, and baseball, for a remarkable 89 seasons as a head coach. At different times during his long career at Kent, Nadal served as Assistant to the Headmaster and Director of Athletics. At the time of his death at Kent in 1977, he held the position of Director of Athletics Emeritus. 

The Nadal Award was originally given to a member of the Erickson Football League, but eligibility was expanded to other sports after the establishment of the Founders League. It is awarded on an annual basis, as warranted, to a coach whose conduct exemplifies the proclamation “play by the rules, accept victory or defeat graciously, respect all who assemble and participate.” It may be awarded in recognition of sportsmanship during a particular contest, throughout a season, or for continued contributions to athletics and the League.

2026 Nadal Award Recipient

The 2026 Nadal Award was presented to Robert Dowling in recognition of the lasting impact his mentorship has had on generations of student-athletes. Since joining the Avon Old Farms baseball program in 1996, Rob has played an integral role in shaping the program’s success. He took the helm as head coach in 2002 and, in the years since, has maintained a 375-100 record, becoming the winningest coach in Avon Old Farms’ history last year and winning 19 Founders League titles. Rob’s contributions, however,  extend well beyond the diamond. During his 29-year tenure, he has served as a dorm parent, academic dean, development officer, dean of faculty, and now Avon Old Farms’ provost, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to his alma mater and profoundly impacting his students and colleagues in every role.

Recent Award Recipients

• 2025: Fran O’Donoghue, Choate Rosemary Hall
• 2024: Scott Stevens, Westminster School
• 2023: Danny Smith, The Hotchkiss School
• 2022: Avi Dubnov, Miss Porter’s School
• 2021: Paul Mantegani, Kent School & Mitch Overbye, Westminster School
• 2020: Mimi Duran, Ethel Walker School
• 2019: Sally Knight, The Loomis Chaffee School
• 2018: Alexander Kraus, Kinswood Oxford School
• 2017: Peter Briggs, Westminster School
• 2016: Bob Howe, The Loomis Chaffee School
• 2015: James Davidson, The Taft School

 

The Archibald A. Smith III Award was established in 2015 to honor Arch Smith, long-time Headmaster of Trinity-Pawling School and devoted member of the Founders League, upon his retirement.  Smith began his career at Trinity-Pawling in 1975 as a teacher of chemistry and physics.  During his transformative 40-year tenure, he went on to serve as Director of College Placement, Assistant Headmaster, and ultimately, Headmaster from 1990-2015.

 2026 Smith Award Recipient

Recent Smith Award Recipients

• 2025: Brian Foster, Trinity-Pawling School

• 2024: Steve McCabe, The Taft School

• 2023: Darrell Carrington, The Ethel Walker School & Peter Frew, The Taft School

• 2022: Judith Bailey, Kingswood Oxford School

• 2021: Ron Monroe, Kingswood Oxford School & Steve Palmer, The Taft School

• 2020: David Bolmer, The Hotchkiss School

• 2019: Ned Reade, Trinity-Pawling School

• 2018: John Gardner, Avon Old Farms School

• 2017: Chuck Vernon, The Loomis Chaffee School

• 2016: Rusty Davis, The Taft School

• 2015: John Virden, The Hotchkiss School