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Three multi-sport athletes inducted into RE Athletic Hall of Fame

On a night filled with fond memories and fun stories, Ransom Everglades welcomed three Raider alumni into the RE Athletic Hall of Fame: Viki Collazo ’11 (basketball, softball and volleyball), Daniel Caycedo ’98 (football and water polo) and Matt Marcus ’86 (football and water polo). Family, friends and many current hall-of-famers celebrated the multi-sport athletes for their competitive exploits and integrity during an awards ceremony in the Pagoda on October 8.
“We are incredibly proud to welcome these three individuals into the Raiders Athletic Hall of Fame,” RE Upper School Athletic Director Scott Berman said. “Their accomplishments, their character and their connection to this community have earned them a permanent place in Ransom Everglades history. We are grateful for what they gave to this school, what they continue to represent, and the example they set for the Raiders who follow them.”

Chief Operating Officer David Clark ’86 – himself a member of the RE Athletic Hall of Fame – lauded the honorees for showing excellence, perseverance and grit in their respective sports, and he introduced the RE Athletic Hall of Fame inductees in attendance: Cathy Balestra ’90, John Geraghty ’73, Lisa Sayfie ’91, Don Kappelman, Penny Matthews Michelle Mondell and Bill Holly ’86. He and Berman also thanked Head of School Rachel Rodriguez for her support of athletics.

RE faculty member Ramona Miller spoke on behalf of Collazo, a setter on the volleyball team, point guard on the basketball team, and catcher on the softball team who is now a mechanical engineer. “We celebrate the person you are,” Miller said. “Your joy, your loyalty, your energy, your competitive spirit … There are athletes you coach, and there are athletes you remember, and then they're the very rare few who leave a mark on the school that lasts forever.”

Former RE water polo coach Felix Mercado, now the coach of the Brown University men’s team, described Caycedo as “shy, quiet, humble, and unassuming.” Noting that he was the starting quarterback on the football team and goalie in water polo, Mercado added, “as talented as he was, he never acted like he was better than anyone else. He worked hard, he cared about his teammates, and never needed a spotlight. I've been fortunate to coach some tremendous athletes throughout my career, but the ones who stay with you are the ones who combine exceptional talent with great character. Danny was one of those athletes.”

Holly, a former chair of the RE board of trustees, introduced Marcus, who won a national championship in water polo while at Stanford University. Holly noted that Marcus won all-Dade player-of-the-year honors in his junior and senior year. “All those years of effort, all that discipline, all that you've done,” Holly said, “all of that has brought you here to be honored as the best of the best.”
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2045 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, FL 33133
Phone: 305 250 6850

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3575 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, FL 33133
Phone: 305 460 8800

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Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. It is rated the top private school in Miami and among the 10 private schools in North America. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.


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