Ben Wistar is a four-year Senior who has lived on campus his entire life. He is co-captain of Boys Varsity Soccer and Varsity Ultimate Frisbee, and a former Sports Editor for The Record. This year the members of the ultimate team voted Wistar the most valuable player and honored him with the Spirit of the Game award. Next year, he will attend Boston University, where he plans to continue playing ultimate.
Co-captain Luke Warner said, “Ben always brings energy to the field. He knows what we need to improve on and he is a great leader. He is always working with people to help uplift the team.”
How did you start playing ultimate frisbee?
I started playing ultimate at Indian Mountain School as an eighth grader.
My dad [Mr. Roger Wistar] had coached ultimate at various points during his time here at Hotchkiss, so growing up, I was always aware of the sport and knew how to throw a frisbee at a young age.
What is your favorite thing about ultimate?
My favorite thing about ultimate is the community it generates. Every year, we have a close-knit team. I also really enjoy competing and having fun on the field.
Why did you choose to come to Hotchkiss?
My dad has worked here for about twenty years and my mom
has been working here as well for a number of years. Growing up on campus has been my whole life. I got to experience all of the different parts of the school, so it became a place and community that I wanted to be a part of.
“Ben always brings energy to the field. He knows what we need to improve on and is a great leader,” said Luke Warner ’26.
How would you describe your experience on the ultimate team?
My experience has been really positive. I made the varsity team as a Prep, and I’ve been on varsity for four years. My Prep year, we came second in New Englands; this year, we were second at States and third in New England. So I feel like I bookended my experience with ultimate here in a positive way.
What are some lessons you have learned here?
The school taught me how to manage my time well and how to interact with people from a broad range of interests and backgrounds.
In terms of ultimate, it really teaches you to move on to the next thing. There are big swings and momentum throughout the games. If you ever go down early, you should never count yourself out, because you never know if you might have a crazy comeback.
What were some of your favorite moments competing for the school?
During my Prep year, we got to compete in the New England finals, which was a very cool experience. This year, competing in the state final was also really cool because they played the national anthem and then read out our names and the starting lineup.
What do you expect to get out of the upcoming All-Star’s game?
I was an All-Star last year, but they didn’t have a game. I’m happy to be able to go to the All-Star game because it will be a cool experience to play with some of the best players from around the state. I’ve competed against some of them and have had a great time.
Will you continue playing ultimate in college and beyond?
I definitely hope to play ultimate in college. There is a team at Boston University that I will probably join. In Boston, there is also a high-level club scene, which I’m also looking forward to getting involved in.
