Working hard on and off the field, Farmington High School (FHS) senior Caroline Ranucci has shown her grit and determination as captain of both the field hockey and lacrosse teams. Ranucci has given nothing but her best both on and off the field, a quality that embodies her leadership style as captain.
Going into her senior year, before Ranucci was even named captain for field hockey, she put in the hard work and dedication to start the season off right for the team. From running summer practices to helping the team during preseason games, Ranucci was ready to lead the season strong. Because of this hard work, Ranucci was named co-captain of the team in September of her senior year.
Once the fall field hockey season came to a close, Ranucci took no time to organize the winter lacrosse league, proving that she had the vision necessary to be a leader there, too. She applied all the leadership skills she learned in field hockey to lacrosse. Through her hard work over the years and organization during the winter league, Ranucci was named co-captain for the girls lacrosse team in the spring of 2026.
Even though Ranucci had a lot on her plate, she still kept calm and led both teams strongly in their respective seasons. During her time as co-captain of the field hockey team, she helped lead the team to a successful season, going 10-5-1 in the regular season. As a leader, Ranucci strives to foster strong bonds within both teams.
“As a senior, I love to share all the knowledge I’ve gained through my years with both teams. Both programs focus on strong connections and hard work, which is the agenda I like to push as a leader of these teams,” stated Ranucci.
Lacrosse head coach Jeffery Manaresi, who has also spent time at FHS as a PE teacher, has coached Caroline throughout her entire high school career. Manaresi has coached girls’ lacrosse for over 10 years and spent his 2025 fall as the assistant coach for field hockey. Throughout this time with Ranucci, Manaresi has come to understand her as a player, leading him to name her co-captain for the 2026 lacrosse season.
“Caroline is a very smart athlete. She is the type of athlete who makes her teammates better when she is on the field or court with them,” stated Manaresi.
In addition to playing lacrosse and field hockey for FHS, Ranucci also plays basketball and club field hockey. Through engaging in a variety of sports, she has learned to adapt to the change of scenery and prioritize others’ needs in order to help her teammates around her.
“Caroline has an outstanding work ethic. She works hard at all of her sports and is always striving for improvement,” stated Manaresi.
Even though she spent most of her high school career participating in sports, Ranucci embodies all aspects of a strong student-athlete with her strong academics. As part of the National Honor Society, Ranucci embodied the true meaning of being a student-athlete. She continued to lead her teams while still thriving academically.
Her leadership didn’t just stop there. She brought spirit to the field, hyping up the team and bringing the energy to each game. Junior Macca Moss appreciates her ability to inspire and energize players. Moss spent all of her fall seasons with Caroline playing field hockey, learning how she led the team to keep that spirit in the seasons to come.
“She always knew exactly what to say to get everyone in the zone and confident before starting the game. Seeing how she could motivate everyone and make us feel ready to play showed me how important leadership is, and it inspired me to be that kind of leader for this team,” stated Moss.
Ranucci’s impact on Moss and other players on the team will transcend her season as captain. As future co-captain, Moss plans to implement the lessons she learned from Ranucci when it comes time for her to lead the team next season.
“Caroline showed me what a real leader looks like. Watching how she leads has made me want to be the kind of captain who encourages others, communicates well, and helps keep the bond of the entire team strong,” stated Moss.
As Ranucci closes out her high school career, she takes many honors with her, including having been named CCC all-conference for field hockey her sophomore, junior, and senior years, as well as being named All-state first team her junior and senior years, and being named one of the top 25 players to watch in 2025.
For lacrosse, she was named CCC all-conference her sophomore and junior years, and is still thriving in her senior year.
Ranucci plans to continue her athletic career at Union College, where she will be playing field hockey. She hopes that after everything, her teammates will remember one lesson the most.
“I hope younger players see my willingness to learn. As an athlete, there are always aspects of our game that we can improve, and I like to think I strive to figure out how I can grow. In my experience, athletes who are coachable and dedicated have great success, and I hope the younger players see that.”
