While there’s a lot of hype around winter sports (see: The Grind on @pfhstheroar on Instagram), spring sports are just kicking off. With tryouts for baseball, softball, track, lacrosse, soccer, and tennis recently finished, it’s time for the spring sports to start. 

Junior Zariah Ricks is taking on yet another season of varsity softball for Potomac Falls. Ricks has been on varsity all three years of her high school career, and the team has looked different each year. 

“This season in my opinion we have a high level of skill on our team and a better team dynamic than previous years. I think it’s going to be a good season as long as we continue to practice the way we are and work hard,” said Ricks. 

Ricks has many goals for her junior season. “I personally want to work on my hitting this season and making sure I’m more consistent,” she said.

Varsity softball was 4-15 last season, and the team hopes to celebrate more wins this season. “Our goals are to work as a team and to grow our program. We want to be better than previous years and to be more united as a team,” said Ricks. 

On the other end of the spectrum is baseball. It’s a well-liked, popular sport in the Potomac Falls community, and the team is starting fresh this season, with five seniors leaving at the end of last year. Sophomore Nathan Parraga is one of two sophomores that made the varsity baseball team this season. 

Parraga played on the JV team his freshman year and was chosen to play up on varsity a few games in his 2023 season. ”What I really like about baseball is winning and the competitiveness of the game,” said Parraga. “My favorite part of being on the team is getting the opportunity to play with my friends and being able to compete with some of them on other teams.”

The baseball team’s record last year was 5-15, but they have hopes for a stronger season this year. “Our team goals for this season are to have a winning record and to have a strong team bond so we can work together to score more runs.” said Parraga. Team bonding is an important skill to have in order to have a strong winning team.

Winter, or indoor, track had quite a season, with multiple members of the team going to the VHSL Class 5 state meet at the Virginia Beach Sports Center in VA Beach. Spring track will likely be just as competitive. 

“My personal goal is to qualify for states,” said junior Isabella Cheiaua, who did the same in the winter. She runs multiple events. 

What both Cheiaua and sophomore Eli Wike have to stress is how much they enjoy the people they run with. “[Track is] a good way to get out your energy after school and hang out with friends while doing it,” said Wike. 

“My favorite thing about being on the team is definitely my teammates,” said Cheiaua, “because they’re kinda like family at this point.” This can be seen during meets, where runners not competing in an event will cheer on teammates who are.

Sophomore Allison Wulff is taking the field with ambitious goals for the 2024 lacrosse season. “[I want to] win the majority of the draw controls, and also learn how to direct the ball where I want it to go. As a team, we will learn to work together and make sure to always hustle on the field”. 

Last season, the girls’ varsity team went 8-6. This season, they hope to continue to build on the strong foundation they have. Practice is a huge key to this success, “We do a variety of drills during practice,” said Wulff. “We incorporate the running aspect at the end with 7v7 gameplay scenarios and before games we warm up with shuttles, 3v2’s, and box shooting”.

Wulff played on Varsity both her freshman and [now] sophomore year. “I love the team and my coaches because they are all so encouraging. I also love that they give us the opportunity to come up with new plays. Overall, it’s just an amazing team that is so fun to play with”. 

Equally excited, senior Ashley Light anticipates a successful senior tennis season. “My personal goals for tennis this season are to play hard and learn new techniques and strategies. Our team hopes to keep the motivation going in order to do well”. 

This year, the girls tennis team is getting used to a new coach. “With a new coach, our practices could look a little different, but in the past we warmed up, stretched, worked with our partners, and ended with a little match play,” said Light. “Before matches, we warm up, meet with other teams, do single matches, and then doubles.”

Light considers the tennis community to be “super fun” and that she “always enjoys playing and being able to spend time outside in the spring.”