As the winter sports season comes to a close and we move into spring athletics, let’s reflect back on the highlights of the season.

With 111 District Titles, 31 Regional Titles, 9 State Team Titles, and 28 State Individual Titles, Potomac Falls’ robust history of athletic excellence is one of many things students and staff take pride in. Step through the building’s front doors alone and you will be greeted with rows of shelves flaunting hundreds of trophies and awards. This past winter season, students carried on this legacy and proved the power in what it means to be a panther in athletics.

Boys Varsity Basketball

The conclusion of the football season didn’t stop the county-wide renowned “Panther Pit” from continuing to energetically gather weekly; this time in support of the Boys Varsity Basketball team. With an 8-2 district record and 20-6 overall record, the team claimed a District Championship title after their 46-45 triumph over Stone Bridge HS on Feb 18 during a nail-biter of a homecourt game. The players’ ability to work so well together as a team doesn’t take away from their outstanding performances individually. Alongside senior captain and starting point guard Kyle Ables, sophomore point guard James Delaney was also named 2nd Team All-District. Junior Eli Adegbenro was recognized for his contribution to the team as well with a 1st Team All-District title. “Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much,” said Ables. The driving force of such potent individuals is perhaps Coach Jeffrey Hawes. Hawes, who has been with the school since its inception in 1997, claimed his 13th Potomac District Coach of the Year title this past winter. “The relationships that I have with my players is without a doubt the most rewarding part of coaching,” said Hawes. “We genuinely care about each other for more than just basketball.”

Girls Varsity Basketball 

Coming off of their Region Championship win in the last season, the Girls Varsity Basketball team finished off yet another momentous season with three recognized All-District players and two broken school records. Senior team captains Ella Valente and Olivia DuHaime broke the school records for most steals in a game and season and most free throws, respectively. Valente, who had 11 steals in a single game and 117 over the course of the season, secured herself recognition for First Team All-District, while DuHaime’s 93 free throws earned her Second Team All-District. “[Winning First Team All-District] was a rewarding thing to have after four years of playing and just a really good way to end the season,” said Valente. Additionally, sophomore center Megan Njamen was recognized for Second Team All-District.

Gymnastics

On Feb 12, junior Lucy Kenworthy secured a second place spot and advancement to States after scoring an 8.6 on her bar routine during a gymnastics meet at Woodgrove HS. During the Class 5A State Meet, which took place on Feb 19 at Heritage HS, Kenworthy’s bar performance was given an 8.7, setting her at 20th in the state. “[The most rewarding aspect of gymnastics for me is] probably the confidence it gives you,” said Kenworthy. “Being able to go out there and do those routines in front of so many people…it gives you a lot of confidence and adrenaline.”

Swim

On Feb 17, six members of the Varsity Swim team traveled to Stafford, VA for the VHSL Class 5A State Championship. Amongst these swimmers were seniors Jimmy Anderson and MaryAnna Nguyen, and freshman Claire McMahan, who qualified for the 50y freestyle, 200y freestyle relay, and 100y breaststroke, respectively. In the relay, Nguyen was joined by freshmen Micaela Perezous, who also qualified for the 100y freestyle, Mackenzie Speilman, and Soleil Antognoli. Perezous’ 100y freestyle time of 54.58 sec and scoring of 4.00 established her as 13th in the state, while Anderson’s 22.26 sec 50y freestyle scoring of 3.00 and McMahan’s 1:08 min 100y breaststroke scoring of 3.00 placed both as 14th for their own respective events. The girls 200y freestyle relay team claimed a ranking of 11th place in the state with a 1:42.60 min time and a 12.00 point scoring.

Indoor Track

Potomac Falls’ very first indoor track season was carried out successfully with multiple runners advancing to compete in the postseason. Freshmen Mia Simpson and Madison Wanza, sophomores Aaron Chesson, Jovan Carmouze, Joshua Dinh, and Justin Yang, and seniors Avery Finnegan and Hudson Barth qualified for the 5A Region D Championships for their own respective events. At the regional meet, which took place on Feb 14 at Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA, Yang ran a 9.41 sec 55m hurdle time and placed 9th, while Chesson’s 9.89 sec 55m hurdle performance placed him at 12th. In the Boys Shot Put Finals, Carmouze, who ranked 13th, threw a 30-10.00, and Dinh, who ranked 14th, threw a 25-00.00. Simpson earned herself regional advancement for the 1000m and 1600m, in which she ran a 3:21 min 1000m and a 5:39 min 1600m, making her the fastest freshman in both events. She was joined in the 1600m by Finnegan who ran the event in 6:00 min. Barth’s regional performances, a 4:36 min 1600m and a first place 10:02 min 3200m, were his tickets to competing at the VHSL Class 5 State Championships on Feb 25 in Virginia Beach, VA. At the State Meet, he ran a 4:40 min 1600m and a 10:20 min 3200m, setting him as the 11th and 13th fastest in his events in the state, respectively. He was joined by Wanza who advanced to States for long jump after placing 6th for her 7.67 sec 55m sprint at Regionals. She ultimately jumped a 17-05.25, placing her fifth in the state.

Wrestling

On Feb 11, senior and first year wrestler Jacob Bynes traveled to RiverBend HS in Fredericksburg, VA to compete at the Class 5A Regional Wrestling Championships. His advancement to the Class 5A State Meet, which took place on Feb 18 at Virginia Beach, came after winning his match at Regions. “The atmosphere at the State Meet was very nice. You could feel the energy as soon as you walked through the door,” said Bynes. “Seeing your hard work pay off is really rewarding.”