Leesburg, Va. — In a back-and-forth game, it was the offensive explosiveness of the Riverside High School girls lacrosse team that proved to be the deciding factor. The Rams fended off multiple Dominion High School rallies to defeat the Titans, 14-8, in a VHSL 4A State semifinal on June 5 in Leesburg. Riverside found its first break less than three minutes into the game when junior midfielder Lilly Boswell scored to put the Rams up 1-0. Thirty seconds later sophomore midfielder Bryn McCaughey followed up with a goal of her own, and the Rams were in motion. [adrotate banner=”19″] Following…

Ashburn, Va. — Briar Woods High School senior Cassie Holstein has made a commitment to continue her swimming career at Duquesne University starting in the 2018-2019 school year. “I’m so excited to know that I will be continuing my swimming career in college,” the 5-foot-6 Holstein said. “I am proud to have achieved one of my biggest goals.” [adrotate banner=”18″] Earning the opportunity to swim for a Division I swim team is an impressive feat, but for Holstein, the opportunity to compete at Duquesne is about more than just swimming. “I chose Duquesne not only for its outstanding academic and…

Ashburn, Va. — As Briar Woods High School junior defender Katie Bjornsen lined up twelve yards from the goal for a second half penalty kick, the captain had one thought on her mind: trust her gut. That’s exactly what she did, finding the bottom of the left corner of the net. The 53’ goal gave the Falcons a 1-0 lead from which they’d never look back en route to a win over Potomac Falls High School in the Potomac District championship game on May 25 in Ashburn. [adrotate banner=”19″] “I picked my spot and trusted my gut,” Bjornsen said. “I…

Purcellville, Va. — Tuscarora High School senior Emma Wolcott has made a commitment to continue her running career at the University of Virginia beginning in the 2018-2019 academic year. Wolcott will run distance events for both the cross country and track teams. “It feels great to be committed, and I’m so excited to be going to UVA,” the 5-foot-3 Wolcott said. “I’m ready to make the most of college.” [adrotate banner=”19″] In college, Wolcott will join the Division I Cavaliers cross country team, which finished seventh in the NCAA Southeast Regional in 2017. Since taking over the program in 2012,…

Purcellville, Va. — Loudoun Valley High School junior Sean Conway has made an early verbal commitment to continue his swimming career at the University of Virginia beginning in the 2019-2020 academic year. “It feels a little strange, but it’s great to have committed this early. It frees up time and energy during the night, not having to worry about calls or upcoming visits,” the 6-foot-6 Conway said. “There was a lot of stress involved in the recruiting process, so having that finished really helps me out as well. The extra time I have still goes into training and catching up…

Ashburn, Va. — Stone Bridge High School senior Brooke Matthias has made a commitment to continue her swimming career at Pennsylvania State University starting in the 2018-2019 school year. “The recruiting process was fun, and I was fortunate to have a lot of great options. It was just very hard figuring out which school would be the best fit for me,” the 5-foot-5 Matthias said. “Once I committed last August, I could just focus on swimming and school.” [adrotate banner=”18″] And focus she did. To cap off her 2018 season, Matthias placed second in both the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard…