Ashburn, Va. — Briar Woods High School senior Bethany Gatlin has made a commitment to continue her swimming career at the University of Nebraska Omaha beginning in the 2018-2019 academic year. “From the very beginning, I could tell there was just something so special about not only the program but the coaches, too,” the 5-foot-8 Gatlin said. “When I went to my official visit in September I instantly felt I was already a part of the Maverick family.” While committing to Nebraska Omaha gave Gatlin a sense of relief, the year leading up to her commitment was a bit tumultuous.…

Loudoun County, Va. — As high school basketball gets underway in Loudoun County, a few local teams have already started to stand out among the crowd. In a two-district county, we wanted a way to put things into perspective. Enter: the LoCo Top 5. Of course, if you’re into hard numbers the full Potomac District and Dulles District standings are available here. [adrotate banner=”16″] 1. Freedom (9-1, 15-3) Double-digit wins over LoCoTop 5 teams Tuscarora and Loudoun Valley in the last week lift Freedom to the much-deserved No. 1 spot in our rankings. The Lady Eagles are long and athletic,…

Leesburg, Va. — In a back-and-forth battle between two of LoCo’s best teams, the Tuscarora High School girls basketball team made a big second-half adjustment on the boards to outlast an excellent defensive effort by Stone Bridge High School as the Lady Huskies earned a big Potomac District win, 60-50, over the Lady Bulldogs on January 23 in Leesburg. “Rebounding has been our achilles heel all season long. Our rebounding wasn’t good in the first half,” Tuscarora head coach Michael Newkirk said. “But we were able to secure those physical rebounds down the stretch. They were knocking shots down. How…

Hamilton, Va. — Episcopal High School senior and Hamilton resident Eleanor Winants has made a commitment to continue her field hockey career at Wake Forest University beginning in the 2018-2019 academic year. “I knew I wanted to play field hockey at a high Division I level,” the 5-foot-7 Winants said. “I also wanted a school that would prepare me for a career after college. Wake Forest fit both of those qualities for me.” [adrotate banner=”10″] Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Wake Forest is a small, private research university with less than 5,000 undergraduates students currently enrolled. “I love the small…

Leesburg, Va. — When you take a double-digit lead into the half of a district matchup against one of Loudoun’s perennial contenders, you know they’re coming out firing in the second half. The Tuscarora High School boys basketball team found that out quickly in the third quarter of their Potomac District battle with Potomac Falls High School on January 16 in Leesburg. While the Panthers – who had four guys in double-digits – erased the Huskies’ 10-point halftime lead less than four minutes into the third quarter, Tuscarora remained poised and eventually regained momentum, trumping Potomac Falls, 74-63. “It was…

Ashburn, Va. — Stone Bridge High School senior guard Ben Kling and the rest of the Bulldogs shooters found the bottom of the net early and often – connecting on 16 three pointers – en route to an 83-53 win over Potomac District foe John Champe High School on January 12 in Ashburn. “We’re not reinventing the wheel here,” Stone Bridge head coach Corey Stitzel said. “The Golden State Warriors are the best team in the world and this is what they do. Villanova won the national title a few years ago and this is what they do. We’re very…