A couple of Arlington residents are significant contributors on the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Colonials softball team that is enjoying a winning season.
The girls high-school squad finished the regular season with a 9-5 record.
Players from Arlington are senior captains Josie Whitaker and Vivian Monaco. They began playing the sport together as fourth-graders in the Arlington Girls Softball Association.
When the players arrived at Jefferson, the school could barely field a team. During their freshman season there were only 11 players on the varsity team, and two of them (including Monaco) missed much of the time with injuries. The team won just two games that campaign.
Current head coach Randi Davison arrived last year and has rejuvenated the program. The school now fields both junior-varsity and varsity squads.
The Colonials are in third place in the National District and have a winning record for the first time Whitaker and Monaco have been on the team.
“It’s definitely been a lot more fun,” Whitaker told ARLnow about winning games. “Our coach is very passionate about the sport and passionate about the players and team improving.”
Whitaker has been the team’s starting pitcher for four years, winning 22 games as the staff ace and having nearly 400 strikeouts. She was chosen first-team all-district the last two years and second-team as a freshman. She had 80 strikeouts entering her final game this season, after topping 100 in the past two seasons.
With the bat, Whitaker has homered twice this spring, was batting .341 through 13 games with 13 RBI, three doubles and two triples.
Monaco starts at third base and had two inside-the-park homers in a recent win over Annandale. She led the team in most hitting statistics last year. This season through 13 games, she was hitting .279 with 14 RBI, two homers, two doubles and two triples.
In a recent victory over Mount Vernon, Whitaker struck out seven and allowed just one hit to get the win, while on offense doubling and driving in a run. Monaco had an RBI single.
A third player from Arlington on the team is junior Breanne Graham, who sees frequent use as a pinch-runner. She had scored seven runs and had four stolen bases through 13 games.
“We go into games this season more motivated to win,” Whitaker said. “Our hope is to keep winning in the playoffs.”
