Players from multiple sports for Arlington teams received public and private all-state honors for their performances during the 2026 spring high school season.
Leading the way were the three Bishop O’Connell Knights baseball players chosen to the Division I private school all-state first team.
Senior infielder Bryant James, senior pitcher Shota Fogus and senior catcher Jack Woda helped O’Connell win the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) tournament championship for the first time in 25 years. Their team compiled a 27-7 overall record and reached the semifinals of the Division I state tourney.
James batted a lofty .539 for the season. His 55 hits included 10 doubles, three triples and eight home runs.
James had 30 RBI, scored 53 runs and stole 31 bases.
On the mound, Fogus compiled a 4-2 record and 1.89 earned run average in 44 1/3 innings, striking out 80 batters. Throughout this high-school career, Fogus struck out more than 150.
Woda hit .379 with 39 hits and 37 RBI. He had 10 doubles, five home runs, three triples, scored 45 runs and swiped 29 bases.
All three will play Division I college baseball — James at the University of Virginia, Fogus at the University of Richmond and Woda at East Carolina University.
Chosen to the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 all-state second team in baseball was Yorktown High School senior outfielder Aidan McCracken. He helped Yorktown compile a 13-9 record and defeat the host Madison Warhawks in the first round of the 6D North Region tournament.
For the season, McCracken batted .425. His 36 hits included six home runs, seven doubles and one triple. McCracken scored 29 runs, had 19 RBI and was hit by a pitch six times. He stole 14 bases.
McCracken had a hit in Yorktown’s region win over Madison. In the team’s region semifinal loss to Herndon, he had two hits, including a home run.
McCracken will play college baseball at Division III St. Mary’s College in Maryland.
Making all-state in Division I private school girls softball from Bishop O’Connell were junior pitcher Annie Van Dyck and senior outfielder Gigi Payne on the first team and senior infielder Callie Lissenden on the second team.
Payne batted .381 with 24 hits. Lissenden hit .344 with 22 hits, including four doubles and a homer, and added 19 RBI.
Van Dyck won more than 10 games and struck out some 200 hitters. She fanned 28 batters in an extra-inning loss to St. Paul VI Catholic.
The three helped O’Connell finish with a 16-5 record and second in its conference tournament.
Payne will play college softball at St. Bonaventure University and Lissenden will play at the U.S. Naval Academy.
In girls lacrosse, Bishop O’Connell senior captain and attack Caitlin Musolino was chosen first team Division I all-state. Musolino led O’Connell in scoring with 69 goals and 28 assists. She will play in college at Princeton University.
Also in girls lacrosse, Yorktown Patriots’ junior attack Ginger Beall and junior midfielder Iris Taphorn were selected to the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 second team.
Beall scored 42 goals had 20 assists, collected nine ground balls and caused five turnovers. Taphorn had 42 goals, three assists, seven ground balls, won 56 draw controls and caused six turnovers. The two helped the team finish with a 14-4 record and second in the Liberty District tournament.
Taphorn has committed to play college lacrosse at Virginia Commonwealth University.
In boys lacrosse, junior attack Nate Randles of the Yorktown Patriots and junior defender Miles Whitaker of the Washington-Liberty Generals were Virginia High School League’s Class 6 first-team all-state selections. Yorktown junior defender Alex Len made second team.
Randles scored 68 goals and had 82 assists to help Yorktown win the Liberty District tournament and finish second in the 6D North Region tourney. He has committed to play in college at Penn State.
Len gathered 80 ground balls, had 22 takeaways, scored three goals and had five assists.
Whitaker finished the season with 48 caused turnovers, gathered 53 ground balls, scored three goals and two assists.
In golf, Bishop O’Connell sophomore Chase Evans was chosen to the Division I all-state co-ed team. Evans shot 73 to tie for seventh in the state tournament.
