Author: Dave Facinoli

Dave Facinoli grew up in Prince George’s County, Md. and attended Friendly High School. After attending Prince’s George Community College and James Madison University, where he covered sports on both college papers, he launched a local newspaper career that included roles as the sports editor of the Alexandria Gazette, the Arlington Sun Gazette and GazetteLeader, and other local papers.

Sports

O’Connell’s long string of state softball championships continues

By Dave Facinoli
The Knights hoist the state trophy (courtesy of O'Connell softball)

Make it a baker’s dozen — 13 — consecutive state softball championships for the Bishop O’Connell Knights.

The top seed and undefeated girls high-school team (20-0) captured its 13th straight Division I private-school crown by nipping the second-seeded St. Catherine’s Saints of Richmond, 1-0, in the 2025 tournament final in a season-ending victory.

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Sports

O’Connell coach, player chosen as new members of Arlington Sports Hall of Fame

By Dave Facinoli
Alberto Starace coaches his O'Connell team (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Alberto Starace has has accumulated many achievements as a high-school soccer coach.

Now, Bishop O’Connell Knights‘ head girls coach can add to the list his selection to the Arlington Sports Hall of Fame.

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Sports

Marymount softball team enjoys most accomplished season to date

By Dave Facinoli
The Marymount softball champs (courtesy of Marymount athletics)

Still working to become further established in just its fourth season as a college softball team, the Marymount University Saints have won a significant championship.

The Division III women’s team this spring became the best in the Atlantic East Conference by winning the postseason tournament for the first time, earning the squad its initial NCAA-tourney berth.

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Sports

Junior’s busy meet helps W-L girls win district track-and-field meet

By Dave Facinoli
Gabi Netwall placed in seven events for W-L (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

As usual, Gabi Netwell was plenty busy during a track-and-field meet, most recently helping the Washington-Liberty Generals finish first in the girls Liberty District outdoor high-school championships.

The junior placed high in seven events as the Generals won with 118 points, just six more than the co-runner-ups Wakefield Warriors and Langley Saxons. The meet was held on two days over two weeks at Wakefield.

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Sports

Arlington high-school golfers see mixed results in qualifier for U.S. Open

By Dave Facinoli
Logan Reilly, left, was second in the qualifier (courtesy of U.S. Open)

Golfers from two Arlington high school teams recently participated in a competition, aiming to advance in the qualifying process to earn a spot to play in this summer’s U.S. Open championship in Pennsylvania.

Finn Watson from Washington-Liberty High School and Logan Reilly from Bishop O’Connell High played in the U.S. Open 18-hole local qualifying tournament at Northwest Golf Course near Silver Spring.

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Sports

Arlington pitcher earns her 400th career strikeout for Jefferson

By Dave Facinoli
Josie Whitaker is a top player for Jefferson (courtesy of Jefferson softball)

It took four seasons and a lot of determination, but Arlington resident Josie Whitaker achieved a goal of amassing 400 career strikeouts.

The senior right-handed pitcher for the Thomas Jefferson Colonials girls high-school softball team reached that milestone in the team’s semifinal loss to the Hayfield Hawks in the National District tournament.

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Sports

O’Connell sprinter stands out in conference track-and-field meet

By Dave Facinoli
O'Connell coach Jim Connor talks to his team (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Of the 50 athletes participating in the outdoor track-and-field league championships for the Bishop O’Connell Knights, sprinter Cam Bowser was the top performer.

The junior won the boys 400-meters in a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference high-school meet record of 47.7 seconds, was second in the 200 (21.59) and ran on the third-place 4×200 relay at Good Counsel School in Maryland.

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Sports

Baseball season ends for county high-school teams on same date

By Dave Facinoli
Wakefield and W-L had their seasons end the same night (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

May 15 will not soon be forgotten for high-school baseball in Arlington — but for the wrong reasons.

All four squads suffered season-ending losses that Thursday in first-round tournament action. In a matter of a five-hour stretch, the county’s high-school baseball season was all over.

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Sports

Weather-shortened Stotesbury Regatta sends crew teams home disappointed

By Dave Facinoli
The Wakefield girls varsity eight (courtesy of Wakefield crew boosters)

Highlights were few for Arlington crew teams at famous, but this year weather-shortened, Stotesbury Cup Regatta.

Storms, heavy rain and dangerous water conditions on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia caused the semifinal and championship races to be canceled. Only the first-round heats were held.

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Sports

W-L boys dominate Liberty District track-and-field championships

By Dave Facinoli
W-L discus thrower Brandon Kaplan (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

With three senior athletes combining to win seven events and as many as 11 others scoring team points, the Washington-Liberty Generals were big winners in the boys Liberty District track-and-field championships.

The Generals were first with 171 points, far more than the runner-up and host Wakefield Warriors with 114 in the high-school competition spread over two different weeks.

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Sports

Yorktown teams successfully defend Liberty District lacrosse titles

By Dave Facinoli
The champion Yorktown boys (courtesy of Yorktown athletics)

On the same cool and rainy night at different sites, the Yorktown Patriots defended their girls and boys Liberty District lacrosse tournament championships with victories over the Langley Saxons.

The undefeated and top seed Yorktown girls (16-0) built a 7-1 lead and won 16-8 on their home field over the second-seeded Saxons. The No. 2-seed boys (10-7) played at top-seed Langley and rallied from an early 4-0 deficit to win 11-10 in sudden-death overtime.

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Sports

Arlington high-school sports schedule for May 23-29

By Dave Facinoli
Yorktown's Kaiya Ovando will compete in the region meet (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

The spring high-school sports season for Arlington’s private-school Bishop O’Connell Knights is complete, while the county’s three public-school teams are competing in region-playoff action over the next week.

The Wakefield Warriors, Washington-Liberty Generals and Yorktown Patriots all have teams or athletes entered in individual and team region competition, with one team playing in a district-tournament championship game Friday, May 23.

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