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

Arlington high-school wrestlers qualify for girls state tournament

By Dave Facinoli
Cameron Millsapps (courtesy of Wakefield wrestling)

Wrestlers from three Arlington County high schools recently earned berths at the Zone 4 qualifying event to participate in the Virginia High School League girls state tournament.

The top five wrestlers in each weight class earned those berths at Hayfield Secondary School, with the fifth-place finishers designated as alternates.

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Sports

W-L girls run, jump to district track & field championship

By Dave Facinoli
The champion Washington-Liberty team (courtesy of W-L track & field)

Gabriela Netwall and Ella Kaplan were big point-scorers in helping the Washington-Liberty Generals win the Liberty District girls track-and-field championship.

Each participated in multiple individual events in the high-school meet, and ran on the winning 4×200 relay in 1:48.66, as the Generals amassed 140 points.

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Sports

W-L second, Wakefield gymnast all-round champion in district

By Dave Facinoli
The W-L gymnasts finished second (photo by Ron Melkis)

With their best performance of the season, the Washington-Liberty Generals extended their girls gymnastics campaign with a satisfying and somewhat surprising runner-up finish at the Liberty District championships.

The high-school team, which hosted the meet, had a 131.825 point total, well behind the defending champion McLean Highlanders with 139.825. Washington-Liberty also finished second to McLean last season.

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Sports

Arlington boys record top finishes in district swim & dive meet

By Dave Facinoli
Tyler Hong swam for Washington-Liberty (file photo by Deb Kolt)

There was not a winner of any event from the three Arlington boys high-school teams at the Liberty District swimming and diving championship, but there were some notable individual performances.

Lucas Lopez of the Wakefield Warriors swam to the highest finishes with a second in the 100 backstroke and a fourth in the 100 butterfly.

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Sports

Yorktown girls win eighth straight district swimming and diving title

By Dave Facinoli
The Yorktown swim champions (courtesy of Yorktown swim & dive)

The routine, also now an expectation, of winning another girls Liberty District swimming and diving championship has continued for the Yorktown Patriots.

For the eighth straight season, Yorktown won that high-school title, this year in a rout, scoring 509 points. Yorktown’s Arlington rival Washington-Liberty Generals were a distant second with 372.

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Sports

Arlington high school sports schedule for Feb. 7-13

By Dave Facinoli
The region wrestling tourney starts Thursday (Feb. 13) (photo by Rena Schild)

High-school postseason competitions will be underway over the coming week for all winter sports teams in Arlington, with the exception of girls and boys basketball.

The Liberty District wrestling tournament is on tap, along with region competitions for swimming and diving, gymnastics and track-and-field teams.

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Sports

Track & field teams have strong showings at different meets

By Dave Facinoli
Ellen Malloy ran on a Yorktown relay (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Different high-school track and field teams from Arlington had strong showings at a couple of different recent meets.

For the Washington-Liberty girls, Ella Kaplan won two events and was second in another at a competition at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center in Arlington.

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Sports

Six new members inducted into Washington-Liberty Hall of Fame

By Dave Facinoli
New and previous W-L Hall of Fame inductees (courtesy of W-L athletics)

The six new members of Washington-Liberty High School Athletic Hall of Fame were recognized and inducted at a Jan. 24 ceremony at the school.

The event occurred during halftime of the boys home varsity basketball game between W-L and the Langley Saxons.

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Sports

O’Connell boys basketball team has been on the move plenty this season

By Dave Facinoli
O'Connell coach Joe Wootten recently won his 550th game (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)

Maybe the word “traveling” should be added as part of the nickname for the Bishop O’Connell Knights boys basketball team.

Over many years, the varsity high-school squad often has traveled to far-flung tournaments as part of its regular-season schedule.

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Sports

Basketball roundup: Crunch time arrives for Arlington teams

By Dave Facinoli
The Wakefield and Yorktown girls won big games (courtesy of Wakefield athletics)

While the Yorktown Patriots won a second straight Liberty District girls basketball game, on the same date their counterpart boys team lost for the first time in league play this season.

The high-school contests were at different sites against the Marshall Statesmen on Thursday (Jan. 30). The girls won 45-24 on the road. The boys never led, losing at home, 64-49, having a six-game winning streak snapped.

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Sports

O’Connell swim & dive teams each place third in conference meets

By Dave Facinoli
Kalyn O'Hara was top swimmer for Bishop O'Connell (courtesy of O'Connell swim & dive)

The Bishop O’Connell Knights certainly have been consistent with their finishes in postseason swimming and diving meets this winter.

Most recently, the high school girls and boys teams each placed third in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championships in Laurel, Md.

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Sports

Arlington Bulldogs to participate in national 4-H Ignite soccer event

By Dave Facinoli
Arlington Bulldogs (courtesy of the Bulldogs)

The Arlington Bulldogs, a recreational boys soccer team, has been nominated and chosen to participate in the national 4-H Ignite competition in March.

The Arlington Soccer Association team’s roster consists of players from mostly Arlington high schools at the under-15 and under-16 age levels.

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