With top finishes in the spring season’s three biggest tournaments, the Bishop O’Connell Knights enjoyed their best golf campaign in years.
The high-school team finished second in the Washington-Catholic Athletic Conference tourney, fourth at the Washington Metro Boys Golf Championship, then tied for fourth at the season-ending co-ed Division I private-school state competition.
A number of former standout softball players on high school teams from Arlington continue having success participating in the women’s college sport this spring.
Washington-Liberty High graduate Bridget Bartz batted .353, hit two home runs and had 18 RBI for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. The junior starting shortstop had 30 hits, including six doubles, and played in 32 games. Her two home runs came in the same contest.
How about the comeback of the Yorktown Patriots boys lacrosse team?
The squad battled back from a 1-6 start to the high-school season to even its record and earn the second seed in the Liberty District tournament.
Playing the sport of women’s college lacrosse is one of many passions for Taylor Chepren.
But that’s not the only big interest for the Marymount University senior from Mercersburg, Pa., who was a member of the Saints’ Atlantic East Conference championship team this spring.
When Bishop O’Connell and St. Mary’s Ryken meet in girls softball, the games are close and action is pressure-packed.
Nothing was different this spring, when the showdown of teams with the same “Knights” nickname met in the championship contest of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference high-school girls tournament at George Mason University.
An up-and-down regular season ended on a high note with three straight victories during a key stretch for the Yorktown Patriots in softball.
In addition, the girls high-school team (10-10) finished 4-0 against Arlington rivals, defeating the Wakefield Warriors and Washington-Liberty Generals twice each. That also was the case last spring.
The spring season has been a high-water mark for Marymount University’s Division III sports teams.
There were five Saints squads that won Atlantic East Conference tournament titles, including the baseball and women’s softball squads on the same Saturday (May 10) afternoon.
Nearly 40 players from Arlington high schools were chosen to the various girls and boys all-Liberty District lacrosse teams for their performances during the spring season.
On the girls side, multiple players from the undefeated and defending Class 6 state-champion Yorktown Patriots were selected to first and second teams and honorable mention.
The high-school regular-season sports schedules for Arlington’s teams are concluded, and now it’s on to the postseason for public-school teams.
The playoffs are underway with district-tournament competitions.
The girls softball program at Yorktown High School turned 50 years old this spring, and there was a pregame event May 2 to celebrate the anniversary.
Some 30 alumni from past teams were on the field introduced prior to Yorktown’s Liberty District home game against the Marshall Statesmen.
There was a game-within-a-game when the Washington-Liberty Generals and Wakefield Warriors met recently in a girls varsity high-school lacrosse match.
In that all-Arlington clash, twin freshman sisters Addison and Emily Schimmel played for opposite teams. Addison was a member of the W-L squad and Emily was in uniform for host Wakefield.
Led by speedy sprinters, winning relays and other top performers, the Bishop O’Connell Knights girls and boys teams had winning and runner-up performances at the annual Draper Invitational outdoor track-and-field meet.
The 30-team high-school event was held May 2-3 at St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School in Alexandria.
