Lorton: Swim Teams Make Toys for Tots Splash
West Springfield High School varsity Swim & Dive teams
The South County and West Springfield High School varsity Swim & Dive teams donated gifts for the South Run RECenter Toys for Tots campaign prior to their meet against each other on Dec. 10.
Chantilly's Westfield: State Champions — Again
Defense stalls Oscar Smith in double overtime
Before perennial powerhouses Westfield and Oscar Smith met for the Virginia 6A State Championship, many expected another close game.
Chantilly Defeats South County
The Chantilly Chargers faced South County High School in a non-conference game on Dec. 7 in Chantilly.
Chantilly's Westfield falls to Yorktown, Lake Braddock
The Westfield Bulldogs opened the season with losses to Lake Braddock and Yorktown.
Chantilly Girls Win on Senior Night
The Chantilly Chargers girls basketball team defeated the West Potomac Wolverines 57-22 on Dec. 9.
Herndon: SPIRIT Equestrian Program Gets a Christmas Miracle
Horseback Riding
“We received the notice to vacate the property exactly one week before Thanksgiving and they wanted us moved out by Dec. 31,” Dada said. “We really need a Christmas miracle to go through this transition and survive it.”
McLean: Langley Crew Athletes Committed to Row in College
Both athletes signed their Letters of Intent in a ceremony at Langley High School on Nov. 10. Pierce was in the 2015 Virginia State Champion J8+, placing 10th at the Scholastic Rowing Association of America's National Championship Regatta.
McLean: Addiction Is Not 'Somewhere Else'
Former NBA player talks to McLean about countywide drug problem.
Herren believes parents “hover over [their] kids academically, apply pressure athletically and drop the ball socially and emotionally.” He urged parents to play an active role in making sure their kids don’t need substances on a Friday night.
Bumped, Bruised, Better
Springfield man recovers from mid-race Ironman accident.
Bill Vitaletti of Springfield had fractured his jaw in three places, broken a bone in his eye socket, chipped a tooth and cracked two other teeth that would eventually have to be pulled. But he didn’t know any of that at the time. What he knew was he still had at least 20 miles left to bike and 26.2 miles to run before completing his first Ironman triathlon.
Reston: South Lakes High Track Athlete Signs with Air Force Academy
Local Sports
She is the school-record holder in the all of the girls’ hurdle events: 55 meters (8.40), 100 meters (14.52), 300 meters (45.86). Devyn Jones, a senior at South Lakes High School, has signed a National Letter of Intent with the Air Force Academy.
Great Falls U7 Wins Rugby Tournament
Sports
Great Falls Village was a busy place on Sunday, Nov. 20, as Great Falls Youth Rugby hosted its third, annual tournament to benefit the spinal cord injury research and recovery programs at MedStar National Rehabilitation Network. The President of Great Falls Rugby is himself a spinal cord injury survivor.
Reston: Seahawks Advance to Region Semifinals
South Lakes (11-1) to face Lake Braddock (11-1), the top-ranked team in the state.
With less than two minutes to play, it appeared the Seahawks had made an improbable comeback to advance to the region semifinals. After falling behind 14-0, they had scored three unanswered touchdowns. But the Wildcats pulled off a miraculous 75-yard flea-flicker bomb for a score with 1:25 remaining, stunning South Lakes and pulling Centreville to within 22-20.
Herndon Turkey Trot Race a Success
Some 858 runners participate in pre-Thanksgiving tradition at Herndon Community Center.
The first-place male winner was James Luehrs, 23, of Reston, who finished with a time of 16:16. He is Herndon High School's cross country and distance track coach. Some 858 runners participated in The Turkey Trot 5K Race sponsored by the Herndon Parks and Recreation Department on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the Herndon Community Center. The race wound around the Herndon Centennial Golf Course.
Great Falls Classical Ballet Performs Revamped Nutcracker This Weekend
Fifty-five dancers will be performing in the show on Saturday, Nov. 26, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at McLean High School.
The Margaret Haddad Studio of Classical Ballet in Great Falls has performed the Nutcracker ballet for decades. Though the studio’s founder –Margaret Haddad— retired last year, her 50-year legacy of teaching classical ballet in the community will continue through one of her students: Casey Jones. Jones started dancing under Margaret Haddad’s instruction in 1994. By 2001, Haddad inducted her into the studio’s teacher training program.
Great Falls: Playing Baseball in the 1890s Great Falls
Bringing a local player to life through history.
Take a look at the local 1890 Baseball Team, for example. The team was lined up in front of a fence that may have held their horses while they played. Four guys had bats, one or two guys had gloves, most seemed to be wearing riding boots. At least five were wearing the same type of baseball cap, apparently to show they were on the same team. (1890s Baseball Team, The N.F. Bradford, Sr. Collection, copyright Great Falls Historical Society).