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Panther Pride

Panther Pride
Spring Season Competition Begins

We opened our spring season competitions last week, with the Panthers winning three out of four competitions. On Thursday, boys varsity tennis weathered the cold, blustery conditions and topped Bishop O’Connell 6-1. On Friday, varsity baseball travelled to Bishop O’Connell and fell to the host Knights 3-6. Also, on Friday, girls varsity lacrosse hosted St. John’s College High School, where they dominated from first to last whistle on their way to a 17-8 victory. On Saturday, boys varsity lacrosse defeated St. Vincent Pallotti 23-4. Check out some recent girls lacrosse photos.

Girls Swim Into Fourth at ISL Championship

On Friday the girls swim team competed in the 2025 ISL Swimming Championship. They fought very hard, resulting in Potomac’s highest ISL point total in recorded history and a fourth place finish.

Three Panthers, Kate Douglas ‘26, Maren Schwarz ‘25, and Cecelia Russell ‘27, were awarded All-ISL for their exceptional performances. Douglas also had an incredible night, winning first in 100 Back with a new school record (56.61) and missing first by 0.01 seconds in 50 free (23.69). Schwarz also finished 2nd in 100 Breaststroke; Douglas, Schwarz, Russell, and Paige Schedler ‘25 also placed 2nd in the Medley Relay; Russell finished 3rd in 100 Butterfly; and Maddie Steves ‘26, finished 4th in 100 Breaststroke. Congratulations to the girls and good luck to the boys who compete this weekend at the MAC Championship at Catholic University.

Swimming and Diving at the VISAA Championships

The VISAA Swimming and Diving Championships were held this past weekend at the Jeff Rouse Aquatic Center in Stafford. Our girls finished seventh out of 28 teams, and our boys placed 16th of 31. Leading the way for the Panthers was Kate Douglas ‘26– who not only took home two state titles (50 Freestyle and 100 Backstroke), setting a new team record in the latter but also won this event in an All-American consideration time. Douglas’ teammates of Maren Schwarz ‘25, Maddie Steves ‘26, and Cecelia Russell ‘27 joined her for a school record-breaking 200 Medley Relay, taking second, also earning All-State Honors. The four then teamed up for another Potomac record in the 400 Freestyle Relay. Individually, Schwarz earned sixth place in 100 Breaststroke, and Russell also brought home sixth in 100 Butterfly. For the boys, Luka Beslic ‘27 set a new team record in 100 Butterfly and also medaled in 100 Breaststroke, taking seventh; Henry Rossman ‘28 took fifth in 500 Freestyle and sixth in 200 Freestyle, and Jack Pinkus ‘28 finished eighth in Diving. The future looks very bright for the Panthers!

Wrestling at the VISAA Championships

Varsity wrestling hosted 260 wrestlers from 29 teams for the VISAA State tournament in Spangler on Friday and Saturday. The Panthers finished 20th out of 29, which was the highest finish for a school with fewer than seven participants. Five of the six Panthers competing won at least one match, highlighted by Richard Perry ‘25, who finished in fifth at the 157 lbs weight class. Check out the gallery from day 1 of the VISAA tournament.

Winter Season Almost Over

We are almost finished with winter sports, and what a season it has been. Last week, the boys varsity basketball team ended its season in the MAC quarterfinals with a 48-67 loss at Maret. Many players will return next year, and we know the future is bright.

The girls varsity basketball team ended its ISL season last week but continued this week in the VISAA playoffs. In the ISL, they topped St. Andrew’s Episcopal on Thursday 71-38 in the first round of the ISL tournament, then fell to perennial power Sidwell 46-68 on Friday. On Tuesday of this week, the fifth-seeded Panthers defeated St. Catherine’s in the first round of the VISAA tournament by a score of 56-44. Last night, they fell to St. Anne’s Belfield by one point in the quarterfinal match-up.

Over the weekend, the boys and girls varsity squash teams competed in High School Nationals for Squash. The boys finished 14th in their division, while the girls made it all the way to the championship match, where they fell to Blair Academy. 

Congratulations to all our winter teams, athletes, and coaches on a great season. Spring sports have begun, with our first scrimmages starting this week!

Indoor Track and Field at the VISAA Championships

Track and field finished their indoor season with two top-five team finishes at VISAA States. The girls team finished third out of 14 teams, and the boys finished fifth out of 16. A highlight of the meet was our girls 4x400m state championship. Amazingly, this was the seventh year in a row that the girls 4x400 team, under the tutelage of coach CJ Jones, was named indoor state champions. Rose Barabanov ‘27, Charlie Everhart ‘25, Ally Griswold ‘26, and Sydney Levine ‘28 comprised that gold medal-winning team. Noah Altschuler ‘25 was the highest-place finisher on the boys team with a silver medal performance in the 1600m event. Everhart (500m) and Griswold (300m) also earned silver medals in individual events. Caroline Kaleda ‘25 made VISAA Honorable Mention with her bronze medal in the shot put. 

Girls Lacrosse Season Culminates with a Trip to the State Semifinals

Last Tuesday in the VISAA quarterfinals, the Panthers had a dominant 14-8 victory over Collegiate. With this victory, the Panthers secured a spot in the VISAA semifinals for the second consecutive year. The girls traveled to Charlottesville to take on the number one seed, and the ninth-ranked team in the country, St. Anne’s-Belfield. The game was a back-and-forth battle, but the Panthers fell short by one goal in the final minute, losing 7-6. It was an impressive showing to wrap up an excellent season. Well done, girls lacrosse!

Kicking Off the Competition

What a way to officially kick-off the school year! The atmosphere was electric, and the weather was perfect for the Back to School Cookout on Friday afternoon. Six Panther teams were in action, and all six walked away with victories. Varsity volleyball won 3-1, JV volleyball 2-0, both over Jackson-Reed, boys varsity soccer defeated Flint Hill 3-0, girls varsity soccer was victorious by a score of 2-0 over Bishop Ireton, girls varsity tennis topped Elizabeth Seton 6-1, and to cap off the night, varsity football had a dominant performance, securing a 48-22 victory over Saint John’s Catholic Prep.

In other action for the week, varsity golf knocked off traditional public-school power Langley High School on Thursday by a score of 142-164, and varsity field hockey had a strong week capped off by a fun Saturday at the Madeira Play Day!

We’d like to extend gratitude and appreciation to Potomac parent Becky Cullinan, who has been a staple on the sidelines with her camera this fall taking official athletic photography for the school. Don’t miss her action shots, and check back often for new galleries.

Athletics Heats Up After Class Trip Hiatus

Athletics had a strong restart to competition after a slight hiatus due to last week's class trips. Our varsity and JV teams are performing well. Varsity golf (5-0) and varsity tennis (3-0) are leading the way, and boys varsity soccer is also undefeated (3-0-1). Varsity volleyball has also had a very strong start against very strong competition, with a record of 3-1. The girls varsity soccer and varsity field hockey teams have even records, and have been playing well against top-level competition. Check out the upcoming team schedules

Another Strong Week in Panther Athletics!

We currently have two teams ranked in the latest editions of the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association Coaches Polls! Girls varsity tennis, who are now 5-0 including a very strong win over Collegiate at home on Friday, rank first in division 1. Boys varsity soccer (3-0-2) landed at fourth in the boys soccer division 1 rankings, which were released prior to their 2-2 draw with second ranked Episcopal on Friday. Other highlights from last week include golf remaining undefeated, girls varsity soccer defeating Georgetown Visitation in Game of the Week Action, varsity field hockey holding their own on a tough road trip, varsity football grinding out a 9-6 victory over Bishop O'Connell (see photo gallery), and girls varsity volleyball coming back from a roadtrip to Richmond with victories over St. Catherine's and Collegiate.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

The recent weather has caused us to adapt, improvise, and overcome, and perhaps most importantly – give our coaches and athletes the ability to apply our core value of perseverance. 

On Tuesday, varsity girls soccer had a dominating performance, defeating Maret 5-1. Varsity boys soccer traveled to GDS that same day and battled the elements and the Hoppers to earn a 1-0 victory. 

In other action last week, JV and varsity volleyball continued their winning ways with dual wins over Stone Ridge. JV defeated Madeira soundly on Thursday, but unfortunately, the varsity volleyball match against Madeira was canceled due to moisture inside the host gym. The varsity volleyball team is currently ranked fourth in the first  VISAA Volleyball Coaches Poll. Also on Thursday, in the “Game of the Week”, varsity tennis dominated Holy Child to earn a 9-0 victory and remain undefeated. Varsity and JV field hockey also had impressive performances last week. JV topped Flint Hill 2-0, while varsity beat Jackson Reed 7-0 and Flint Hill 3-0. The varsity field hockey team’s performance of late earned them a ninth place ranking in the first VISAA Field Hockey Coaches Poll. In the “commute of the week”, the boys JV and varsity teams traveled to Saint James. After a longer-than-expected trip, both teams shook off the bus legs and earned matching 5-1 victories. On Saturday, during a brief window of dryness and sunshine, the varsity football team earned another impressive victory, topping visiting St. Stephen's - St. Agnes by a score of 20-14.

2024 MAC Golf Champions

Congratulations to the 2024 MAC golf champions! The team won by an impressive 42 strokes over second place Sidwell. This marks the team's fourth championship in five years. Colton Rodgers '28 was the individual champion with a tournament low score of 72. He was followed by Jack Smith '26 and Ben Spencer '28 tied for second with a 73. Katie Lee '26 came in fifth with 79, Connor Wood '25 in sixth place with an 80 and Michael Dillow '27 in eleventh place with an 82. It has been a tremendous season culminating with an outstanding championship performance. Well done, Panthers!

Potomac Athletics Crowned Champions (Again!)

For the second year in a row, Potomac was named the overall champion in both the Independent School League and the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference by achieving the best overall league records across all sports. The MAC awarded our boys program the Directors Cup for the third consecutive year, and the ISL awarded our girls program the James W. Lewis Trophy for the second consecutive year. This is the first time in 25 years that a co-ed school has won both championships in back-to-back years.

Thank you to our scholar-athletes for their dedication and perseverance on and off the field and our coaches for their leadership. The culture and success of our US athletic programs are a direct result of tremendous community support. On behalf of all our athletes and coaches, thank you to the entire Potomac community for your support and belief in all of our teams. Congratulations, Potomac!

Meet the Athletics Team

Mr. Steve Lachut

Director of Athletics

"Some of my earliest memories are of watching the Buffalo Bills with family and friends or watching my dad play men’s league softball, so athletics have always been important in my world."

My experience in athletics is wide-ranging, starting, like most young kids, with t-ball, but quickly shifting to ten years playing ice hockey. I picked up wrestling, football, and lacrosse in middle school and played all three through high school. I was fortunate to be able to continue playing lacrosse in college at the division three level at Medaille College. 

My personal experiences playing sports on a wide variety of teams led me to pursue a career in education, with the goal of becoming a teacher-coach like so many of my most impactful mentors growing up. After a few years coaching middle school, high school, and club wrestling and lacrosse in Buffalo, New York, I eventually found my way to Saint James School in Hagerstown, Maryland. I started as the Assistant Athletic Director, eventually became the Dean of Students, and then returned to the Athletic Department as the Director of Athletics. In my thirteen years at Saint James, I served as the Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse coach and Varsity Wrestling coach, and I even coached a little field hockey along the way. 

I am so excited to be joining the Potomac School community. I’m looking forward to helping our athletes and coaches continue to build upon the success they’ve had in recent years while embracing Potomac’s core values of courage, humility, integrity, respect, and perseverance.

Ms. Nancy Smalley

Associate Athletics Director

"We have all benefited from the people, the core values, and the day to day collegiality found here at Potomac."

After 25 years working in other local independent schools, I joined the Potomac community as a faculty member in 2009.  But with three children who graduated from Potomac as “lifers”, I have been a member of Potomac’s broader community since 2000.  We have all benefited from the people, the core values, and the day to day collegiality found here at Potomac.

I have a BS in Physical Education from St. Lawrence University and a Masters in Counseling from George Mason University.  While at St. Lawrence, I played field hockey, ice hockey, and lacrosse and was inducted into SLU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. While at Potomac, I have coached varsity field hockey and JV lacrosse, and I continue to play ice hockey in a local women’s league - often late at night!

Mr. Mark St. Germain

Assistant Athletics Director

"I have had the opportunity to work with and benefit from some very gifted and talented administrators, coaches, mentors and teachers. A common theme I gleaned from all of them has been the dedication to the process."

I began my career over thirty years ago as a young teacher and football/lacrosse coach at the St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School in Alexandria where my first scrimmage as an assistant coach was vs the Potomac School. Since then, I have served as teacher, coach, administrator, advisor and grade-dean at Flint Hill, St. Albans, Saint John Paul the Great, and the Maret School. I had the opportunity to work with and benefit from some very gifted and talented administrators, coaches, mentors and teachers. A common theme I gleaned from all of them has been the dedication to the process. It is during the process where both the students and teachers/coaches are engaged in active learning and teaching. Trust is built, obstacles are overcome and confidence is built, especially in athletics.

Coming to Potomac, I believe I have come full circle, back to my roots, Athletics. I am excited to join the Potomac School community and am looking forward to being a part of the process that will enable our student-athletes and teams the opportunity to push and test themselves and their programs even further. I am also eager to work with a dedicated group of coaches who believe in the process and in their athletes' potential.

My wife Christine and I just celebrated our 25th Anniversary and we have two sons. Ben, who attends Connecticut College, and Luke, who has just started as a freshman this year at Boston College.

Ms. Meredith Valmon

Assistant Director of Athletics and Director of Track & Field and Cross Country

I am excited to have joined Potomac as the Director of IS and US Track and Field and Cross Country in August, 2023.

Track has been a huge part of my life! I am an NCAA Champion and two-time Olympian in Track & Field in the 800m event and represented Team USA at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games as well as at several World Championships and other international events during my career, including the 1999 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata Argentina where I won the gold medal.

After an NCAA Championship and All-American career at Harvard University, I competed professionally for 10 years on the international circuit earning top ten world rankings and competing across the globe. A huge honor for me is that I remain one of the top ten fastest 800m runners in US history with a personal record of 1:57.04.

Prior to Potomac, I was a head coach of track and field at the Holton-Arms school as well as a volunteer assistant for the University of Maryland Track and Field team since 2003. In addition to serving as a Director of Potomac's cross country and track and field programs, I am also an assistant athletic director.

Dr. Precious Barnes

Head Athletic Trainer

“Learning how to become your own health advocate is one of the most powerful life skills a young athlete can learn.”

Managing health and wellness through sports and activities is an important aspect of a young person’s life. It takes time to understand your own health needs, and I love being able to assist students in that process. My goal is to not only diagnose and treat injuries but help students understand the importance of prevention and maintenance through diet, strength training, and conditioning. I too was a competitive athlete in volleyball, basketball, and track & field. I have also competed in fitness competitions. I spend most of my time strength training for fun now. 

I am currently pursuing my Doctorate of Athletic Training degree from Indiana State University. I completed my Master of Applied Nutrition at Northeastern University, and my Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from George Mason University. I hold the ITAT (ImPACT Trained Athletic Trainer) certification, and the Performance Enhancement Specialist certification.

Mr. Travis Beauchamp

Assistant Director of Athletics and Varsity Head Soccer Coach

Ever since I can remember athletics have played a major role in my life. I’ve transformed this passion into a rewarding career educating young people. Twenty years dedicated to collegiate athletics, including seventeen as a soccer coach and operations assistant at Catholic University, have equipped me with a deep understanding of athlete development. My coaching philosophy centers on fostering a supportive and challenging environment where student-athletes can excel both on and off the field. Beyond wins and losses, I prioritize building character, leadership, and a long term love of sports. 

A lifelong athlete, I was fortunate to participate in soccer and baseball at Christchurch School and Washington College, earning induction into both schools' Halls of Fame. I am thrilled that my journey has led me to Potomac and I look forward to contributing to our student’s experience.