Congrats to our scholar-athletes from the class of 2018!  Good luck next year.

Back row (left to right): Jamal Thompson (Emerson College–soccer), John Schooner (Oberlin College-baseball), Jake Logue (Franklin and Marshall–football), Alex Debayo-Doherty (Harvard University-soccer), Charlotte White (Colby College-soccer), Will Socas (University of Pennsylvania-soccer), Devon Flowers (James Madison University-basketball), Will McLeish (Tufts University -lacrosse), Stephen Yeonas (Connecticut College-soccer)

Front row (left to right): Tayte Dupree (Wake Forest University-tennis), Miles Wilson (St. Lawrence University-track and field), Hannah Gould (Davidson College-swimming), Tracey Mills (Dartmouth-soccer), Courtlynne Caskin (University of Virginia-lacrosse), Izzy Moran (University of Chicago-lacrosse), Hailey McKelvie (Tufts University-sailing), Nicole Manning (University of Richmond-cross country and track and field), Carter Bosch (Georgetown University-baseball)

Against all odds, the boys varsity tennis team just had one of its best seasons in years. Both coach Marty Hublitz and the rest of the team were certain that the 2017-18 school year was going to be about rebuilding the team’s strength, after five talented senior starters graduated the year before. But they found themselves winning – and winning. Eventually, the Panthers made it all the way to the VISAA State Championships, where they were named runners-up.

This past weekend, boys track and field successfully defended their MAC Championship title, while the girls team placed eighth, scoring 30 points – our highest since 2014! Reed Voeks set a school record in the long jump (21-4), and Catherine Hyman broke the school record in the 400m (56.98). Voeks, Matt Gelin, Eric Jackson, Darien Killebrew, Austin Rucker, Brian Wilson, Miles Wilson, Caleb Wooten, and Josh Wooten earned All-League honors. Jodie Kuo placed third in the discus, and Isabel Morris placed fifth in the 800 with a 2:22 (PR). Morris, Kristen Fairbank, Julia Johnston, and Isabel Zhang anchored the girls 4x800 to a fourth-place finish. Nicole Manning placed fifth in the 3200m. Several of our athletes will continue onto States and many have already qualified for Nationals.

A gutsy pitching performance by Carter Bosch (eight innings) helped the Panthers (14-5) win an outright MAC title for the first time in team history! This was the Panthers' fifth tournament title, but the team has never previously won the regular season and the tournament in the same year. Click here to read more about their 3-2 win over St. James.

Saint James took a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh. Matt Plaza started the rally with a leadoff double. Two outs later, there were men on the corners, and Bosch sent a line drive to the right-field fence for a ground rule double and tied the game 2-2. Senior Brenden Mabus relieved Bosch in the ninth inning and was able to retire Saint James with a strikeout and a heroic catch by center fielder Michael Valentine. Mabus came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with one out and bases loaded. Mabus walked home, giving the Panthers the winning run. The final score was 3-2.

For a Washington Post article on this incredible accomplishment, click here. For a photo gallery, click here.

On Friday, the varsity softball team won the semifinal game in the ISL AA Tournament, beating National Cathedral 15-0. Potomac's 12-hit attack was led by Anna Takis (with three hits) and Kat Plaza and Maria Urban (with two hits each). Charlotte Thompson had three runs batted in with a two-run single and a sacrifice fly. Maria Urban was the winning pitcher, allowing three hits over four innings while striking out four.

On Saturday, Potomac won the ISL AA championship game 6-2 over Flint Hill. Potomac's nine-hit attack was led by Takis, with three hits while driving in two runs. Caroline Semel and Kate Newton each had two hits. Potomac broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the seventh, scoring four runs. Key hits in the seventh inning were by Takis, Newton, and a bunt by Caroline Culp. Urban pitched a four-hit complete game, striking out eight and allowing no earned runs.

On Tuesday, in the quarterfinals of the VISAA state tournament, the fourth-seed Panthers defeated fifth-seed Norfolk Christian 5-3. Potomac was held to five hits, with three of them accounting for all of Potomac's scoring. In the second inning, Takis led off the inning with a solo homer. In the fourth inning, Charlotte Thompson had a two-run double and Caroline Jackson had a two-run homer. Urban pitched a complete game, allowing five hits, striking out five, and allowing two earned runs.

Potomac defeated Holton-Arms 16-1 in the opening round of the ISL Tournament behind the strong pitching of Caroline Culp. Caroline pitched a four-hit complete game, striking out four and allowing only one earned run. The 12-hit offensive attack for Potomac was led by Maria Urban with three hits, including a double, and two hits by Caroline Semel and Caroline Jackson, including a triple. They next beat #3 seed NCS 15-0 in the semi-finals and took on Flint Hill in the championship game. Tied 2-2 going into the 7th inning, Potomac batted through the line up and scored 6 runs to secure the win.

Congratulations to our varsity baseball team, which won the MAC regular season title on Tuesday, defeating Georgetown Day with a score of 11-0. The boys played extremely well on their Senior Day. While the Panthers have achieved seven baseball league titles, this is the first time since 1996 that Potomac has won the regular season title outright. The team defeated Maret to advance to the MAC championship final against St. James.

On Monday, the varsity softball team played Paul VI in an exciting game. Paul VI jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, but Potomac cut the lead in half with a long home run by pitcher Maria Urban, a double by Kate Entis, a single by Caroline Culp, and a sacrifice fly by Caroline Brown to drive in Entis. Potomac hit strong to tie the game.

Boys varsity tennis had two successful matches in Virginia Beach this past week. Cape Henry Collegiate fell to the Panthers 9-0, with sophomore Matthew Tran managing a golden set (not losing a single point!) in his singles match. The next day, the Panthers played Norfolk Academy.

Winter Washington Post All-Met Athletes

Congratulations to seniors Courtlynne Caskin and Devon flowers for being named to the Washington Post basketball Honorable Mention team. Also named was junior Diego Cruzado, Honorable Mention in swimming and senior Sam Lu, Honorable Mention in wrestling.
 

Fall Washington Post All-Met Athletes 

Congratulations to senior Courtlynne Caskin and junior Grace Sherman for being named to the Washington Post girls soccer All-Met First Team. Courtlynne has committed to play lacrosse for UVA and Grace has verbally committed to Princeton for soccer. Senior Tracey Mills was named to the Second Team and has committed to play soccer for Dartmouth.

Junior Jack Rosener was named to the boys soccer Second Team.

Pictured top left, Caskin; top-right, Sherman; bottom-left, Mills; bottom-right, Rosener.

Congratulations to our varsity and swim dive team for their accomplishments at the VISAA state meet. Our boys finished in 7th place and our girls finished in 8th.

The team also broke 7 school records.

Highlights include:

• 100 breast - Annie Tuttle-State Champion; Hannah Gould 4th place
• Boys 4x100 free relay - Connor Smith, TJ Sharkey, Andrew Bernstein and Diego Cruzado- 2nd place - broke school record set in 2001
• Boys 50 free- Diego Cruzado - 7th place - school record from 2001
• Girls 100 back - Katie Gould- 6th place- school record
• Girls 100 fly- Caroline Otteni- 4th place-school record; Hannah Gould 11th place
• Boys 100 free- Diego Cruzado- 3rd place-school record; Connor Smith 14th place
• Girls 200 IM- Annie Tuttle- 8th place; Katie Gould-school record- 9th place
• Girls 4x100 Free Relay - Katie Gould, Caroline Otteni, Hannah Gould, Megan Sharkey -7th place
• Girls 50 Free - Megan Sharkey- 10th place
• Girls 100 Free - Caroline Otteni- 15th place; Megan Sharkey- 16th place
• Boys medley relay -8th place Andrew Bernstein, Connor Smith, TJ Sharkey, Diego Cruzado
• Boys 200 free - TJ Sharkey -11th place
• Boys 200 IM - Connor Smith - 9th place
• Boys 500 Free - TJ Sharkey -7th place; Andrew Bernstein 13th place
• Boys 100 Back - Andrew Bernstein-14th place

All State

• 100 Breast - Annie Tuttle
• Boys 4x100 Relay – C.Smith, TJ Sharkey, A. Bernstein and D. Cruzado

Last weekend was a truly remarkable one for Potomac's girls and boys varsity squash teams as they swept the competition in the 2018 US Squash High School National Championships in Philadelphia.

After a tough win over Holton Arms, the Panthers and their fans celebrated the record-breaking accomplishments of senior Courtlynne Caskin. Courtlynne, who broke the girls career scoring record of 1,326 points last week, was honored before the game, as Head of School John Kowalik presented her with a special game ball. Caskin was featured in a January 8, 2018 article in the Washington Post.

On Saturday, Jan 20th, the boys varsity squash team traveled to Episcopal High School to defend their title at the 2018 Mid-Atlantic Squash Organization Championships.

As the top seed, the team received a first round bye and started off their campaign against St. Christopher's in the semi-finals.