WAHS 2023 Spring Sports Review
Springs sports experienced a lot of success this year. See below for a review of each varsity team’s season…
Baseball
Baseball had a very successful season. The team captured the Jefferson District Regular Season Championship with a 12-2 district record 17-3 overall. This is the third consecutive district championship for the Warriors. Several players received recognition including. Aidan Carver-Woodson was selected 1st Team All-Region 4D outfielder. Ben Winslow was selected 2nd Team pitcher and Designated Hitter, and Ezra Andres (OF), Daniel Jones (SS), Josh Lively (1B and utility), and Tommy Williams (3B) were all Honorable Mention.
Boys Lacrosse
2023 was an eventful and action-packed year for Boys Lacrosse. The Warriors dropped two games out of district games early in the season. After those two losses, the team went on a seven-game win streak before losing one more game to a talented 5A Midlothian team. This year’s team became a very close-knit unit. On the season, the Warriors finished with a 13-5 record, capturing the Jefferson district with a perfect 6-0 district record including two critical wins against cross-town rival Albemarle. The teams’ best out-of-conference game was a thrilling 17-16 overtime win at Patrick Henry Roanoke. The team finished runner up in Region 4A falling to the eventual undefeated State champion in Atlee.
Girls Lacrosse
- 2023 Girls Varsity and JV Lacrosse teams finished a combined 30-0 as the only school in the state to have both Varsity and JV teams undefeated. The Varsity team won its first State Championship since 2010 against Dominion 14-11. Kennedy Buntrock was named to the England U-20 team. Buntrock was also recognized as Regional Player of the Year. Katie Alhusen, Maggie Craytor, Reeve Goldstein, Genevieve Hathaway, Juliana Murphy, and McLean Stokes were named First Team All-Region and Annie Alhusen was named 2nd Team All Region. Juliana Murphy was also named as a US Lacrosse Academic All-American. Peggy Williams was named Coach of the Year. Seniors Kennedy Buntrock, Kaki Harris, Percy Mascotte, Annie McGahren, and Grace Shook provided exceptional leadership this season. Thank you to Assistant Coach Jordan Dudley, JV Head Coach Krissi Dawson and to assistants Lily Henderson, and Lauren Abel. Here is a highlight video of the Championship Game created by Western Senior Emmy Franklin. Championship Video
Boys Outdoor Track
- WAHS Boy’s Outdoor Track and Field team won the Jefferson District Championship, was third in Region 4D, and twelfth at the VHSL Class 4 Championships. At the Jefferson District meet, the meet’s top individual scorer was Jack Intihar scoring 50 points. Jack won the 100M, 200M, Pole Vault, Long Jump, anchored the second place 4x100M Relay and was second in the High Jump. Another multiple event Champion was Rutger Pittman in the 110M and 300M Hurdles and relay member of the Champion 4x400M Relay (Bridger Clarke, Wesley Sciala, Rutger Pittman and Anders Felts). Other Jefferson District Champions were Tyson Boyd in the Discus, Anders Felts in the 400 and Ben Amago in the 3200. Jack was also the top point scorer in the Region 4D meet. Our individual Region Champions were Jack in the Pole Vault, and the 4x800 Relay team of Bridger Clarke, Kai Lehmensiek, Spencer Envall and Nolan Burkhart. Scorers at the State Championship were Jack in the Pole Vault, and 200M, Nathan Peterson in the Pole Vault, Nate Sullivan in the 3200, the 4x800M Relay team (Bridger, Kai, Spencer, Nolan), and the 4x400M Relay team (Jack, Rutger, Connor Rittenhouse and Anders) setting a new school record of 3:24.69. The team has a great group of young athletes, some of which earned valuable State Meet experience, so the future looks bright for the next few years.
Girls Outdoor Track
The Girls Track team had another successful Outdoor Track Season. They finished in second place in the Region 4D Championships and finished in third place in the VHSL Class 4 State Championships. Several school records were broken this season. Carter Torrence broke the 200m and 400m dash records and anchored the 4x400m relay with teammates Meghan Hundley, Hailey Hodson and Jordan Stone. The 4x100m relay team of Emmy Battista, Maddie Hill, Chelsea Moonah and Meghan Hundley also broke the school record. Several of the girls also competed at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Philly recently. The strong performances of Raina Fitzwater, Liz Strobach, Evie Woodrow, Hailey Hodson, Jordan Stone, AJ Torrence, Carter Torrence, Caroline Hill, Emma Schmitz, Klarisa Amos, Jordan Henderson, Grace Cook and Caroline Pearson were vital to the team’s success the entire season.
Boys Soccer
WAHS Boys Soccer had a great 2023 Season. JV completed an undefeated season while varsity claimed their first Jefferson District Title in 9 years. The team finished with an overall record of 15-3-1 including defeating the eventual state champions, Jamestown HS. Six players were named to the All-Region Teams. Selected to the first team were Alex Keeton, Carter Shaffer, Jamey Williamson and Dillon Bergert. Named to the second team were Ben Brockmeier, Rafa Ibanez and Daniel Sanchez. Keeton was also named first team Class 4 All-State. Shaffer and Williamson were named second team. Senior Alex Keeton led the team in goals with 16 and Junior Jamey Williamson led in assists with 11.
Girls Soccer
The Western Albemarle Girls Soccer team had a great year. The Warriors were district champions, regional champions, and state runner up. Four players made the All-Region First team, Reese Mattern, Phebe Ryan, Emily Mandell, and Elana Romesburg. Four additional players were named All-Region Second Team, Chloe Andres, Taylor Kamalsky, Marin Hammon, and Reese Coggeshall, and one honorable mention selection, Sadie Bruton. Reese Maarten was selected Player of the Year for the region and first year coach, Kristie Braunston, was named the coach of the year for the region. Mattern and Ryan were also selected first team Class 4 All-State. Mandell and Romesburg were named second team all-state.
Softball
Western Albemarle Softball turned things around this season finishing with an overall record of 13-7. The Warriors finished 3rd in the Jefferson District ahead of Orange County who won the distirct last year. For the second time in school history, Softball qualified for the Region tournament where the Warriors lost to eventual state runner up Halifax County. Two players were named to All-Region 4D First team: Wynter Morris as DP-Flex and Addy Hux as an outfielder. Morris was also named first team Class 4 All-State. We believe this this the first time a Western Albemarle softball player has been named all-state. The team was young starting five freshman and three sophomores. So, the future looks bright!
Boys Tennis
The Western Albemarle Boys Tennis team finished 21-1 with a 5-1 victory over Hanover High School to claim its 6th consecutive state title. Brader Eby, Luke Kielbasa, and Wade Sturman led the way with convincing straight set wins at the number 2, 3, and 4 positions to establish an early 3-0 lead. Kemper Brown and George Rader made great comebacks to win the final two matches for the state title. Head coach Randy Hudgins has led the team to 4 state titles. Captain Luke Kielbasa finished his 3 year Western tennis career undefeated against public school competition. Brader Eby and Wade Sturman are undefeated against public school competition in their first two years. Gordie Fairborn played a key role as the number one player most of the season. In the state doubles competition Brader Eby and Luke Kielbasa defeated a team from Lightridge School 7-6, 6-2 to claim the doubles crown. This is Eby’s second consecutive state doubles championship. Cal Miller and Jackson Smith also played a pivotal role as an outstanding number 3 doubles team in the lineup. Other members of the team were Josh Xie, Reid Keller, Daniel Stewart, and Hudson Williams.
Girls Tennis
The Girls Tennis team had an overall record of 15-2 and shared the Jefferson District regular season championship and won the Region 4D championship. The team pulled out two exciting matches against Blacksburg (5-4) and EC Glass (5-3) to capture the Region 4D championship. The Warriors lost a hard fought 5-4 match to Sherando in the state quarterfinals. Amanda Bilchick (So) finished the season undefeated (14-0) at #2 and #1 singles and was Top 4 in the Region. Danielle Love was undefeated in singles and doubles in the regular season. Octavia Lawson was 9-0 in singles and 3-0 in doubles for the regular season. Lucy Evans was 15-1 in doubles for the regular season. The team was young and returns several starters for the 2024 season!
Rowing
Western Albemarle HS Crew team began this 2023 Spring season’s collection of racing medals with impressive performances at the North Carolina State Championships. One of the most challenging regattas on its schedule, not just because of the great competition, but, unlike any other regatta, many of the rowers row twice, sometimes three times during the one-day event. WAHS put 34 boats in 23 different events, garnering 29 medals – 16 gold, 8 silver and 5 bronze.
The crew’s Virginia competition culminated in the state championships. Of the 15 boats that WAHS entered, 10 won medals: 5 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze, and its women won the Division III team championship. Post season, the team qualified 10 boats to row in the Scholastic Nationals a began preparing for the biggest high school regatta in the world (185 clubs entered this year)– The Stotesbury Cup Regatta.
Stotesbury brings some of the best competition in the U.S. to Philadelphia for a two-day regatta. Crews qualify, then go on to semi-finals and the best six (sometimes out of dozens that enter) go on to race in the finals. WAHS put 10 boats on the water, eight moved on the semi-finals, and three to finals bringing home a gold and two bronze medals. A performance equaled only by a handful of teams. WAHS’ freshman men’s quad won the Stotesbury Cup; a feat that only its freshman women had done once before in 2016. The team’s freshman women took third.
Taking those successes to Scholastic Nationals, WAHS put 10 boats on the water to compete again against some of the best competition the sport has to offer high school rowers. Its men’s JV double, and men’s freshman quad brought home silver medals, and the women’s senior double took third.
