Out with the snow and in with the sun! It’s time to start the spring sports season, but not before we reflect on winter. Oakton’s winter sports include boys and girls basketball, boys and girls indoor track, gymnastics, boys and girls swim and dive, boys and girls wrestling, and co-ed sideline cheer. The winter season is the longest, spanning from around November to February.
Girls Varsity basketball ended the season with a 14-5 record. Their first district game was a 51-45 win against South Lakes, marking Coach Priester’s 800th win. After beating Madison and Chantilly, the girls were crowned Concord District Champions for the second year in a row. Boy Varsity basketball also ended the season with a 9-8 record, however, at districts they lost to Westfield, ending their season. Both teams, JV and freshmen, have wrapped up their seasons.
Boys and Girls indoor track approach regionals after both placed 3rd at districts. The indoor track season included a lot of travel and overnight meets, including at Virginia Beach and Liberty High School. The boys and girls both placed 3rd in districts.
Boys and Girls swim, and dive has seen great success this season, with both teams becoming Concord District champions. Many students, including Isabelle Whang, Thibeault Lede, Brendan Doe, Matthew Bowman, and Devin Corderman, achieved all-region honors at regionals. At states, individuals continued to succeed, with Isabelle Whang and Brendan Doe placing 4th and Thibeault Lede 5th. Brendan Doe (11) described the dive atmosphere, “Everyone is kind and knows each other. Having supportive teammates helps get through tough times like bad meets.” The swim and dive team has had great success this season, and a significant part of this success was the uplifting community.
Girl’s gymnastics also achieved massive success, becoming the back-to-back Concord District Champions. Special recognition goes to Delaney Nelson, a senior who became the district’s all-around champion. Tessa Gay earned 8th all-around, Megan Shipley got 3rd on the floor, and Linsay Liang received 4th on the vault. Megan Shipley (10) said her favorite part of the season was winning districts, “it was a very competitive environment, and everyone tried their hardest.” In regards to the team, she said, “I love my team; everyone is friendly, and everyone is super supportive. It is one of my favorite teams I’ve been on.”
The Girl’s wrestling team crowned 3 regional champions, including Kate Crockett, Hana Coutts, and Sofia Prudencio. The boys finished 5th in a tournament at the Titan Duels in Richmond, where Will Mitchell won six of his matches with 5 pins. Caiden Sheehan, Will Mitchell, and Alek Martinez represented Oakton at the Class 6 State Tournament in Virginia Beach. Alek Martinez made the podium and was regarded as one of the top 3 wrestlers in the state of Virginia. For the girls, Hana Coutts finished 2nd in the state, and Kate Crockett placed 4th.
Many from cheer continued their season into the winter for co-ed sideline cheer. They cheered at home basketball games and the playoffs. Chelsea Orellana (10) expressed, “The cheer community is so fun, it’s amazing and great. I love doing stunting skills with my girls, so I had to come back for winter.” In regards to this season, Chelsea said, “I really enjoyed it, it was definitely unexpected. Being a captain with my best friend, Hailey, it’s honestly the best experience ever. It’s so fun, and I suggest anyone do winter cheer.”
Oakton has wrapped up another successful winter sports season. Regardless of wins and losses, the uplifting community and effort made the season great. It’s time to head to spring, where Oakton wraps up sports for the school year!
