Basketball, wrestling, swimming, and more return after having no season last year.
Jacqueline Lutz
Editor
Despite having no season during the 2020-2021 school year, winter sports were back this year. Winter sports include boys and girls basketball, gymnastics, swim and dive, wrestling, indoor track, and ice hockey.
To participate in the season, athletes had to meet COVID-19 vaccination requirements. Beginning November 8, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) began to require student-athletes to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to participate in winter and spring sports, in addition to off-season conditioning. Students who did not meet the requirement and did not have a valid medical or religious exemption were not able to participate in activities. Athletes who had a medical and religious exemption from the requirement were required to submit a negative COVID test daily.
Another safety precaution was added following a few outbreaks of COVID cases among teams. Spectators were no longer allowed to attend events; athletes were limited to four tickets per game and had to designate who would be attending under their name.
Despite it all, the teams were still able to have successful seasons.
Girls basketball had a dominant season. The team went 18-4 in the regular season and 21-6 overall. The team was knocked out of the district tournament by Lake Braddock in the second round, and they were eliminated from the regional tournament in the third round by Robinson. During the season, the team had two players, junior Amor Harris and senior N’jiya Hopkins, reach 1,000 career points. The two also received awards: Harris earned 1st Team All-Region and Hopkins made 2nd Team All-Region and the Region All-Tournament Team.
After a head coaching change mid-year, the boys basketball team went 10-11 on the season overall and 6-8 in the league. They were eliminated in the first round of the district tournament and the first round of the regional tournament. During the season, Kye Robinson was awarded the Alexandria Sportsman Club Athlete of the Month.
Indoor Track had a successful season, particularly at the VHSL, or Virginia High School League, Class 6 Indoor State Championship. Wisdom Williams placed first in the shot put with a score of 48’-1.75”, which is a school, meet, and personal record. This placed Williams ranked 4th for shot put in the nation. Williams had also won the District Championships for shot put with a score of 46’5.” In addition, Akira Hamilton placed first in the 55m dash with a time of 7.11 seconds. She had also won the Occoquan Region 6C 55m Championship with a time of 7.20 seconds. Hamilton also placed seventh in the long jump state championship with 17’-5.25”. Madeline Crowe placed third in the pole vault at 10’-0”. Jamison Taylor also placed third in the pole vault with 12’-6”. Crowe and Taylor were also Patriot District Champions for pole vault.
Swim and dive had a successful season as well. At the VHSL Class 6 Swim & Dive State Championship, Emil LaSida earned third in the 100-yard backstroke and fifth in the 50 freestyle. Grey Bremer got 11th place in the 200 freestyle and seventh place in the 500 freestyle. The team’s boys 200-yard medley relay got 15th place. At the Occoquan Regionals, LaSida was the regional champion in the 50-year freestyle and second place in the 100-yard backstroke, in which he achieved an All-American Consideration time. Bremer met the State cut in 200-yard free and placed fifth, and his time broke the current ACHS record. He also placed second in the 500-yard freestyle, lowering the ACHS record. The girls 200-yard freestyle relay placed seventh.
For wrestling, at the VHSL Class 6 State Championships Calvin Wiedemer placed fourth in the 126-pound division. At the Patriot District Championship, the team had four finalists: Reilly Hibshman, Will Damond, Raven Talton, and Wiedemer, who was also district champion for his weight class. The team also won the Alexandria City Wrestling Championship against St. Stephens, Bishop Ireton, and Episcopal.
For gymnastics, the team competed in four meets and the district meet. For the fourth, and final, regular season meet at South County, the Titans stayed strong with Jeneya Kamara earning fourth place all around and fifth place on the floor, and Lola Jeanne earning fifth place all around.
The hockey team, which is not technically a sport at Alexandria City, but rather a club sport associated with ACHS and Wakefield, had an exciting season as well. The Titans Hockey Club, as its known, is a member of the Capital Scholastic Hockey League. The team went 7-3 on the season and were third in their league. Top scorers from AC included John Fortney with an average of 1.33 points a game, Harry Krasfur with 1.67 points, and Sean Burbage with 1.20 points.
Overall, every team was able to come back and have strong seasons despite the obstacles.
