The following column was published in Wootton's Common Sense newspaper as the final in the Varsity Letter series. The most impactful moment of my high school athletic career came in the least likely of places and the least extraordinary of days. After a nondescript road run for track practice during my junior year, all of … Continue reading Varsity Letter: Swan Song
Time is a crucial, if convoluted, element in the majority of our school’s sports (I say majority because, well, golf). Without time, there wouldn’t be the thrill of a buzzer-beater, the magnitude of a broken record in track or swimming or the display of skill required to react to a speeding tennis ball or baseball. … Continue reading Varsity Letter: Presence of mind essential to success
This year’s ice hockey state championship game, featuring our Patriots against the rival Churchill Bulldogs, was a special experience. The high stakes and fierce rivalry built a tense and exciting atmosphere, but a description of the game would not be complete without including another noteworthy element - the nearly 1,000 screaming fans who packed into … Continue reading Varsity Letter: Spectator experience worth price of admission
Any spectator could tell that the ice hockey matchup between the Patriots and the Churchill Bulldogs was something more than just another hockey game. Whether it was the two traditional powerhouse squads aggressively battling it out on the ice or a packed arena with two sections of raucous fans, the Patriot-Bulldog battle was going to … Continue reading Varsity Letter: Rivalries add heat, hype
Note : The following column was published in Wootton’s Common Sense newspaper. When the boys’ varsity soccer team entered their stadium for their playoff game against Northwest on Oct. 30, it did not matter that the team was 12-0-2. It did not matter that they were the higher seed in the game, or that they … Continue reading Varsity Letter: Soccer reels in elusive playoff victory
The following was published in Wootton's Common Sense newspaper as an installment of my Varsity Letter sports column. When not typing up a “Varsity Letter” sports column or making edits for Common Sense as an editor-in-chief, I am usually lacing up my Hoka running shoes and training with this school’s cross country and track teams. … Continue reading Varsity Letter: Post-race q’s give unique view
The following is an unpublished Varsity Letter column. It visualizes the concept of a high school Olympics in Montgomery County. Over the past two weeks, our school competed in the 2028 Montgomery County Olympics. Thanks to Herculean efforts from Patriot athletes, our school populated the podium and took home first place. The Olympic Games originated … Continue reading Imagining a Moco Olympics
Note : The following column was published in Wootton's Common Sense newspaper. October 21, 2017 was one of the greatest days in the history of Patriot cross country. On that date, our team competed in the Montgomery County Championships at Gaithersburg High School, racing against other schools from the county. With the temperatures in … Continue reading Varsity Letter: Patriot XC Needs You!
The following column was published in Wootton's Common Sense newspaper. Some things never go away. Take nerves, a sensation that every athlete knows and deals with regularly. After three years of running for the varsity cross country and track teams, I thought I would have grown impervious to pre-race nerves. I remember the half-hour … Continue reading Varsity Letter: Overcoming Nerves
The following column was published in Wootton's Common Sense newspaper. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Charles Dickens may not have been a high school student athlete, but his iconic words ring true in the fields and courts of our school’s sports teams. Being a student-athlete here is … Continue reading Varsity Letter: Best and Worst Parts of Being a Student-Athlete
