In loaded Anne Arundel County, Crofton field hockey is ready to emerge

Crofton’s group of Seniors will be its first graduating class in school history. This is the first year the Cardinals have players from all four grade levels and they are looking to make a splash, especially against nearby schools.

They get pumped to play the teams where they came from, Coach Amy Skrickus said. Its just a big sense of pride, a big sense of community everyone kind of feels it, and its such a unique experience.

The Cardinals finished last years regular season their first as a varsity program with a 9-3 record, notching victories over traditional powers Broadneck and Chesapeake. With every one of its players back this fall, including senior forward Emma Beyer, sophomore goalkeeper Ryleigh Osborne and Corcoran, the Cardinals could take another step in loaded Anne Arundel County.

We have a lot of talent, and also were going against a lot of talent in the county, Corcoran said. Everyone in the county is going to be so good. Its so fun to play against all these Talented teams.

Last season was a special one for Northwestern. A senior-led roster found perfect form at just the right time, surging through the postseason and earning the programs first Maryland state championship since 1995.

Nine months later, the Wildcats are young and looking to capitalize on that magical run. The team returns just three starters, but the presence of last years team remains strong in that the goal this fall is to prove success can be sustained.

We want to get to that level of other schools where youre consistently playing for a state semi or every three or four years youre winning a state title, Coach Victor Ramirez said. We went to the Promised land, and now the question is how we stay there.

The foundation of anything Northwestern builds this year will come from local play in Prince Georges County. Prince Georges has plenty of soccer talent, but success there also requires a little something extra.

It gets physical [in Prince Georges County]. Thats the biggest difference from when we left the county. Its still physical out there, but not as much, Ramirez said. It will take a while to adjust to that. As Mike Tyson says, Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

In January, Carrie Helfrich was invited to the US under-15 Womens national team training camp in Chula Vista, Calif. Before testing herself against the country’s top players, Helfrich, now a sophomore at Stone Ridge, confronted another challenge: Flying alone for the first time.

After navigating Dulles International Airport security, Helfrich shone in California and played with the team in Europe in June. In July, Helfrich sat on her couch in McLean, refreshing her email, until the news she desired arrived. The forward was one of 18 players selected for the US team in the Concacaf U-15 tournament in Tampa.

Last month, Helfrich started three of five matches all wins and Assisted on the opening goal in a 4-1 Championship Victory over Canada.

It has always been a dream, said Helfrich, 15. Everyone who plays soccer always looks up to everyone who is on the national team. It was kind of surreal being able to do it at such a young age.

Helfrich began playing soccer as a child after learning the sport from her father, Dan, who competed at Georgetown from 1994 to 1997. She developed into a star as a 7-year-old with her club team, Virginia Union FC, with which she still plays.

Entering a season in which Stone Ridge could contend in the Independent School League AA division, Helfrich feels more confident.

I knew I was good, but getting to that level and feeling like I fit in was nice, she said. I was really hard-working the whole time and persevered, even if it was hard being away from family or just being in a different environment.

Supriya Ramanujam, a Maret senior, had the chance to watch Serena Williams practice before what was likely the superstars final competitive match Friday at the US Open in New York. A longtime fan, Ramanujam said seeing her up close was a reminder of the impact Williams has had on her own tennis career.

For me, Serena exemplifies grit; she always works so hard, and she never gives up, Ramanujam said. She’s an inspiration for me in that way. And both she and Venus paved the way for so many female athletes of color to follow in their footsteps.

As girls tennis gets underway this fall and Maret prepares to compete for the Independent School League title, Ramanujam said having players such as Williams to look up to helps define her work ethic.

In whatever I do, whether its tennis or schoolwork, I always try to do my best, and here are some of the Greatest Athletes of all time setting the example, Ramanujam said. Ill really miss watching her, but I’m sure I’ll be around. She’s a great inspiration for me as a tennis player and a woman of color.

Every year, West Springfield visits a cabin in West Virginia, using the trip to build Chemistry and improve cardiovascular fitness. The Pivotal moment of each trip comes on a run to the lake, when the girls team climbs atop a boulder.

Every state-winning team from West Springfield has taken a picture on that rock, senior Riley Sucato said. After finishing third last season, the Spartans will aim for a first-place finish at the Virginia Class 6 Championship meet in November. So we wanted to take it to fully set our goal for this season.

Everything went blurry after the climb for Sucato, who broke her arm after slipping and falling into the creek. She admits that fall may have done more for team Chemistry than anything else on the trip, and she has a positive attitude about the experience she already has back to running on a track.

[Coach Chris] Pellegrini said this was the biggest unintentional team bonding exercise because we had to work together to get her out of the creek, junior Chloe Miller said. We found a floaty from nearby and floated her out. It was just a team effort getting her out of the water.

Georgetown Days 2021 season ended in a way that frustrates and inspires. The Grasshoppers lost a thrilling five-set match to Wilson (now known as Jackson-Reed) in the DC State Athletic Association Championship game to close a 21-3 season.

Despite the bitter finish, it showed them how far they had come in recent years. In 2017, Georgetown Day lost a set 25-1 against St. Johns in a playoff game.

We felt we had something more to prove, said Coach Brandon Wiest, who also wants to help prove Georgetown Day can be an Athletic powerhouse.

The Grasshoppers graduated seven Seniors but still boast strong pin hitters. Jada Aksu, a left-handed hitter and a sophomore, is a force on the right side, especially when paired with a set from junior Clara Yu, a Sidwell Friends transfer. Aksu and Yu have known each other since middle school and have Chemistry on the court.

Senior Captain Izzy Evers and outside hitters Zoe Ryu and Aaliyah Howell complete the core at Georgetown Day.