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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Scotty Sports Corner
By Hollis Duncan
St. Margaret's School Staff Writer
Combs Nets 6 Goals, Hockey Team Splits Final Games
Cross Country Prepares for State Championships
Field Hockey: Senior midfielder Carol Combs solidified her position as this season's Scotty scoring leader, making all six SMS goals last week in consecutive home games against Virginia Episcopal School on October 20 and The Covenant School on October 23. St. Margaret's defeated Virginia Episcopal, 5-1, and lost a 2-1 nail-biter to Covenant.
Kate Coghlan (front), now in her second year as St. Margaret's varsity field hockey head coach, is optimistic about the Scotties' chances in the upcoming League of Independent Schools tournament.
Combs began the scoring barrage for the Scotties with a goal 11:30 into Friday's game against VES. She poured it on as the clock ran down, posting three of her four second-half goals in the final six minutes to secure the St. Margaret's victory.
With one game remaining in the regular season schedule, the Scotties stand at 5-5-2 overall, with two one-point losses this season to Covenant. Both ties came against Fredericksburg Academy. At 2-4 in the conference heading into this week's LIS tourney, St. Margaret's will face a high seed, top-ranked team in the first round, possibly meeting Covenant for a third time this fall.
"We are looking forward to a rematch with Covenant," commented Head Coach Kate Coghlan. "With two one-point losses, I still am confident that we can defeat them!"
Although things typically have begun to click late in the game for the Scotties this fall, Coghlan adds that the team has demonstrated it is capable of taking over a game in a series of senior-led offensive drives.
Cross Country: Continuing its winning ways on Essex County turf, St. Margaret's cross country team placed four runners in the top five on Saturday, October 21, in the Hobbs Hole 5K sponsored by the Tappahannock Riverside Wellness & Fitness Center. The out-and-back course beginning near Peebles department store in Tappahannock Town Center meandered through "Cold Cheer" to the banks of the Rappahannock and the 1.5-mile turnaround point.
Joining the cross country team in the run were Head Coach David Cook, his assistant and RWFC-T exercise physiologist, Chris Cramer, and St. Margaret's faculty and staff members Millie Moncure, Natalie LaPrade and Louise Cook.
But it was the cross country team that stole the show and, based on its results, most of the podium space, too. First overall for the women with a personal best time, SMS junior Kelly Proctor of Urbanna blistered the 5-kilometer (3.1 mile) course in 22:25. Alston Moore finished third overall among women in 25:03; Ann Melchionna finished fourth in 25:42. Smashing her previous best 5K time by 4 minutes, Robyn Ridderhof placed fifth in 26:05. Caroline Johnston, who has been out this season with a knee injury, finished the race, her first ever, in a respectable 35:02. Also finishing for SMS were Emily Chang (28:54), Graham Barlow (31:13), Amy Dunsire (31:18) and Virginia King (32:21).
Proctor also went on to win the women's division of the Hobbs Hole 10K (6.2 miles), which took place only 30 minutes after the 5K's conclusion. She finished in 50:27.
The St. Margaret's runners wrapped up the 2000 regular season with a second place finish in Richmond on Wednesday, October 25. The three-school meet included host Trinity (55) and meet winner St. Gertrude (28). The Scotties finished second with 43 points. Proctor once again provided the highlights as she finished first for SMS for the seventh consecutive race this season, placing third overall in 23:01. Alston Moore finished second for the Scotties and sixth overall in 24:41. She was followed by Robyn Ridderhof (25:18), Ann Melchionna (28:15) and Emily Chang (29:40) who finished 8th, 11th, and 15th overall, respectively.
Cross country will wrap up the 2000 fall season this Friday, November 3, with the Virginia State Championships and next Thursday, November 9, with the LIS Championships.
