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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Scotty Sports Corner, May 14, 2001
By Hollis Duncan
St. Margaret's School Staff Writer
Tennis, Crew, Finish Strong in Season Enders
Tappahannock, VA (May 14, 2001) - On Friday, May 11, the St. Margaret's tennis team kicked off the first of four season finales for Scotty spring sports - crew, lacrosse, softball and tennis. "All of our squads are capable of winning a championship in the League of Independent Schools," said Athletic Director and Head Softball Coach Sue Saunders. "We are definitely peaking at the right time heading into the post-season tournaments."
Tennis: Entering the LIS tournament with a 4-1 league record, 7-1 overall, SMS Tennis Coach Katie Speigler predicted, "This is our year to bring home the banner."
Cathy Ryan of Tappahannock (r.) and boarding student Maggie Kite of Oklahoma City were a potent force in last weekend's League of Independent Schools tennis tournament. They won number one and number two singles, respectively, and combined to win number one doubles.
St. Margaret's came heartbreakingly close to doing just that, losing the top spot to the Covenant School of Charlottesville by just one point, 28-29, on May 12 in Richmond. In recent seasons, the tennis Scotties have twice tied for second place and twice won second. They finished third in 2000.
Senior Cathy Ryan of Tappahannock finished her varsity tennis career in style, winning in both the number one singles bracket and in number one doubles with partner Maggie Kite. Ryan has played number one singles all four years at SMS and "dominates the court when she plays," said Coach Speigler. "She is a terrific scholar-athlete."
Kite won the number two singles, and third doubles team Kristina Bethea and Danielle Magid also won their bracket. Ryan, Kite, Bethea and Magid earned all-league honors for their outstanding tournament play.
Crew: The SMS crew team completed its third season with strong finishes in the Southern Virginia Scholastic Rowing Championships on May 12 in Portsmouth.
The varsity four of coxswain Katie Beal, stroke Claire Stephenson of Tappahannock, two-seat Britton Faulkner of White Stone, three-seat Kelly Proctor of Urbanna, and bow Cariad Shepherd finished second overall in the multiple-school field.
In addition, the SMS novice boats finished fifth and sixth in the novice finals. Local novice rowers included Lea DeBauche of Kilmarnock and Jessica White of Warsaw. Most girls raced at total of three times in the May heat and humidity, which made their performances all the more impressive, said Assistant Coach Andrea Robinson.
St. Margaret's varsity four shell finished second overall in the Southeastern Virginia Scholastic Rowing Championships on May 12. Along with coxswain Katie Beal, the rowers were (r. to l.) Claire Stephenson of Tappahannock, Britton Faulkner of White Stone, Kelly Proctor of Urbanna, and Cariad Shepherd (not shown).
"We have begun to make a name for ourselves in the Southern Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association. In addition, we had a lot of fun this weekend. Doing well competitively helps to make 5:30 morning starts and 7:00 evening finishes easier."
Softball: A championship flag in the gym is a definite possibility for the St. Margaret's varsity softball team, which enters the LIS tournament with a 9-4 league record.
The softball Scotties knew it would be tough facing league leader St. Gertrude's at home on April 30 after defeating them 7-6 the previous week in Tappahannock. They scored early in the game, thanks to a run by Mary Burke Parker off a Gator error. Junior pitcher Shannon Davis of Tappahannock held the Gators scoreless until the bottom of the seventh, when they scored two runs on two Scotty infield errors.
St. Margaret's next hit the road to play Trinity and Blessed Sacrament-Huguenot, both of which it had defeated by wide margins earlier in the season. They were downed by Trinity (5-8) on May 8, but recovered quickly - thanks to the four-for-four batting of Tappahannock's Olivia Longest - to best Blessed Sacrament two days later, 8-5.
The LIS softball tournament began at home on May 14 against Trinity Episcopal of Richmond. The SMS varsity softball roster consists entirely of local girls, including Nikki Clark of Lively; Tess Duncan and Lauren Crockett of Irvington; and Davis, Olivia Longest, Ann Kramer Osburn, Mary Burke Parker, Emily Stevens, Michelle Sylva and Paige Winebrenner of Tappahannock. Managers are Whitney Crandall of Kilmarnock and Blair Fisher of Lottsburg.
Lacrosse: Six area students took the field on Monday, May 14, when the SMS lacrosse team faced its first tournament opponent, the Steward School of Richmond. They include Katie Carpenter of Irvington, Sara Newman of White Stone, and Sarah Copeland, Margaret Moncure, Sarah Muller and Jacky Sydnor, all of Tappahannock.
Muller was a factor in the Scotties' 15-5 come-from-behind defeat of Steward on April 17, scoring in the second half to secure the SMS victory. Senior Alison Wasserman - who usually starts as defensive wing - played outstanding defense as a substitute for the Scotty goalkeeper, who was injured in practice. The five-year boarder from Baltimore "played an awesome game," said Head Coach Cupper Dickinson. Other highlights included a total of 11 goals by senior co-captains Nikki Zuralow of Fairfax and Carol Combs of North Carolina, and 3 goals by junior Katie Herrick of Fairfax.
The going was tougher three days later in Lynchburg, when Virginia Episcopal School handily defeated SMS, 20-6. Combs and Herrick each scored 3 goals for SMS against the LIS's strongest team. SMS lost to Covenant in what may have been be the seniors' final home game on Friday, May 11.
