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Contact: Jenni Brockman Phone: 804-443-3357 Fax: 804-443-6781 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE By Samantha Gash * Special Correspondent Tappahannock (February 3, 2003) - A long weekend provided St. Margaret's athletes with four whole days to forget about their hectic school schedules and looming exams. When they returned to school, their renewed energy and vigor resulted in tough battles and some very close results. 
Photo left:
An SMS forward shoots on goal en route to a January 22 victory as Steward School defenders rush to keep pace.
 Soccer: On January 22 the St. Margaret's varsity soccer team played the Steward School at home. Despite extremely cold weather, the soccer Scotties were determined not to give their opponents any chance to score. This was evident in the fact that the SMS goalie never had the opportunity to touch the ball. Senior Marin Brown appeared unstoppable, scoring 3 out of the 4 goals. A well-deserved 4-0 win left Head Coach Cupper Dickinson pleased and SMS students cheering loudly. A change of weather and scenery proved not in the Scotties' favor as they played to a 3-0 conclusion against St. Anne's-Belfield School in Charlottesville on January 24. Even though goalie Palmer Ware of Dunnsville made 14 spectacular saves, it was not enough to return home with a victory. The SMS offense took to the road on January 29 with new determination, as the Scotties battled to a 3-3 tie against Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond. Going into tournament play against Virginia Episcopal School at Lynchburg on Wednesday, February 12, SMS varsity soccer stands third in the League of Independent Schools with a 2-2-3 record. Basketball: Coached by Sue Saunders of Tappahannock, the St. Margaret's varsity basketball team has steadily improved over the course of the season to post a 2-11 record overall, 1-6 in the League of Independent Schools.On January 28, it appeared that the Scotties had not yet found their rhythm when they suffered a 33-55 home court defeat to powerhouse Collegiate School of Richmond. But as their support for one another grew on the court, team members found that the support of their fans grew as well. On January 29, this newly formed spirit led to a long awaited victory over Trinity. Junior Erin Dall-Silver scored an outstanding 20 points, which, combined with the consistent efforts of freshman Allison Ryan of Tappahannock, contributed to the 41-36 win at the Richmond school. The game's highlight was the impressive seven steals by sophomore Becky Clark of Lively. Clark's aggressive attitude sparked a defensive chemistry that could easily be seen in the Scotties' next match, against Steward at home, a contest that had both the Scotty defense and its fans jumping off their feet and in the air. Junior Jennifer Stuart captured 10 rebounds, followed by Co-captain Fola Ogundiran with 9 and Ryan with 8. Dall-Silver and Ogundiran scored 17 points each en route to a cliffhanger 44-46 decision. The near-victory left Scotty supporters stomping, cheering and eagerly anticipating the next home games, Tuesday, February 11, against Christchurch and Wednesday, February 12, against St. Gertrude's of Richmond. St. Margaret's begins league tournament play on Friday, February 14, at St. Anne's-Belfield. Swimming: In its second year of interscholastic competition, the St. Margaret's swim team is continuing to strengthen its program and build its record under Coach Ann Marie Horner.Competing against Collegiate, Hampton Roads Academy and St. Catherine's--all much larger schools--the Scotties were filled with determination to achieve their personal best in a January 10 meet at Richmond's Nova Swimming Center. SMS relay teams finished fifth in the 200-yard freestyle relay (2:00.87) and 400-yard freestyle relay (4:23.94) behind strong performances by Merritt Allaun, Allie Davis, Margaret Moncure of Tappahannock, Chelsea McDowell and Margot Seglem. Moncure (29.24) took seventh and Seglem (33.52) took twelfth out of a field of 32 in the 50-yard freestyle. In their first outing of the season, a December 7 tri-meet against Collegiate and Trinity at Richmond's Briarwood Fitness Center, McDowell put the Scotties on the boards with a third in the 100-yard butterfly (1:10.61) and a third in the 400-yard freestyle (6:32.20). SMS swimmers next compete in the League of Independent Schools championships on Saturday, February 15 at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland. * Note: Samantha Gash is a recent graduate of St. Margaret's School in Berwick, Australia, who is spending a year between high school and college as an intern at SMS Tappahannock. |
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