With only three weeks left in the regular winter athletic season, St. Margaret’s sports teams have gained the momentum that will carry them successfully through the season championships.

Basketball: At a January 17 home game against Westmoreland County’s Washington and Lee High School, the Scotties fought through a neck-and-neck game, emerging victorious with a final score of 39-34. Senior center Kara Casey was paramount to the team’s success, racking up 19 points. Senior forward Allison Ryan of Tappahannock scored 8 points and freshman guard Crystal Thomas totaled 7 points.

At a January 13 away game against Richmond’s Steward School, St. Margaret’s played impressively, winning 44-30. Casey scored 18 points for SMS, including a heart-stopping basket that left her hands just before the buzzer sounded. Thomas tallied 10 points.

Despite coordinated play against Richmond’s Trinity Episcopal School on January 11, the Scotties were defeated, 41-27. Casey scored 12 points, Thomas posted 6 and sophomore guard Samantha Marsengill totaled 4.

The Scotties traveled to Christchurch School on January 5. Although CCS won, 43-27, SMS played a good game, with 12 points scored by Casey and another 8 points scored by Ryan.

Swimming: St. Margaret’s swim team is off to a solid start after a year-long hiatus. At a Richmond meet on January 7, the Scotties competed against Trinity Episcopal, Goochland High and the Maggie Walker Governor’s School. St. Margaret’s defeated Goochland and posted competitive times against Trinity and Walker.

In the girls’ 100-yard freestyle, freshman Anna-Beth Lawler of Sandy Point placed fifth (1:13.68) out of 26 swimmers. In that same race, freshman Lindsay Beasley placed eleventh (1:22.89).

Sophomore Willis Blair finished fifth (2:41.17) and junior Julia Cibulka placed ninth (2:55.34) out of 12 swimmers in the girls’ 200-yard freestyle. In the girls’ 200-yard individual medley, senior Graycie Overman placed seventh and eighth-grader Meghan Sisk placed ninth of 11 competitors.

Ten teams of four swimmers took part in the girls’ 200-yard freestyle relay. The SMS team of Blair, Overman, Sisk and Lawler placed fourth overall with a time of 2:05.62. In that same race, a second SMS team composed of sophomore Ji-Ye Kim, junior Ligon Brooks of Millers Tavern, Cibulka and Beasley placed seventh with a time of 2:21.13.

The girls’ 200-yard medley relay team, consisting of junior Mariam Smith-Pliego, Sisk, Beasley and Blair, placed fourth out of eight teams with a time of 2:19.99.

After a January 20 meet against the Seton School of Manassas and a January 27 meet at St. Catherine’s in Richmond, the swimming Scotties will compete in the League of Independent Schools championships on February 4.