The process took longer and became more involved than hoped, but Ivan Maric eventually achieved his goal of becoming a place-kicker in college football.
The McLean High School graduate was the starting kicker during the 2024 season for the Division III University of Mount Union football team (14-1) in Alliance, Ohio — a squad that finished second in the NCAA playoffs.
The West Springfield Spartans continued their strong start to the wrestling season with a second victory at a big invitational high-school meet.
The squad’s most recent title came at the 58-team Battle at the Bridge event Dec. 27-28 at Woodbridge High School. The Spartans won with 228 points, having seven wrestlers finish in the top eight.
Boys volleyball players from three different district-championship squads in Fairfax County recently were chosen to Virginia High School League Class 6 all-state teams.
From the Liberty District and region-champion McLean Highlanders team, senior Evan Li made the first team and senior Luke Cowan was selected to the second.
The McLean Highlanders certainly have played a difficult basketball schedule so far this season, and the experienced girls team has a 4-2 overall record to show for its efforts.
Among the high-school squad’s victories, the Highlanders have defeated defending Virginia High School League Class 4 state champion Woodgrove along with recent four-time defending Class 6 state champion Madison, as well as defeating perennially strong West Springfield.
For each of the past two seasons, the McLean Highlanders have been dominating and undefeated in winning boys volleyball championships.
And they have done so at two different levels of competition.
McLean High School held its 2024 Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony last week, announcing six new inductees during halftime of the Nov. 8 home football game against the Langley Saxons.
The new McLean members are David Daido, Susan South, Alexander Weatherbee, Donald Weatherbee, Ayanna Alexander and Sam Clark.
After being elsewhere for a year, the Rotary Cup is back in possession of the Langley Saxons.
Langley (8-2, 4-2) reclaimed the neighborhood hardware by blanking the host McLean Highlanders, 38-0, on Friday night (Nov. 8) in the final regular-season football game for both Liberty District high school teams.
Of the four winning teams at the Liberty and Concorde district cross-country championship meets, three finished first by thin margins — and the fourth by a more substantial amount.
In the girls races, the Langley Saxons won the Liberty crown by five points and the Oakton Cougars the Concorde by a comfortable 12. In boys, the McLean Highlanders (Liberty) and Centreville Wildcats (Concorde) each won by seven.
With a 30-0 road victory over the McLean Highlanders on Oct. 18, the Herndon Hornets recorded their third shutout of the high-school football season.
The Hornets improved to 5-3 overall and 2-2 in the Liberty District with the win over McLean (3-5, 0-3). The victory also snapped a two-game losing streak.
Female competitors will take the spotlight for the remainder of the 2024 Virginia High School League golf season.
Beginning Monday (Oct. 21), players throughout Northern Virginia and across the commonwealth will participate in state-tournament qualifying events. The following Monday (Oct. 28), those who earned berths will play in the Girls State Open for all enrollment classifications combined at Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg.
