‘99 Things You Never Knew About Watkins Mill

Originally published in 2023

In addition to photos of classmates and teachers, old yearbooks are full of fun snapshots of the era they were created. We recently flipped through the 1999 edition of Watkins Mill High School’s yearbook, Grinder, and found a playful feature titled “‘99 Things You Never Knew About Watkins Mill.” Some of the references are inside jokes best remembered by students and staff from that time, but many are fun facts about the Watkins Mill Wolverines that everyone can enjoy. Check them out below:

1. A Wolverine is a stocky, carnivorous, North American mammal.
2. Our mascot was decided by students being transferred from Gaithersburg, a steering committee, the Booster Club, and PTSA.
3. Lisa Ostrom, who graduated from WM in ’94, now plays for a European women’s professional basketball team.
4. Ms. Souder was the first pom captain at WM.
5. WM was featured in U.S. News and World Report for being a school of the future.
6. Timothy O’Shea was a community member who was active with children in theater. The community asked that the theater be named after him.
7. There are 1,200 seats in the theater.
8. The first two baseball games were played at the end of Apple Ridge Road because the WM baseball field wasn’t ready.
9. When the school opened in ’89, there were no room numbers on the walls.
10. The first homecoming was called Newcoming. Its theme was “Renaissance,” which means new birth.
11. The columns in the main entrance were made with dynamite.
12. Representatives from China, Canada, Australia, and all over the United States came to see what the “school of the future” looked like.
13. In ‘89, we were considered ten years ahead of our time.
14. The varsity football team won its first State Championship in ’93 under the leadership of Coach Brace.
15. The first yearbook’s theme was First Byte. It represented high-tech computers.
16. The first Grinder (yearbook) cost only $45.
17. In ’90, only 150 students were allowed to receive parking permits with designated space numbers.
18. In ’89, there were a little over 800 students at the Mill—only sophomores and juniors.
19. Between 11 p.m. on May 21, 1990, and 6 p.m. on May 22, 1990, unknown persons defaced the school building with spray paint. “Dickoff,” “S.V.H.S.,” and “Seneca V.” were discovered on the wall of the gym.
20. The first Mr. Watkins Mill took place in 1991 under the supervision of Mrs. Riggleman, who started the competition at Gaithersburg High School.
21. In September ‘93, all power was lost at WM when a $25,000 circuit breaker failed.
22. In ’93, three students took part in a fashion show with MTV’s Eric Neis.
23. As an action against vandalism and smoking, bathrooms were locked during all lunches in ’93.
24. $180,000 was spent on art for the school building.
25. In its opening year, the Mill had a big problem with rodents, particularly mice.
26. In ’90, freshman Curtis Allen, a.k.a. M.C. Finesse, released a rap album titled Nothin Less Than Finesse.
27. The building cost $27 million to construct.
28. If you were caught with a beeper on WM grounds, because of a bill passed in July 1989, you’d be subject to a fine not exceeding $2,500 and/or imprisonment if it was for illegal purposes.
29. WM was featured in The Washington Post in ’91 but received a bad rap regarding alcohol and drug use.
30. In ’92, WM was the only school in the county able to communicate with a space shuttle by voice, via computer.
31. There are 2 dark rooms in the school.
32. We have 2,000 lockers.
33. There are 100 rooms.
34. 649 students received “O” interims for 1st marking period.
35. Only 350 people attended Homecoming in ’89.
36. The Board of Education raised exam weight from 20% to 25% in January 1990.
37. Every year an average of 15% of students have problems with their schedule.
38. There are 14 soda machines and 5 vending machines in the entire building.
39. Ms. Kraus races a Camaro.
40. Ms. Frankenfield drives a Harley and races a Corvette.
41. Mrs. Riggleman was a cheerleader for the University of Maryland at College Park.
42. The name of the Grinder comes from “grindstone,” which is the heart of a mill.
43. We had 306 fall athletes.
44. When WM first opened, minimum wage was $3.35.
45. Sculptress Lorane Vale designed the comical stone sculptures in the courtyard.
46. In ‘94 the school day ended 30 minutes later due to the blizzard.
47. Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Titov, one of the two men to orbit the earth for 366 days, visited our school in February 1990.
48. Mr. Digwell was the final statue to be placed in the courtyard.
49. We eat 32,400 lbs. of fries each year.
50. The youngest teacher at WM is Mrs. McGaffin.
51. The girls varsity volleyball team was the first athletic team to place a championship banner in the gym.
52. We eat 11,016 lbs. of tacos each year.
53. We buy 27,000 Little Debbies each year.
54. The number of buses that come to WM daily is 31.
55. The number of students who ride buses is 585.
56. Approximately 30,240 cheeseburgers are served per year.
57. The class of ’97 put “For Sale” signs in front of WM as a prank.
58. The first varsity football touchdown was by Brian McDermott.
59. Ceramics classes use 3,500 lbs. of clay a year.
60. For the first six years at WM, our track was unusable when wet.
61. Mr. Sampselle advised the Gaithersburg High School yearbook for sixteen years.
62. Mrs. Nolan lived in the Bahamas for five years.
63. The first lacrosse victory was in 1990, when it was still a club sport.
64. Mrs. Riggleman’s brother-in-law manages the Chicago Cubs.
65. Matt and Tiffany are the most common Mill names.
66. Mrs. Shelton’s son played professional football for the Redskins.
67. Mrs. Croker likes to Jet Ski.
68. WM has a fishing team.
69. The Class of 2000 was the first freshman class not to come in last in Homecoming Halls.
70. The Booster Club contributed $5,000 to buy the shed on the lower field and the spotlights in the theater.
71. The blue of our school colors was chosen by Gaithersburg students who wanted to keep something from G-burg High School.
72. A varsity basketball game versus Sherwood had six overtimes.
73. The Class of ’99 began this school year with less than $2,000 in the treasury.
74. Mr. and Mrs. Torrence and Mr. and Mrs. Naylor work at WM.
75. Ms. Carnvale is an avid golfer who has won many tournaments.
76. The class of ’90 put student cars on the curbs as their prank.
77. There were two security guards when WM opened.
78. Now, we have 5 security guards.
79. Violence, crimes, and vandalism decreased at WM in the last 10 years.
80. The most fights in one day was 5.
81. In ’91, when the lacrosse team beat Calvert, Mr. Bonde shaved his beard for the first time in 32 years. He’s been shaving it every day since.
82. Mr. Deerfield was a counselor in the Army in Korea.
83. The Booster Club contributes approximately $25,000 annually to the school program.
84. Mrs. Pavlik was a science teacher here before becoming a counselor.
85. Mrs. Gilleland received an outstanding award from the Gaithersburg Chamber of Commerce.
86. Mrs. Torrence was featured in U.S. News & World Report, Oct. 26, ’98, in an article on speech pathology.
87. We eat 10,800 Champs Pizzas per year.
88. Volleyball, golf, and softball have the best sports records at WM.
89. There are 23 stairwells in the school.
90. The first assembly of the 1998–99 school year was for meeting Mr. Martinez.
91. Mrs. Furrow is an amateur naturalist and a master gardener in Montgomery County.
92. Mrs. McGaffin graduated from WM, then she was Becky Brinkman.
93. 46 staff members opened WM.
94. There are 14 student bathrooms.
95. Mark Bryant of Hootie and the Blowfish spoke at the ’96 graduation.
96. Ms. Daniel has been to space camp.
97. Bye-Bye Birdie was the first musical.
98. Mr. Berry wears a 15E shoe.
99. Miraculously, Ms. Sailer did not have a nervous breakdown while working with the staff producing this yearbook.