MoCo Athletics Archives - Page 56 of 75

Nomination Period For MoCo Sports Hall of Fame Ends Today (February 10th)

Published February 10, 2023 at 8:27AM

The nomination period for the 2023 class of the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame ends today, Friday, February 10th. “We are looking for athletes, coaches, journalists, officials, and others who have made significant contributions or brought notoriety to sports in Montgomery County.” Last year’s inductees included Steve Francis, Tim Kurkjian, Sonny Jackson, Rob Bordley, Sally Glynn Hauser, and Clarence “Pint” Isreal.

The nomination form along with nomination criteria and rules can be found on our website at www.mcshf.org. Nominations will stay open until February 10th. Inductees will be chosen by the MCSHF Board of Directors and will be announced in March. They will be honored at a ceremony on Sunday October 29th at the Silver Spring Civic Building.

2023 MCPS Pompon Competition Results

By MCS Staff

Published February 5, 2023 at 9:25AM

On Saturday night, February 4th, MCPS held its annual County Pompon competition at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring. The results for all three divisions can be seen below:

Division III:

MCPS: Recognizing Girls and Women in Sports

By MCS Staff

Published February 3, 2023 at 9:01AM

In the video below, members of the MCPS Student Athlete Leadership Council share the history and significance of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Feb. 1 marked the 37th annual celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. This celebration inspires girls and women to play and be active, and to realize their full power. The confidence, strength and character gained through sports participation are the tools girls and women need to become strong leaders in sports and life.

National Girls and Women in Sports Day was first observed in 1987 to remember Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman and acknowledge her work in promoting equal representation of women in sports. Since then, the day has evolved to commemorate all female athletes, their achievements, the positive impacts of inclusion of women in sports, and to address the challenges regarding equal participation of women in sports activities. The day also appreciates the progress made since the enactment of Title IX, a law passed in 1972 that called for equal participation of everyone in all programs and activities that were federally funded, regardless of gender.

Walter Johnson Duo Honored For Service to Montgomery Invitational

By MCS Staff

Published February 2, 2023 at 10:54AM

Tom Rogers and Tom Martin of Walter Johnson High School were recently honored during the Montgomery Invitational, the signature indoor track competition hosted by MCPS since 2001. Rogers is athletics director at Walter Johnson, and Martin is indoor track coach at Walter Johnson. They were recognized for their service to the invitational, which they started to create an elite showcase prior to championship season, and have directed ever since. The meet, which welcomes students from 95 schools around the region and serves as a fundraiser for MCPS, has been hosted at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Center since its inception.

Pictured from left to right are: Duke Beattie, former director of MCPS athletics; Tom Rogers, athletics director at Walter Johnson High School; Tom Martin, indoor track coach at Walter Johnson; and Jeff Sullivan, current director of athletics.

Quince Orchard’s Savan Briggs Commits to Howard University

By MCS Staff

Published February 1, 2023 at 8:31AM

Quince Orchard High School student-athlete Savan Briggs is a highly recruited two-time State Championship winning quarterback at Quince Orchard. On Tuesday, he announced that he has committed to Howard University (announcement can be seen below, courtesy of Fox 5).

Briggs, a 6’2, 190 lb dual threat quarterback that has led Quince Orchard to back-to-back 14-0 seasons while earning a 3.45 GPA, previously announced via social media that he received an offer from the Bison late last month.

Nominations Open for the Moco Sports Hall of Fame Class Of 2023

By MCS Staff

Published January 28, 2023 at 8:47AM

Nominations are now open for the 2023 class of the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame. “We are looking for athletes, coaches, journalists, officials, and others who have made significant contributions or brought notoriety to sports in Montgomery County.” The last year’s inductees included Steve Francis, Tim Kurkjian, Sonny Jackson, Rob Bordley, Sally Glynn Hauser, and Clarence “Pint” Isreal.

The nomination form along with nomination criteria and rules can be found on our website at www.mcshf.org. Nominations will stay open until February 10th. Inductees will be chosen by the MCSHF Board of Directors and will be announced in March. They will be honored at a ceremony on Sunday October 29th at the Silver Spring Civic Building.

Springbrook’s Gary Frace Named Maryland Coach of the Year

By MCS Staff

Published January 26, 2023 at 8:23AM

Per MCPS: Gary Frace, Springbrook High School’s longtime cross country coach, was named state Cross Country Coach of the Year by the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA).

Frace has been at Springbrook for nearly 50 years. Will Jawando, Montgomery County Councilmember and chair of the council’s Education and Culture Committee, offered his congratulations in the video below (featured photo– From left to right, MCPS athletics director Jeff Sullivan; Springbrook principal Stephanie Valentine; Gary Frace; athletic director Dan Feher and athletic assistant Melissa Turowski) :

Damascus High School Alumna, Ava Piedrahita, named Penn State Student-Athlete of the Week

By MCS Staff

Published January 25, 2023 at 3:01PM

Ava Piedrahita, a 2022 graduate of Damascus High School has been named Penn State student-athlete of the week. Ava, a native of Gaithersburg, also attended John T. Baker Middle School in Damascus. According to her website, Ava started gymnastics because her sister Kaitlyn was in gymnastics back in 2007 and she was just tagging along running around in the waiting room. She started with recreational classes for a couple of years then was invited to team at Hill’s Gymnastics in Gaithersburg.

Penn State on Ava: “In the first Big Ten meet of her career against No. 16 Minnesota, Piedrahita shined with three career-highs in a fantastic all-around competition for the freshman. The freshman started off her night with a 9.800 on bars as one of four Nittany Lions to post a 9.800-or-better on the apparatus. She continued with a career-best 9.875 on vault, which led the team in the event and became Penn State’s best mark on the apparatus this season. Her career-best 9.775 on the balance beam closed out the night for her and helped her set a new lifetime best 39.225 in the all-around to claim second place in the meet. The score also became Penn State’s best all-around mark in the 2023 season. In a tough Big Ten road environment, the freshman rose to the occasion and performed extremely well for the Nittany Lions”

MoCo Natives to Start New Weekly FM Radio Show on February 5th

By MCS Staff

Published January 24, 2023 at 8:11AM | Updated January 24, 2023 at 7:55PM

Montgomery County natives Brandy Louis Simms and George Johnson will start broadcasting their new radio show, ‘Sports Rap’, on Sunday, February 5th on Radio Arlington (WERA 96.7fm). Simms graduated from Newport Prep in Kensington Johnson is a graduate of Walter Johnson HS in Bethesda. Johnson has previously worked at Home Team Sports/Comcast SportsNet, while Simms is the manager former Sports Director at Montgomery Community Media’s “Cable News 21”.

The weekly show, ‘Sports Rap’, will air every Sunday at noon (12pm) and will primarily discuss local high school, college and professional sports along with other issues within the world of sports. Not a fan of sports? No worries, Simms tells us they’ll also talk about pop culture and comedy, music, movies, television, and more.

Kayla DiCello, Northwest HS Alumna, Named SEC Specialist of the Week (Gymnastics)

By MCS Staff

Published January 20, 2023 at 8:25AM | Updated January 30, 2023 at 3:21PM

Kayla DiCello, a freshman from Boyds who recently graduated from Northwest High School in Germantown, was recently named the “SEC Specialist of the Week” a week after being named the “SEC Freshman of the Week.” DiCello won the all-around in the quad meet against Ball State, Lindenwood and West Virginia with a top score of 39.475. DiCello’s score was the highest all-around mark among SEC freshmen, second among nation’s freshmen and tied for nation’s 10th highest for the opening weekend.

She is now one of seven Gators to win the all-around in their first meet since 1986. DiCello tied with Trinity Thomas (2019) for Florida’s top all-around in the first collegiate meet. She shared second place on balance beam with teammate Ellie Lazzari at 9.90, and also captured third place on bars (9.925) and floor (9.875). In July DiCello was selected to compete at the upcoming Pan American Championships. In August, DiCello competed at the National Championships. She finished finished fourth in the all-around and third on balance beam.

Good Counsel’s Jacob Hardie (Georgia) and Quince Orchard’s Johnny Hodges (TCU) to Compete in Monday Night’s National Championship Game

By MCS Staff

Published January 6, 2023 at 8:43AM | Updated January 6, 2023 at 9:26PM

The undefeated and defending National Champion Georgia Bulldogs (14-0) will take on the TCU Horned Frogs (13-1) on Monday night for the 2022 NCAA College Football National Championship. Each team will have one Montgomery County native representing the area, as Jacob Hardie (Good Counsel, Class of 2021), Georgia, and Johnny Hodges (Quince Orchard, Class of 2019), TCU, prepare for Monday night’s game.

Jacob Hardie, who played wide receiver and free safety at Good Counsel, walked on to the Georgia football team when coaches invited him for a workout after seeing him on film while evaluating another player. According to Hardie, older players in front of him and injuries kept him from getting major playing time while he was at Good Counsel, but he knew what he was capable of. The 5’9, 180 pound Olney native is now on the roster of the defending national champions as a running back.