Watkins Mill High School students Jabew Ewane and Nebi Tsarni were both successful in becoming Girls’ Wrestling 2022 State Champions.
Jabea is a freshman who just started wrestling this year. She fought hard all season, wrestling varsity competition at the 182- and 170-pound weight classes. She took second place at the Winter Mill Girls Tournament earlier in the season and has greatly improved throughout the year. She won her State Championship match 6-0.
Nebi Tsarni is a sophomore with plenty of wrestling experience. Nebi lost her Freshmen season due to Covid-19 restrictions. Had the season occurred, she would have enjoyed wrestling with sister Seda Tsarni, who was also a State Champion. Nebi fought hard all season as a team captain. She wrestled co-ed varsity at 145/152, and was 7-12 before the post season with many tight matches. She is also a 2021 Fargo National Champion.
Information courtesy of Watkins Mill coaches Lam and Halper and Athletic Specialist Lisa Magness.
Jabea receiving her gold medal & state championship bracket!! So proud Jabea!! pic.twitter.com/WTC72XQRzA
— Watkins Mill Athletics (@WMRinesSports) March 6, 2022
Nebi is a STATE CHAMPION!!! Winning by Tech Fall (18-3). Fantastic season, Nebi. Can’t wait to keep watching you as a ‘Rine!! You have lots of wins ahead of you!! Very proud of you!! pic.twitter.com/zaXeiEyIJ4
— Watkins Mill Athletics (@WMRinesSports) March 6, 2022
Nebi receiving her gold medal & state championship bracket!! So proud Nebi! pic.twitter.com/vrqmCJ4NqV
— Watkins Mill Athletics (@WMRinesSports) March 6, 2022
Jabea is a STATE CHAMPION!!! What a great season, Jabea!! The future is sooo bright for you!! So proud of you!! Winning 6-0!! pic.twitter.com/PONZBImDT5
— Watkins Mill Athletics (@WMRinesSports) March 6, 2022
Each year, Variety celebrates the live-action, scripted TV producers whose series made the biggest impact over the course of the year.
This year two Montgomery County natives were featured in the article. Darren Star, for Emily in Paris and Younger, and Chris Van Dusen for Bridgerton.
Star grew up in Potomac. He attended Wyngate ES, Cabin John MS (then Junior High), and graduated from Churchill.
After graduating from UCLA, he went on to create hit shows like Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, and Sex and the City. Beverly Hills 90210 was originally going to be named Potomac 20854 and focus on teens growing up in the area, before a change was made to sunny California.
He created and wrote Emily in Paris for Netflix (it was recently renewed for a second season), and continued his work on the TV Land series he created, Younger.
Van Dusen grew up in Montgomery County as well, graduating from Watkins Mill High School in 1997.
Van Dusen worked on Grey’s Anatomy from 2005 to 2012, and, although uncredited, assisted in the transformation of Grey’s Anatomy into its spin-off, Private Practice. He was also a producer and writer on the ABC drama, Scandal.
He created the period drama, Bridgerton, which became the number one show on Netflix. The show is based on Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton collection novels.
By Sarah Elbeshbishi
Sara Goodman Confino has heard the expression, “those who can’t do, teach,” but this writing teacher is proving that wrong with her debut novel, For the Love of Friends.Confino teaches English, journalism and creative writing at Watkins Mill High School in Gaithersburg.
“It’s been fun to share the behind-the-scenes process with my creative writing students,” Confino said. “Many of those kids want to see their work in print one day, so being able to explain the process of finding an agent, submitting their work, and what the editing process looks like has been exciting.”
“I wish I had someone with that kind of insider knowledge when I started out, so I’m happy to be that resource for my students,” she added. The Rockville native wrote what she knew when she set her novel in Montgomery County and Washington, D.C., with her main character living in Bethesda and working in D.C.
“I liked the idea of setting it somewhere familiar,” Confino said. “I hate when you’re reading or watching something set in D.C. and the characters go to the Georgetown Metro Station or say the exit number instead of name on the Beltway.”
For the Love of Friends follows 32-year-old Lily Weiss through her journey as a bridesmaid in five different weddings within six weeks. To cope with the mom-zillas, expenses, babysitting her grandma, and her own love life – or lack thereof – Lily turns to her anonymous blog, Bridesmania, which can only stay anonymous for so long.
The novel, which is out today from Lake Union Publishing, was named as “One of the 25 Best Books of Summer 2021” by Frolic and early readers are comparing it to Mean Girls, Bridesmaids, 27 Dresses, and Bridget Jones’ Diary. Library Journal called it, “An appealing debut with depth and heart that fans of Jennifer Weiner will enjoy.”
The premise for Confino’s novel came from her “complete lack of wedding knowledge when it came to planning [her] own wedding,” Confino said. “I saw the stress of it all from the other side and realized that there was a story behind some of the more outlandish things that happened when I was a bridesmaid.”
For the Love of Friends is the first of a two book-deal Confino signed. Her second novel will debut sometime in 2022 and features characters readers will meet in this novel.
“I just finished the first draft, and it brings in Lily’s grandmother, a fan favorite from For the Love of Friends and gives her a backstory with one of Lily’s cousins,” Confino said.
For the Love of Friends is available now, wherever books are sold.
