Resilience

“When all you’re doing is observing, so much of it becomes about feeling and reflecting back to the mission that we say we’re about: developing athletes through competition,” said Andrew Stanley, Collegiate’s Director of Athletics. “The grit our athletes displayed was as good this winter as I’ve ever seen it. I was proud of how we competed. I’m really, really grateful to our kids and coaches for pushing forward.”

 

The girls swimming team won its fourth consecutive League of Independent Schools and VISAA championships, no surprise whatsoever to those with even a passing acquaintance with the sport.

 

Emory DeGuenther and Jasper Jones were LIS co-swimmers of the year.  They and five teammates (Kate Boutry, Savannah Harris, Valentina Linkonis, Bella Little, and Elizabeth Cribbs) earned All-LIS honors, some in multiple events.

 

Each of the seven was also cited as All-VISAA and All-American, but head coach Mike Peters will tell you that depth, not just strength up top, contributed mightily to the Cougars’ success.

 

On the track, the girls 4x800 team (Sadie Webb, Nora Wallace, Rosie Ferrell, Virginia Harris) set a school record (10:00.66) in the St. Christopher’s Invitational in late January, then eclipsed that mark with a 9:52.28 in the VISAA championship meet.

 

“Watching something as good as that first school record,” Stanley said, “it wasn’t like we were so much better than the other teams. We had to grind to get the record. They were tearing up the track. It was magic to watch.”

 

There were other less public moments that stand out as Stanley assesses the winter season.

 

“With just seven or eight healthy girls on the roster at times, [basketball coach] Kevin Coffey did a really good job and got them to states,” Stanley said.  “They had several multi-sport athletes who were willing to play their roles. That’s a great example of what we need to do to be successful long term.”

 

Nick Leonardelli, who served as a college assistant for 14 years and as head coach at Henrico High School for three, assumed leadership of Collegiate’s program this year. The Cougars quickly established a play-every-possession-to-the-max, never-back-down brand that made them competitive, even against the toughest opponents on their schedule.

 

“The way our boys played this year is the way Collegiate has a chance to be successful long term,” Stanley said. “We never quit. It gives you real faith about the future when we focus on what we can control.”

 

In mid-January, the evolving varsity wrestling team defeated Woodberry Forest. It wasn’t just the victory as much as the manner with which the Cougars attained the victory that impressed Stanley.

 

“In that Woodberry match, I saw the level of competitive fire needed to get our wrestling program where we want it to be,” he said. “I’m really proud of how our kids went after it. You can see that it’s there for the future. The purity of the competition was fun to watch.”

 

Then there was Thursday, Feb. 13, the first day of the Valentine Classic in Collegiate’s athletic center. Because the facility was already booked, two varsity basketball games (Collegiate girls vs. Trinity Episcopal, Collegiate boys vs. Fork Union) moved to the Jacobs Gym, the site of all varsity games for decades.

 

“All of a sudden, people were thrilled about what they thought 10 years ago was so small,” Stanley said. “It was a neat community opportunity.”

 

Holiday breaks are a fact of life of the winter season. They provide welcomed respites, of course, but they also impinge upon the consistency of training and preparation. Compound that with the time missed because of ice, snow, and treacherous roads, so successfully navigating the ups and downs requires a hardy constitution.

 

“This was a winter like we haven’t had in years,” Stanley said. “That’s not an excuse, and it also didn’t disrupt our kids’ ability to maintain a positive attitude. Our coaches stayed on point. When we got the ability to get the kids in the gym late in the afternoon because the sun came out, they showed up and worked hard and made the most of the opportunities they had. This winter, I do think we saw very clearly the playbook for what it will take to be successful here long term.”