Unsung Senior Athletes, Winter 2024

Malcolm Pace, a 6-2 guard, spent the winter of his junior year preparing for baseball season. He decided to give basketball one more try, promised Coach Del Harris that he would be ready, and followed through on his promise.

 

He proved to be a very good shooter with a high basketball IQ, and in key Prep League games against Trinity Episcopal, St. Christopher’s, and Woodberry Forest came off the bench to guard the other team’s best player.

 

“Malcolm was an instrumental part of our team this season,” Harris said. “His tremendous growth on and off the court has been a joy to witness. He cares deeply for his teammates and school and leaves no regrets with his consistent effort. His leadership in practice was another asset that made him a valuable part of our success.  He did so many things to make our team better.” 

 

Harrison Bray, a member of the futsal team the past two years, contributed seven goals and eight assists for the Collegiate Green squad that was runner-up in the season-finale Valentine Classic.

 

“Harrison is focused in terms of how he applies his knowledge to practice and games,” said Coach Page Chapman. “His overall presence on the court was a blessing to everyone around him, and he elevated the level of play of his teammates. His defensive awareness and consistency were major factors that enabled us to reach the finals of the Valentine Classic. Harrison will always be remembered for his devotion and leadership to the futsal program.”

 

Sarah Ward was a five-year veteran of the varsity swimming program. A practitioner of the grueling distance events, she made her mark as a determined, resilient competitor, mainly in the 500 freestyle.

 

“Sarah came to Collegiate practices in addition to her club practices and continually asked about race plans and pacing,” said Coach Mike Peters. “She also worked on mindfulness to help with the nerves before races.”

 

Her focus her senior season was qualifying for the state championship meet, a dream that became a reality with her 5:53.27 performance in a last-chance opportunity five days after the League of Independent Schools meet.

 

“At the LIS meet, Sarah swam a very aggressive 500 which caused her to fade towards the end and miss the state cut,” Peters said. “Ready to give it another try, she went 12 seconds faster (in the last-chance meet) to reach her goal.”

 

Jac Borich, a four-year varsity swimming veteran, competed in the freestyle and backstroke events.

 

“Jac saw a wonderful uptick in his times this year,” Peters said. “He approached practices each day with a new vigor. Each meet, he ticked closer and closer to breaking the elusive 1-minute barrier in the 100 free. At the River City Classic, Jac not only broke 1- minute, but dipped under 59.

        

“Jac is also a seasoned photographer who can often be seen on deck documenting the meet. Many of his teammates have benefited from his amazing action shots, including those he took at the state championship last year.”

 

Everett Hatfield came up through Collegiate’s wrestling program and competed on the varsity team the past three years, this season in the 165-pound weight class.

 

His greatest contribution, Coach Andy Stone says, is the example he sets for a wave of talented younger teammates with his hard work, dedication, and consistent effort. 

 

“Everett is a kid who always showed up, put the work in, and had a great attitude,” Stone said. “He was a steady, positive force for the program the whole time he was with us. You can talk about culture, but you need people who live it. He was definitely somebody the younger kids looked up to.”

 

Whitney Clarkson placed fourth in the 55 hurdles (personal record 10.37) and fifth in the high jump (PR 4-6) to earn valuable team points that contributed to the Cougars’ razor-thin first place finish in the LIS indoor track and field championship Feb. 3.

 

A week later, she placed third in the high jump in the VISAA championship with a new personal best of 4-8.

 

“Whitney was a consistent, dedicated member of the track team,” said Beth Kondorossy, head coach and program leader. “She was a hurdler for many years. That’s not an event that many athletes fall in love with, but she did. She also picked up the high jump late in the season and played a huge role in our strong league and state finishes. Her smile is contagious, and she's an athlete you can always count on.”

 

Ashwin Aggarwal has been a three-season distance performer throughout his high school career.

In his final winter season, he ran 2:55.81 in the 1000 in the Track757 Last Chance Meet in Virginia Beach and completed a leg of the Cougars’ 4x800 relay that finished third and earned six team points in the Prep League championship meet.

 

“Ashwin has been an important part of the distance squad throughout his career,” said Matthew Richardson, who oversees Collegiate’s distance program. “This season he worked to improve his 1000-meter time by 11 seconds from last year. He’s also been a strong presence on our 4x8 team. Above all, Ashwin has a positive attitude each day and works to get better with every workout.”

~Weldon Bradshaw