There are certain things that Blair varsity softball coach Louis Hoelman tells his fielders to look for in a batter that have nothing to do with quick hands, powerful forearms or a great trigger step. If she is wearing fancy cleats or a spray-painted helmet, he tells his outfielders to take a step back. If she has a certain swagger, a confidence at the plate that comes from playing hundreds of tournament games every summer, he tells his infielders to be ready for anything. If she is a member of a travel club softball team, says Hoelman, then this girl can play.
Nearly four years ago, he crept into the wild halls of Blair. Small and poorly-adapted, he hurled himself into a maelstrom of looming deadlines and late-night study sessions. Four years later, he emerged as a new member of a highly evolved species.
A good teen movie is a rare and much sought-after commodity. And it shouldn't take much, really, just a beautiful, lovable protagonist (Lindsay Lohan), a cute guy, and a minor life challenge to overcome. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen flawlessly follows this formula, yet still manages to drown in mediocrity.
Sophomore Tyler Wilchek defied even his own expectations at the division I championship on Sat. Feb. 14. Seeded fifth, Wilchek surged to a second-place finish in each of his best events, the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard breaststroke.
Coming off the giddy high of their first win in three years, the girls swam a distinctly flat final meet against Blake, losing 64-105. Although freshman Christie Lin, sophomore Diana Frey and senior captain Robin Hernandez each recorded personal-best splits in the relays, Blair's top girls failed to knock off seconds in individual events. Sophomore Anna Chiplis continued her steady climb through the ranks, however, with a time of 1:09.66 in the 100 yard fly, her best performance of the season.
Three Blazers on the swim and dive team have combined to post four record-breaking performances in the past two weeks, resetting Blair's fastest times and highest scores in their respective events.
At the relay carnival on Sat Jan 10, the Blair swim team's fifth place (out of six teams) finish was consistent with the lack of depth that has held the Blazers to an 0-2 record this season. Blair finished with 34 points compared to Richard Montgomery's winning score of 63. The Blazers had no first place finishes, won second place in the boys' freestyle relay, and inked one third place finish in the mixed freestyle relay.
An angry Anna Foster barges through the doors of the Oval Office, propelled forward by the outrageous grievances she has against her father. Secret service agents have just ruined her date. "I'm going to die before I ever get to third base,” she angrily announces to President James Foster (Mark Harmon). A sleight of Presidential eyebrows directs her attention to the cluster of distinguished UN security officials sitting behind her. Checkmate. "We'll discuss this later,” she says disgustedly and slinks off.
The swim and dive team will head into the 2003-2004 season reeling from the loss of 22 seniors. Last years' Division I Championship boys' team lost its top four swimmers, and the dive team now hosts only one returning diver, senior captain and team-record-holder Elizabeth Finn.
Silver cleats dance like drops of mercury under the stadium lights as junior striker Papes Ndiaya capers down the field. His gleaming shoes blur into a single bright streak as he breaks abruptly after the ball, showcasing the "zero to warp-nine” acceleration that Coach Adrian Baez calls visibly impressive to watch.
The boys' varsity soccer team rolled in the second half en route to a 2-0 victory over Watkins Mill. Midfielders Jack Eisen-Markowitz and Roger Sohiya each scored as the team dominated throughout but only gained momentum in the second half.
Tyler Wilchek and Patrick Detzner placed second and third in the 50-yard freestyle event at the Montgomery County Championship meet on Saturday. Wilchek was one of only two swimmers to record a time under 23 seconds, a threshold he broke for the first time last weekend at divisionals. "[Wilchek] is in the very top tier in the 50 freestyle,” says coach David Swaney. "He just keeps getting faster and faster.”