Boy's Basketball

Player of the Year

Donne Lucas, Loudoun County, Senior
Lucas led Loudoun County to the Virginia AA Dulles District tournament final with superior interior play. Overall, the Raiders won nine consecutive games before losing to Potomac Falls in the tournament final. The top offensive big man in the league, Lucas averaged 20.4 points, second best in the county.

Coach of the Year

Chad Dawson, Loudoun Valley
In his fifth year at the helm, Dawson turned a program that went 8-13 in 2006-07 into a contender in the Virginia AAA Cedar Run District. The Vikings finished 15-8, falling in the district tournament semifinals, and their growth and success are a credit to Dawson.

First Team

Deandre Albritton, Dominion, Jr.
A guard and the Dulles District player of the year, Albritton averaged 25 points.

Josh Mallory, Loudoun Valley, Sr.
Mallory, a guard who averaged 15.5 points, was the leader on a Vikings team that challenged for the Virginia AAA Cedar Run District title.

Thomas Mulabah, Park View, Sr.
A standout defensive lineman for Park View's football team, Mulabah averaged 16.7 points and was a dominant inside presence.

Alex Hogue, Potomac Falls, Sr.
Hogue, a sharpshooting guard, averaged more than 13 points per game while leading the Panthers to the Dulles District tournament title.

Preston Findley, Heritage, Sr.
Findley led the Pride to its third consecutive Dulles District regular-season crown, averaging 14.4 points per game.

Girls' Basketball

Player of the Year

Mia Nickson, Notre Dame Academy, Senior
Nickson was the top player on the area's best team, averaging a team-best 12.9 points per game in a starting lineup that had five Division I players. Nickson scored a game-high 17 points in a win over then-No. 1 Eleanor Roosevelt in January that solidified the Dragons' status as the area's top team. She will play for Boston College.

Coach of the Year

Mike Teasley, Notre Dame Academy
Teasley led the top-ranked Dragons to a 28-2 record, with the only losses coming to top national programs. He heads a program that has not lost to an area school in more than two years and one that continues to produce some of the top recruits in the country.

First Team

Azania Stewart, Notre Dame Academy, Sr.
Stewart's 6-foot-4 frame caused mismatches for opposing defenses, opening things up for the team's guards. She will play for Florida.

Josette Campbell, Notre Dame Academy, Sr.
Campbell is one of the most athletic point guards in the area, using her combination of size and speed to cause fits for opposing teams.

Samantha Akers, Loudoun County, Sr.
Akers, the Virginia AA Dulles District player of the year, averaged 15.5 points per game as a guard and led the Raiders to regular-season and district tournament crowns.

Alexis Campbell, Broad Run, Sr.
The first-team All-District guard averaged 11.9 points per game to lead the Spartans to another strong season. She will play for Sacred Heart.

Kelsey Buchanan, Freedom-South Riding, Soph.
Buchanan, a center who averaged 14 points per game, guided the Eagles to the Region II semifinals in the school's third year.

Gymnastics

Player of the Year

Jenna Padilla, Potomac Falls, Senior
Padilla had established herself as the top gymnast for the Virginia AA Dulles District champions before an ankle injury hampered her during the postseason meets. Despite the injury, the defending all-around champion still finished first in the uneven bars at the district meet and qualified for the A/AA meet in that event.

Coach of the Year

Jenny Aubel, Loudoun County and Heritage
Aubel guided not one but two teams this season, with the Raiders finishing second behind Potomac Falls in the district and Heritage finishing fifth. Four athletes under Aubel qualified for the state meet, and there could have been two more if Katy Bauer and Libby Messina had been available for the A/AA qualifier.

First Team

Brittany Crichton, Broad Run, Jr.
Crichton finished third in the all-around among A/AA schools at the state meet after finishing third in the all-around at the Dulles District meet and fourth at the A/AA state qualifier with a 36.00 score.

Emily Pasko, Potomac Falls, Sr.
Pasko took second in the all-around at the state meet among A/AA schools and finished third at the A/AA state qualifier with a score of 36.450, the highest finish of any Loudoun County athlete. She also was the top finisher at the district meet for the Panthers, finishing second with a 35.400.

Allie Daczkowski, Potomac Falls, Fr.
The freshman finished fourth overall at the district meet for the champion Panthers and qualified for the state meet on the bars.

Katy Bauer, Loudoun County, Sr.
Bauer captured the district championship with an overall score of 35.550 but injured her ankle and was unable to compete at the A/AA state qualifier.

Libby Messina, Loudoun County, Sr.
Messina finished fifth in the all-around at the district meet but was unable to compete at the A/AA state qualifier because of a conflict in her schedule.

Ice Hockey

Player of the Year

Brandon Ruhe, Stone Bridge, Senior
The most valuable player of the Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League earned the respect of his teammates and peers with quiet excellence, leading a senior class that had a four-year record of 46-6 and won the 2007-08 NVSHL championship. The defenseman had two goals and 10 assists this season.

Coach of the Year

John Lynch, Stone Bridge
The All-Met Coach of the Year guided the Bulldogs to their fifth NVSHL championship game and third title in seven seasons.

First Team

Spencer Nielsen, Stone Bridge, Sr.
Nielsen's biggest strength in the net might have been his constant self-assessment and knowledge of his abilities, which he used to record a 1.17 goals-against average in the Bulldogs' 9-1 regular season.

Bill Bock, Stone Bridge, Sr.
A smooth skater with a solid shot, Bock read plays and put himself in the right position to contribute. The forward scored 13 goals and added 14 assists.

Connor Cunningham, Broad Run, Jr.
An explosive player, Cunningham was all effort, all the time and also delivered some hard hits. The forward had 11 goals and nine assists.

Jeremy Davis, Broad Run, Sr.
The forward became a more well-rounded player this season, contributing on the power play and penalty kill and tallying more assists (21) than goals (16) for the Spartans, who finished 9-3.

Sean Hollern, Stone Bridge, Sr.
A forward, Hollern excelled with his work ethic and determination, recording 15 goals and 11 assists.

Max Lorenzen, Loudoun County/Freedom, Soph.
One of the best young players in the area, Lorenzen has the smarts and the skills to do just about everything well. The forward finished with 12 goals and nine assists.

Garrett Quinn, Stone Bridge, Sr.
Quinn, a forward, led the Bulldogs in points in the regular season with 24 (10 goals, 14 assists) and added four goals and three assists in the playoffs.

Girls' Swimming

Swimmer of the Year

Suzanne Schwee, Stone Bridge, Senior
A repeat All-Met selection, Schwee set two Virginia records, capturing individual titles with automatic all-America times in the 100-yard butterfly (54.78 seconds) and 100 backstroke (55.37). Claimed the Northern Region titles in the same events and swam an automatic all-America time (2:05.62) to capture the 200 IM title at districts. Will swim for Alabama.

Coach of the Year

Jennifer House, Stone Bridge
In her first season at the helm, House guided the Bulldogs to their highest-ever finish at the Virginia AAA meet, finishing fourth behind Lake Braddock, Robinson and Fairfax. The result was especially impressive considering the Bulldogs' state team was just a four-girl contingent.

First Team

Caitlin Perks, Fauquier, Sr.
Captured the Virginia AAA Cedar Run District and Northwest Region titles in the 100 and 200 freestyle. Will swim for Tennessee.

Emily Winland, Stone Bridge, Sr.
Finished second in the 200 IM at the Virginia AAA meet with an all-American consideration time of 2:09.02. Will swim for Virginia Tech.

Kaitlin Pawlowicz, Heritage, Fr.
Swam automatic all-American times in the 200 IM, 100 butterfly and 500 freestyle, setting a Virginia AA record in the IM (2:05.67) and capturing the state title in the 100 fly (57.36).

Valerie McMullan, Heritage, Soph.
Set the Dulles District record in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:54.46. Captured the title in the 50 free. Won the Region II title in the 100-meter free.

Caylyn Tate, Potomac Falls, Jr.
Captured the Virginia AA title in the 500 freestyle with an all-American consideration time of 5:01.65.

Bridget Werner, Potomac Falls, Fr.
Finished second in the 100-yard backstroke at the AA state meet (59.55) and fourth in the 100 freestyle. Finished second at Region II meet in 100-meter freestyle.

Suzanne Nelson, Loudoun County, Sr.
Won district titles in the 100 freestyle and 100 breastroke, captured the Region II title in the 100-meter breast and finished third in the 100-meter freestyle.

Wrestling

Wrestler of the Year

145: Tyler Steven, Loudoun County, Senior
Placed sixth at the Virginia AA tournament, the highest of any Loudoun County wrestler, and finished the season with a 46-7 record. Stevens won Millbrook and Santee tournament titles and was the highest-scoring wrestler at his weight class at the Raider, Madison and Liberty duals.

Coach of the Year

Rob Puterio, Potomac Falls
Puterio guided Potomac Falls to a Virginia AA Dulles District tournament title. Potomac Falls placed seven wrestlers in the district finals, and three were champions.

First Team

103: David Orr, Broad Run, Sr.
After taking the Virginia AA Dulles District crown, Orr placed third in the Region II tournament and finished 39-11.

112: T.J. Julia, Briar Woods, Jr.
Won the Virginia AA Dulles District crown with a win over Park View's Stephen Penna.

119: Justin Smith, Heritage, Jr.
Smith took second at the Region II tournament, seventh at the AA state tournament and went 37-6 on the season.

125: Vince DiRenzo, Broad Run, Soph.
DiRenzo won the Virginia AA Dulles District title, placed fourth at the Region II tournament and went 37-11 on the season.

130: Sean Scales, Park View, Sr.
Scales had the highest finish at the Region II tournament, finishing second overall. He went 28-9.

135: Jamie Hardy, Loudoun Valley, Sr.
Set the all-time Loudoun Valley record with 160 wins. He took second in the Virginia AAA Cedar Run District.

135: Alex Fleming, Dominion, Sr.
Reached the finals of the Region II tournament and qualified for the AA state meet.

140: Jimmy Jurado, Heritage, Jr.
Jurado placed seventh in the Virginia AA state tournament, one of three Loudoun County wrestlers to place.

145: David Baxter, Loudoun Valley, Sr.
Baxter took seventh in the Northwest Region and third in the Virginia AAA Cedar Run District.

152: Mike Fleming, Briar Woods, Jr.
After losing to Potomac Falls' Ryan Hagan twice during the season in the final 10 seconds, Fleming beat Hagan to take fourth in the Region II tournament.

160: Zach Bolan, Loudoun Valley, Soph.
Bolan took sixth at the Northwest Region tournament after wrestling often at 171. He placed second in the Virginia AAA Cedar Run district.

160: Ernest Brown, Freedom-South Riding, Jr.
Brown won the Virginia AA Dulles District crown, the school's first district champion.

171: Remington LaKose, Loudoun County, Jr.
LaKose took the Virginia AA Dulles District title, then sixth at the Region II Tournament.

189: Justin Belcher, Loudoun Valley, Sr.
Belcher took fifth at the Northwest Region tournament this season.

189: David Zedan, Potomac Falls, Jr.
Zedan was first in the Virginia AA Dulles District tournament and helped the Panthers finish unbeaten in dual meets.

215: George Black, Broad Run, Sr.
Black won the Virginia AA Dulles District crown, took third at the Region II tournament and went 38-8.

HVY: Edwin Guzman, Park View, Sr.
Guzman lost to Briar Woods' Ethan Ochs in the Virginia AA Dulles District finals, but placed fourth at Region II and won a match at states.

About The Section

• Reporters: Ryan Mink (wrestling), Jeff Nelson (hockey), Paul Tenorio (boys' and girls' basketball, boys' and girls' swimming, gymnastics).
• Photographer: Joel Richardson.
• Layout Editor: J.C. Reed.
• Copy Editor: Christian Swezey.
• Online Editor: Cara McCoy.
• Special thanks to Athletic Director Ron Petrella and Heritage High School.