Towne Athlete Meet

from What's Up? Annapolis: June 2022

by What's Up? Media

Savor the Chesapeake

TOWNE ATHLETE

Lilia Railey

Rockbridge Academy Lacrosse, Soccer

By Tom Worgo

Rockbridge Academy senior Lilia Railey sometimes gets overwhelmed with her rigorous athletic and academic schedule. When she needs a respite, she goes off and paints. Railey has been painting for as long as she can remember—back to elementary school. She’ll continue to paint in the fall at Massachusetts’ Gordon College, where she’ll major in art and play lacrosse on an academic scholarship. “I do find it relaxing,” she explains. “It’s nice to just slow down and really focus on one thing and seeing it well and seeing the beauty in it. I think I have been given a gift. I have always been able to draw or paint well.”

The Annapolis resident focuses on acrylic paintings and has honed her skills in art classes at Rockbridge in Crownsville. “Through my art, I can express different things or show the beauty of creation and just reflect so much beauty I see in nature and around me or in people,” she says. “I really enjoy that and seeing what’s real and being able to reflect that in my artwork.”

The 18-year-old Railey had two paintings on display in Gallery 67 West in downtown Annapolis. One was a still-life painting with oranges and jars with designs on them. The second pictured hydrangeas with a single rose. Railey’s school gave her a Metropolitan Art award for the achievement.

“It’s a pretty big deal since I am so young and in high school,” Railey says of her paintings being shown in a gallery. Railey entered a contest in March with a painting displaying a Navy plebe holding a rifle as part of a Patriotic theme. She’ll continue to focus on painting in college, majoring in anatomical art and kinesiology with an interest in being a physical therapist.

“I am really interested in medicine and the human body,” Railey says. “The art will help me learn the anatomy, and kinesiology will help me learn about the science behind it.” Lacrosse at Gordon will also be a big priority for the 5-foot6 Railey, who plays midfield. “When I visited the college, the lacrosse team was so welcoming,” she says. “The coach was very eager for me to be there. The coach (Lily Jones) really cares about each player. I think I will be really pushed and grow athletically.”

Jones says Railey will have a chance to compete for a starting position next year. “She is a great athlete,” Jones says. “She very coachable and I am excited to see her develop as a player. She needs to earn an opportunity on the team.”

Railey started three years for the Rockbridge Academy lacrosse team and led the 2021 squad to Capital Area Lacrosse League championship game. She earned First-Team All-Conference honors and racked up 37 goals. Railey co-captained the lacrosse team as both a junior and senior.

“She is a real leader,” Rockbridge Athletic Director Tim Stewart says. “She works with the younger players and really gets the team focused. Railey also excelled in soccer. She started at both goalie and as a defender in her three years, and was named Second-Team All-Conference as a senior. “She has a go-getter attitude,” Rockbridge Girls Soccer Coach Becca Knoll says. “She has boundless energy and was very competitive. She’s just a natural athlete.”