SPORTS
Crossed Sabres
June 9, 2010
How to Get That Beach Body Luisa Banchoff, ‘13
Online Editor
Summer exercise suggestions
Among the many things that make Arlington a stand-out county are its public parks and trails. This fact combined with the need for summer exercise makes for a great excuse to get outside and get moving in Arlington this summer!
Bon Air Park is a great place to bring a family to enjoy the sun and beautiful scenery. The basketball and volleyball courts are also ideal for athletes.
For Hiking: Potomac Overlook Regional Park
Potomac Overlook is a forested park that merges with trails such as Donaldson Run and Potomac Heritage. A large part of the main trail follows a stream that empties out into the Potomac River. The park also has an interactive “Energerium,” an exhibit to educate children about energy use, located in the nature center. Why go here? This park is a tranquil alcove ideal for nature-loving hikers. With its various altitudes, this is the park to go to when training for more difficult, long-distance hikes. The end of the trail offers a nice fishing spot by the Potomac River.
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BY LUISA BANCHOFF
For Tennis & Recreational Activities: Bluemont Park
For Tennis & Recreational For Jogging & Biking: W & Activities: Bon Air Park & Rose OD Trail Garden On a sunny day, Bon Air Park is swarming with people. It is no surprise, considering that there is a large picnic area bordered by the Four Mile Run stream on one side and a rose garden with two tennis courts on the other. Lodged towards the back of the park is a basketball court, a shaded volleyball court and a large space ideal for field games. The W & OD Trail also passes through this park. Why go here? Bon Air Park is not only a valuable place for athletes but also the optimal place to spend an afternoon outside. If you enjoy flowers and have an eye for color, bring a camera.
Just across the way from Bon Air, Bluemont Park is home to nine tennis courts, a soccer field, three baseball diamonds, a volleyball court, a basketball court and even a disc gold course. The W & OD trail picks up where it left off from Bon Air and continues through the woods, running parallel to Four Mile Run for some distance. Why go here? Bluemont Park offers the ultimate variety of things to do. You can spend your time at the tennis courts, playing field games on the fields by the baseball diamonds or host a barbeque while playing a game of disc golf in the woods. With all of these setups within walking distance of one another, you can do as many as you please in one afternoon.
BY LUISA BANCHOFF
The W & OD Trail, starting in Loudoun County and ending in Arlington, follows a historic railroad route. The trail runs through both Bon Air and Bluemont parks and continues on through the woods alongside roads until it finally ends at South Shirlington Road in Arlington. The scenery along the trail is varied, depending on where you start and finish. The trail runs along the Four Mile Run stream for a long distance, occasionally criss-crossing with the Four Mile Run Trail. Why go here? No matter how far you plan on going, the W & OD trail is a useful pathway to take for any amount of exercise. The trail is useful for getting around or simply enjoying nature. You can get off the trail to take a break at parks such as Bon Air and Bluemont or stay on track. If you feel like getting somewhat lost, you can even switch to the Custis or Four Mile Run trails when they intersect with W & OD.
Rich in history, the W & OD trail is a great place to go for a jog and get immersed in nature.
Success on the Diamond
Generals’ baseball victorious season
LIFETOUCH
Sean Magner, ‘12
Staff Reporter
“This could be a once in a generation team, in terms of their offensive ability,” said varsity baseball coach Mr. Doug Grove. “It’s taken a lot of hard work for those guys to get where they are. That’s something else to lead the region, because there are some good teams out there.” Based only on the team’s record, this year has been fantastic for the school’s varsity baseball team. In the regular season, the team had a record of 15 wins and five losses, and is currently first in the district, with 13 wins and one loss. The varsity players were not the only ones with success, however. The junior varsity team had 13 wins and five losses in their season. “The whole program has been doing really well this year,” said Mr. Grove. “We had a really good varsity season, and the [junior varsity] probably had their best record in 20 years.” Many of this year’s junior varsity players are expected to graduate to the varsity level next year. According to Mr. Grove, the varsity team has many talented and strong seniors and other returning players, and had two transfers as well, seniors Ben Coffman and
Ryan Dickt. One factor in the team’s success is strong players. “We have a lot of three year players and they’ve just come together as a team, really support each other and have good at bats,” said assistant coach Mr. Terry Dwyer. Some players, like senior Jeremy Seipp, attributes working hard outside of the regular season to his success. “In the off-season I was working with personal trainers for lifting and private tutors to get my swing down and really perfect my defense, and plug everything in baseball together,” said Seipp. Several players agreed their best game was the team’s senior night on May 4. When the team was losing by several runs, and came back in the fourth inning to score four more runs, including senior Christian McGillen’s two-run homer. Senior Tom Edwards also performed well, with two diving catches and pitching four innings without the other team scoring. For many of the players and coaches, however, baseball is about more than just winning and the team’s record. For Seipp, baseball is about the spirit of the game. He said, “Anything can happen in baseball, that’s the craziest thing. I just love the sport.”