November 2015 Athlete of the Month
Ryann Helmers, Girls Cross Country
Albemarle’s girls cross country team operates as a pack, but Ryann Helmers led that pack in the Group 5A state championships, taking eighth place in the state with a time of 19:17. That gave Albemarle a big leg up as the Patriots also got strong performances just behind her and eventually wrapped up a runner-up finish in the state. With Helmers’ help, Albemarle finished just 14 points behind repeat state champion Tuscarora. For a team loaded with sophomores, Helmers among them, that’s a big-time finish and only bodes well for the future.
October 2015 Athlete of the Month
Dontae Woodfolk, Football
Whether it was the beginning of the game or the end, Dontae Woodfolk showed a knack for coming up with key interceptions in October for Albemarle’s football team. Woodfolk picked off a pass in the first quarter to jumpstart the Patriots’ in a win over Charlottesville and also snagged a pick late in the month when the Patriots beat Powhatan to move to 6-2, which was four more wins than Albemarle managed last season. The pick against Powhatan came late to seal the victory over the Indians. Woodfolk had a big impact for the Patriots’ football squad in October.
September 2015 Athlete of the Month
Stephanie Lugus, Albemarle volleyball
Albemarle spreads the wealth up front in volleyball, which is in part a by-product of having a fixture like Ellie Benning at setter, a master distributor. But when the Patriots have needed a big kill or a big play defensively, they’ve been able to lean on Stephanie Lugus. The Patriots’ senior middle is leading Albemarle in kills on the year with 153 and in blocks with 35, and that dual threat effort has helped spark the Patriots to a 16-1 overall record in the first full month of 2015.
August 2015 Athlete of the Month
Cooper Ezell, Golf
Albemarle golf’s Cooper Ezell carded a 77 in the Jefferson District Mini-Match that was the first big test of the golf season for the Patriots. The performance helped vault the Patriots to a second place finish.
July 2015 Athlete of the Month
Hogan Harper, Boys Swimming
Albemarle swimming’s Hogan Harper put together a monster performance at the Jefferson Swim League Championships, winning the 100-yard IM just a few tenths of a second off the record pace, grabbed third in the 50-back and second in the 100-free. The win helped vault his team Fairview Swim Club to another JSL team title.
June 2015 Athlete of the Month
Dacarai Clark, Boys track
The Group 5A track and field championships are loaded with talent, which makes what Dacarai Clark did that much more impressive. Clark took third place in the long jump at the Group 5A championships in Newport News with a leap of 20-09.50. He also made a big contribution in the 4×400, running for a squad that took third place and finished less than two seconds behind state champion Lee-Davis.
May 2015 Athlete of the Month
Marcel Berry, Boys soccer
Albemarle boys soccer senior Marcel Berry put himself in some rarified air as the first Central Virginia soccer players to be named the Gatorade Virginia High School Player of the Year in May. Berry, who scored 27 goals and assisted on 12 more tallies for the Patriots was a force this spring. He’ll head to William and Mary this fall to join the Tribe.
April 2015 Athlete of the Month
Cameron Green, Boys lacrosse
Albemarle boys lacrosse midfielder Cameron Green is a tough, resilient and versatile midfielder, a defensive back during football season who diagnoses defenses nicely and players with a certain level of calm. He’ll take that skillset to the next level now too after committing to play for the University of District of Columbia, an upstart Division II lacrosse team program that has added several local players in the last couple of years.
March 2015 Athlete of the Month
Kathryn Mayo, Girls track and field
She’s just a sophomore, but Kathryn Mayo isn’t wasting any time putting herself among a long line of elite middle distance runners that have graced the track for Albemarle. Mayo rolled to a fourth place in the Group 5A indoor state championships. Mayo can now set her sights on improving that fourth place mark during the outdoor season.
February 2015 Athlete of the Month
Abby Wuensch, Girls Swimming
Abby Wuensch played a big role in sparking Albemarle’s girls swim team to its second-straight state championship. She helped get them there with a Region 5A North championship in the 200-freestyle as part of the Patriots’ region title. Then in the state meet, she scored points in both the 100-freestyle, where she placed 12th and she placed 11th in the 50-free. Those two placings and a leg on the second-place 200-free relay team for the Patriots wrapped up a strong career for Wuensch as part of a class that left an important mark on the Albemarle program, a group that gave the Patriots their first ever state swimming title.
January 2015 Athlete of the Month
Hogan Harper, Boys Swimming
Hogan Harper is far from the first Harper to swim for Albemarle’s program. He’s followed in the footsteps of older sisters Hannah and Holly, who both now swim for Division I programs. But the youngest Harper isn’t riding any coattails, he’s been a force since jumping in the pool as a freshman and in early January the junior won the 200-IM and finished as the runner-up in the 100-backstroke during the Ben Hair Swim and Dive meet that features the bulk of the area’s swim teams. That performance that pushed Harper above the area’s best also vaulted Albemarle to a meet title and set the stage for a potentially huge postseason by the Patriots.
December 2014 Athlete of the Month
Austin Katstra, Boys Basketball
Austin Katstra has picked up right where he left off as a freshman and is in the process of taking things to a new level for Albemarle’s boys basketball squad. Katstra exploded out of the gate this December, averaging 20.1 points and 10.8 rebounds per contest as just a sophomore against a strengthened Albemarle schedule that included tough early season matchups with Charlottesville and Spotswood. Katstra has been a rock in the lane for the Patriots and has also shown some touch from outside, hitting four of nine 3-point attempts on the year. Throw in nearly two blocks per game on the defensive end and it’s clear that Katstra is the total package for Albemarle.
November 2014 Athlete of the Month
Taylor Bauman, Volleyball
Albemarle volleyball libero Taylor Bauman wrapped up a monster career for the Patriots’ squad this November, earning player of the year and first team All-Conference 16 honors in the process. Bauman helped spark the Patriots to a Conference 16 championship and a second place finish in the Jefferson District. Bauman led the Patriots in digs and passing rating. She even owns three of the top four seasons for passing rating in Albemarle history. Congratulations to Taylor on a tremendous season and career.
