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SMALLER STATE PLAYOFF FIELDS? The VHSL will likely reduce some state tournaments from eight regional qualifiers to four. Football may be the exception.
NEW COACH AT BRENTSVILLE Katherine Brown is the new cross country coach at Brentsville District High.
SPORTS WWW.FAUQUIER.COM
Fauquier Times | August 12, 2020
REID, MULKERIN ARE WAKEFIELD ATHLETES OF YEAR Reid hasn’t met a sport he can’t squash By Peter Brewington Times Staff Writer
James Reid is never afraid of trying a new sport, probably because the odds are he’ll excel at it. He took up golf this summer and is now smoking 300-yard drives. His Wakefield School career is a testament to that versatility. A longtime rugby standout, Reid gave up the sport in the 11th grade and went on to throw his weight around as a lacrosse star, squash captain and soccer player, leading to his selection as Fauquier Times 2020 Wakefield Boys Athlete of the Year. He also shares co-valedictorian honors with Chelsea Mulkerin, the Fauquier Times 2020 Wakefield Girls Athlete of the Year, and his girlfriend. Reid, who lives in Purcellville and has attended Wakefield since first grade, was born in South Africa and came to the U.S. in 2007. Like his two older brothers, Reid started in rugby early. Brother Michael, 24, is a pro who played last season for Old Glory D.C. in Major League Rugby. James also had success, representing the U.S. in the Eagle Impact Rugby Academy (EIRA) tour to Ireland. Reid said his passion for rugby dwindled in his junior year. With his strength, athleticism and size (6-0, 195 pounds), he made an easy transition to lacrosse as his No. 1 sport. “It’s similar because you have to do multiple things at the same time,” said Reid. He said new sports fit his personality. “I’m pretty extroverted. I like conversations with people, and I enjoy trying new things. Wakefield is almost a school where you have to be an extrovert, because everyone knows each other,” he said. Reid played varsity lacrosse in eighth and 11th grade, earning first team Delaney Athletic Conference honors, as well as team MVP, as a junior midfielder. He was set to play as a senior, but the
PHOTO BY KRISTIN MULKERIN AND KIRSTEN REID
They’ve shined in numerous sports and shared the podium at graduation as covaledictorians. A couple for over three years, James Reid and Chelsea Mulkerin are Fauquier Times 2020 Wakefield Boys and Girls Athletes of the Year. pandemic wiped that out. Reid also exceled at a sport that’s unique to Wakefield: squash. He began playing in seventh grade and was team captain as a junior, receiving the Coach’s Award twice, in 2016 and 2020. Reid talks proudly of Wakefield’s surge in squash, which began with construction of four courts in 2016 thanks to some generous donors. Wakefield has become a force at the national tournament each year. “It’s really unique, it’s crazy,” said Reid. The school got English pro player Anthony Graham to come build the program. “He completely changed the squash program,” said Reid. For Reid, the cardio-intense skill set and unique shots didn’t come easy at first, but he grew into Wakefield’s No. 2-seeded player. Reid said he won two of his three matches at the national tournament. “I became more skilled, more refined,” he said. “As it is with most sports at a high level, it’s consistency. Anyone can play a good shot, but you need to play it over and over.” He said his growth came with a bigger commitment, noting he did not play much squash year-round. See REID, page 12
Mulkerin got her kicks in 4 sports By Peter Brewington Times Staff Writer
Chelsea Mulkerin made a heartfelt decision when she came to Wakefield School in 2016 as a freshman. Most of her club soccer teammates on the high-caliber VSA 02 NPL squad were feeding into Battlefield, and that’s where the Haymarket resident was slated to go as well. But she was intrigued by Wakefield and applied. When she was awarded the school’s Archwood Scholarship, offering 50% tuition for four years, that sealed the deal, although she admits, “It was the hardest decision I ever made.” By going to Wakefield, she opted out of playing for a three-time state champion in the state’s largest classification, a team often watched by NCAA Division I coaches. In return, she embraced a tight-knit school with great academics and the ability to play different sports. She excelled in volleyball, basketball, squash and soccer as a Fighting Owl, ending her career as Fauquier Times 2020 Wakefield Girls Athlete of the Year. She was also valedicto-
rian, sharing the honor with James Reid, Wakefield’s Boys Athlete of the Year, and her boyfriend. In soccer she made first team Delaney Athletic Conference for three years and led the Owls in scoring each year. Always a defensive player, Mulkerin transitioned to striker at Wakefield, and thrived, scoring 18 goals as a junior. “I liked how different it was from the position I’d been playing for eight to 10 years. I was tired of playing defense and almost quit soccer, but playing offense brought back my passion for the game. As an offensive player, I knew how the defenders thought and knew how to get around them,” she said. “It was an easy transition.” The 5-foot-7 Mulkerin relished playing with her younger sister Lainey, a rising junior. She’s wistful her final season was canceled. “I was excited, I was going to be captain and get to play my senior year with my little sister. We were going to be the dynamic duo,” said Mulkerin. “Playing soccer with her at Wakefield is one of my best memories of high school. She is my secret weapon on the field, and we have an incredible dynamic when we play together.” Mulkerin was a setter and outside hitter in volleyball her freshman and sophomore years. She played competitive basketball as a club player, but only competed at Wakefield her freshman year. She picked up squash at Wakefield and played three years. As a senior, she was the only girl on the squad, played as the No. 6 seed and was team captain. Her start in squash came after her parents won a free lesson at an auction. Noting she was a freshman and some popular upperclassmen were running the session, “I was mortified to go. Lainey went with me and when we got there, we could not hit the ball. We were wearing these ugly goggles and it was so embarrassing. But I ended up loving the sport.” See MULKERIN, page 12
Fisher steps down as FHS wrestling coach By Fred Hodge
Special to the Times
COURTESY PHOTO
Debbie Fisher (left) is a Fauquier High science teacher. She’s pictured with Virginia Tech-bound son Sam and retiring Falcon wrestling coach Doug.
Fauquier High wrestling coach Doug Fisher recently resigned after 10 years establishing the Falcons’ state dynasty program. Fauquier won its third state championship of Fisher’s tenure last winter to go with 2015 and 2016 crowns. Fauquier was the state runnerup in 2014, 2017 and 2018. Fisher explained that the timing was right. Son Sam will be wrestling at nationally-ranked Virginia Tech after becoming the first Fauquier County wrestler to win four state championships.
“That’s part of it,” Fisher began. “I just felt I had done what I had set out to do, and I was comfortable where I was. It’s a good stopping point and I wanted to do something else.” Eight Falcons won a total of 16 individual state championships in Fisher’s 10 years, and dozens earned all-state status. The Falcons won eight of the last 10 team regional championships (tying Liberty once). Fisher geared his team in systematic fashion to be healthy for the postseason and it showed. “He’s done a great job with our program,” said FHS activities director Mark Ott, who praised Fisher’s
dedication and character. “Doug is a class act,” Ott continued, pointing to the coach’s emphasis on providing the Falcons with the best equipment, competition, travel and support, “He provided opportunities for his kids if they wanted to challenge themselves,” Ott said. “He’s also very humble. He doesn’t want to take credit for what his wrestlers have accomplished, but without him there, would they have accomplished what they did?” As far as a successor, Ott said the county’s human resources department has instituted a freeze. “So, I can’t accept any applications,” Ott lamented.
