Sports

SMALLER STATE PLAYOFF FIELDS?

The VHSL will likely reduce some state tournaments from eight regional qualifiers to four. Football may be the exception.

Fauquier Times | August 12, 2020 NEW COACH AT BRENTSVILLE

Katherine Brown is the new cross country coach at Brentsville District High.

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SPORTS

WWW.FAUQUIER.COM

REID, MULKERIN ARE WAKEFIELD ATHLETES OF YEAR

Reid hasn’t met a sport he can’t squash

By Peter Brewington

Times S aff Wri er

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

By Fred Hodge

Special o he Times

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.

Mulkerin got her kicks in 4 sports

By Peter Brewington

Times S aff Wri er

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

“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 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.”

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.

Fisher steps down as FHS wrestling coach

See MULKERIN, page 12 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.

She said squash helped bring her and Reid together. “I started dating him that summer. We played a lot together. He’s been on the team since seventh grade. I wanted to get better and be as good as him.”

She said the high cardio demands of squash help her cope with a circulation disorder she has called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which sees an abnormally large increase in heart rate when a person goes from a horizontal to standing position.

Mulkerin said her heart rate is often 200 beats a minute while exercising and can be around 100 when resting. “It’s been described as constantly living in a state of what feels like a hangover. A lot of times POTs patients are too tired to work out,” she said.

For Mulkerin, working out is a

The Mulkerin File

Family: Father Jay works for Cisco Systems. Mother Kristin worked in the telecom industry for over 20 years and recently stopped working. Sister Lainey will be a Wakefield junior this fall and has also played soccer her entire life. Number: “18 has been my number my entire life.” Favorite food: Haagen-Dazs Chocolate Chocolate Chip ice cream. Favorite movie: “The Choice.” Favorite restaurant: Petite LouLou Creperie in Purcellville.

lifestyle, and her condition doesn’t REID, from page 11 stop her.

“Having POTS forces me to do “It’s a combination of fine, fast high intensity cardio workouts daitwitch muscles, and you have to be ly. Squash is incredibly tiring but able to reach all parts of the court at it’s so much fun and so good for all times. You need explosiveness to my body. I use mind over matter to move quickly as possible when your force myself to get opponent plays a out there and play, nice shot,” said and afterwards I Reid, noting long feel great,” says rallies can take one Mulkerin. “But it’s or two minutes. never easy.” He played soccer

She eats a lot of his freshman and sodium, including senior years. It’s a “Splits” pretzels, sport he concedes and doesn’t mind isn’t his best. “I was sharing details not very good at my of her condition, feet. I played more which occurs more for the team aspect often in womand the friendships en. She wrote her I had,” said Reid. senior thesis on He said his highPOTS and aspires COURTESY PHOTO light was emerging to be a pediatric James Reid and Chelsea Mulkerin. as a starter. “The cardiologist, which best thing was when could involve helping others with the coach said to me, ‘You’ve worked the condition. hard in practice, you’re a starter, you

Says mom Kristin, “It’s not easy will not sit on the bench,’’’ Reid said. watching Chelsea go through life Next up is the University of Virginia. living in a constant state of brain fog Despite the pandemic, he’s embracing and exhaustion, but she hasn’t let it his freshman year in Charlottesville. slow her down one bit.” Mulkerin will also attend. “I’m very

She’ll attend the University of excited. I love the campus and everyVirginia and target a medical career. thing about it. My brother (Matthew) She notes going to UVa. will be difgoes there. I enjoy the way it feels there. ferent this fall, but is embracing beThe restrictions will be hard, we won’t ing on campus even with all classes be able to experience everything UVa. on-line. has to offer, but I’m not going to mope

She hopes to play club soccer, or sulk about it,” he said. continuing a sport she began when Reid plans to major in business she was 4. and finance.

About his relationship with co-valedictorian Mulkerin, both acknowledge it’s competitive — both athletically and academically — and beneficial.

“We compete so much it shows, I guess. She’s way better than me in soccer. She’s such a good soccer player,” he said.

“I don’t think we would have done it without each other,” said Mulkerin, noting they had the same GPA right down to the decimal.

Mulkerin says that Reid is such a versatile athlete, it’s scary. “He’s someone that can play any sport. He’s big and strong,” she said, noting he’s hard to beat in squash.

Says Reid, “It’s not like I always win things. In academic areas she beats me. It’s give-and-take.”

Finally, after rugby, squash, lacrosse, soccer, and now golf, plus his skills at water and snow skiing, what other sports could be on the horizon for Reid? Maybe he should try the decathlon.

The Reid File

Family: Father Robin runs an aircraft charter company called Aircraft Charter Solutions, working mostly in the Middle East and Africa. Mother Kirsten works for the non-profit rugby academy, Eagle Impact Rugby Academy. Brother Michael is a professional rugby player. Brother Matthew attends the University of Virginia. Favorite food: “I absolutely love pasta.” Favorite athlete: Beauden Barrett of New Zealand All Blacks.