13
FURR RECEIVES D-II HOOPS OFFER Highland School rising senior basketball player Caleb Furr, a 6-foot-7 forward, has received an offer to play at NCAA Division II Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. Fauquier Times | August 19, 2020
SPORTS WWW.FAUQUIER.COM
COLGAN, SIRIANNI ARE HIGHLAND ATHLETES OF YEAR Colgan rode horses, then saddled up for lacrosse and soccer at Highland By Peter Brewington Times Staff Writer
Who knew all those years riding horses were setting Sterling Colgan up for greatness in soccer and lacrosse? Competing in equestrian events and foxhunting was perfect cross-training for Colgan’s high school sports career, which closed with the Orlean 18-year-old earning honors as the Fauquier Times 2020 Highland School Boys Athlete of the Year. He attributes riding horses for building powerful leg muscles. “That’s why I can kick it so far,” he says about the 55-yard free kicks he’d unleash in soccer. Colgan earned Delaney Athletic Conference honors in both soccer and lacrosse. He played laPHOTO BY DAWN COLGAN crosse as a sophomore and junior, Born into an equestrian family in Orlean, missing out his senior year due to recent Highland School graduate Sterling the pandemic, and shined in soccer Colgan will play lacrosse at University all three years he was at Highland. of Mary Washington and study to be a He’ll play lacrosse at the University veterinarian. of Mary Washington. Although Colgan only rides for THE COLGAN FILE fun now, he can’t escape his roots. Colgan grew up on his family’s Family: Father Timothy is a federal farm in Orlean. His grandfather Ed- acquisition consultant. Mother win was a thoroughbred horse own- Dawn is a federal contracting er, mother Dawn was a steeplechase officer. Sister Ainsley will be a jockey, and dad Tim has been around freshman at Highland this fall and is horses all his life. His sister Ainsley, an accomplished equestrian rider. Best sports memory: “Scoring 14, is an avid eventer and three-sport 55 yards out in a soccer game was athlete at Highland. pretty cool.” The discipline of competing in Number: “I wear the No. 17, equestrian events, plus the unprebecause 18 was taken on my first dictable aspect of jumping gave him lacrosse team.” a perspective that also translated to a Favorite food: Pineapple. rugged sport like lacrosse. “I enjoy Favorite movie: “Star Wars.” being physical. I’ve been thrown off Favorite actor: Will Ferrell. horses my entire life,” said Colgan. Favorite restaurant: Orlean Market. His equestrian résumé includes Possible career: Veterinarian. foxhunting with Old Dominion Hounds, and participation in eventcrosse and life,” Colgan said. ing, dressage and polocrosse. Highland won the DAC title in “Riding a horse mainly involves Colgan’s first year at Highland in using your legs. It may not look like it, 2018. “I played quite a bit, especially but most of the commands and direc- as the new kid,” he said. tion come from the legs. Your hands As a midfielder, he’d bring the are used just to steer. Your legs give ball into the forward zone and try the commands, and the non-verbal to set up other teammates. That role commands,” he said. “Your calves, expanded as a junior when he took quads, all of it get used.” more responsibility, often holding Although soccer was his first the ball longer as he surveyed the sport, Colgan embraced lacrosse field and taking it deeper into the while attending Wakefield Coun- offensive end, where he added more try Day School near Flint Hill. He goals and assists. played varsity in eighth grade, but He was set to do even more as Wakefield Country Day did not field a senior. Highland played just one lacrosse his freshman year, lead- game before the COVID outbreak, ing him to transfer to Highland as downing Tandem Friends 16-0. Cola sophomore to play for coach Rich gan scored twice in that game and Klares, who coached Colgan in had numerous assists and ground youth lacrosse and more recently on balls, even while sporting an injured the Battle Lax travel club program. shoulder. “Coach Klares is one of my closest coaches. He’s guided me in la- See COLGAN, page 14
Captain Cristina: Sirianni was epitome of leadership and positivity By Fred Hodge
Special to the Times
Coaches often point to “glue” players who are major ingredients in providing behind-the-scenes labor or leadership essential to a team’s championship run. Cristina Sirianni was one of those lynchpin athletes for Highland School’s highly competitive field hockey and girls lacrosse teams. A member of both teams for four years, Sirianni earned glowing reviews for her leadership, work ethic and positivity in both sports. Coupled with her skills on the field, she is Fauquier Times 2020 Highland School Girls Athlete of the Year. “Cristina is the epitome of Highland girls athletics,” said Kristen Conques, coach of the Hawks’ girls lacrosse and field PHOTO BY OLIVIA SIRIANNI hockey squads. “I can’t say Cristina Sirianni played on three state enough about Cristina’s leader- champion lacrosse teams for Highland ship and the impact she has had and will study psychology at Bucknell on both programs.” University. She is the last in a line of essential Siriannis to shine for THE SIRIANNI FILE Highland. Her three older sisters Isabella, 25; Sophia, 23; and Olivia, 21, Family: Father Tony is CEO of a financial advisor website. Mother all basked in the limelight as Hawk Jennifer is a stay-at-home mom lacrosse stars. who was captain of the Skidmore Cristina, 19, benefited from being able to work out with her older College women’s lacrosse team. sisters. “As the ‘baby,’ she wasn’t Sisters Isabella, a software saleswoman; Sophia, a digital given many breaks and was expectanalyst; and Olivia, a rising junior at ed to keep up if she wanted to play,” Elon University. said father Tony Sirianni. Favorite foods: Pasta, pineapple. In turn, they came to watch her Plus, she admits to having a major play and saw her win three state league sweet tooth. “I like chocolate lacrosse titles during Hawk run. ice cream. I like Oreos,” which she Highland’s quest for its fifth state likes to dunk in milk. title in a row this past spring was Favorite TV shows: “Peaky ended by the pandemic. Blinders,” “Game of Thrones,” “The Noted Tony, “Cristina’s older sisters Office.” played on very talented teams that nevFavorite movies: “The Other Guys,” er got to the state championship, suf“Seabiscuit.” fering tough losses in the playoffs and Favorite musician: Post Malone. finals. Cristina’s teams had statewide Future profession: Psychiatry. success early and she always dedicated her championship games to her sisters Sports at Highland seemed who had never won a state final.” preordained for Cristina. Mom Sirianni captained the field hock- Jennifer excelled in lacrosse at ey team as a junior and senior and Skidmore College in Saratoga was lacrosse captain as a senior. Springs, N.Y., and all four of Sirianni recalled several older play- her daughters wielded sticks at ers taking her under their wings and Highland. Sisters Isabella and wanted to repay that kindness by be- Sophia played field hockey and coming a mentor. Olivia tennis in the fall. “You’re not just looking out for “I was so excited to go there and yourself, you’re also looking out play the sports they did,” said Sirianfor your teammates,” Sirianni ex- ni, who began organized athletics in plained. “It’s not just a sport to me. fourth grade at Hill School in MidIt’s a group of girls that I lean on and dleburg. they lean on me. I honestly feel comSirianni favored field hockey fortable talking to any of them. My over lacrosse, noting the late sumteammates are just great people.” mer start appealed because it was a “She created a team culture of chance to reunite with friends. positivity and inclusion, trust, and encouragement,” Conques said. See SIRIANNI, page 14
