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FEBRUARY 17 - 23, 2022 | PAGE 9

Meridian Cheer Season Finishes Strong at UCA Nationals

BY RUBY JONES

SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-PRESS

For the first time in school history, the Meridian High Cheer team was able to compete at the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) Game Day Nationals in Orlando, Florida. On February 10-13, the team spent the weekend competing with other schools from across the nation as they represented their school at a cheer competition of this high level. The trip was a fantastic success and an amazing experience for the team. Out of the 78 teams in their division from all across the nation, MHS came in 12th place.

In the Meridian High School cheer program, cheerleaders push each other to be the best they can be. They strive to be positive representatives of their school, to encourage school spirit, and to be hard-working athletes. When asked about the impact the MHS cheer program has had, senior Emma Ward summarized how all of them feel: “Being on the Meridian Cheer team for the past five years has provided me with so many friendships, life lessons, and skills that I will carry with me forever.” With the help of our wonderful coaches, Allison Cray, Elizabeth Watkins, and Axelle Amos, the team works hard each practice to learn new skills, perfect routines, cheer on fellow athletes, and stay motivated, no matter what obstacles they face. Competing at UCA Game Day Nationals was a fitting end to a season full of growth and achievement.

At the UCA Game Day Competition, the team was able to show off what they do on the sidelines while cheering on the football team. They performed a dance to band music, a situational chant in which they reacted to either an offensive or defensive cue, a crowdleading cheer, and finished off the routine with Meridian’s fight song, all with a smile on their faces. “Qualifying for nationals was something I could never have imagined when I first joined 5 years ago,” says senior Elle Elrich. “Having the opportunity to attend was not only an amazing experience but also a great way to represent Meridian and Falls Church City.”

They prepared for this competition both mentally and physically for the last six months. From the very beginning of the season in August, they always made sure to keep their eyes on the prize, talking only about when they made it to nationals— not if. When the regional qualifier was moved up a month it left them just a couple of weeks to polish their routine for the competition that would determine their fate. They worked as hard as they could before they attended the regional competition in Richmond, where they took third place, qualifying the team to go to Orlando.

In the months following regionals, they worked hard to raise money to fund the trip. They set up a GoFundMe, sold spirit gear and Little Caeser’s pizzas, held two cheer clinics for elementary schoolers, hosted a fundraiser at Audacious Aleworks and went canvassing door-to-door in many of the neighborhoods in the community. They couldn’t be more proud of their team, and the memories they made this season will last a lifetime. The team would like to thank everyone who contributed to helping the team get to nationals. They could never have made it to where they are without the support they have received from the community And of course a big thanks to their parents and coaches, who made it all possible.

THE MERIDIAN CHEER TEAM Competed this past weekend at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, FL and placed 12th out of 78 teams in their division. (P���� C������� �� R���� D����)

Mustangs Swim and Dive Team Takes on Regionals

BY LEAH KIRK

SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-PRESS

The Meridian Swim & Dive Team is heading to States! Last week, the Mustangs competed in the Region 3B Meet, where nine teams competed to secure their slots for the State Championships this Thursday and Saturday in Richmond. The Mustangs will be sending 22 students to the State Competition this week.

The Mustang Dive Team dove into the competition pool on Friday February 4th with the 3B and 6B Region Combined Meet. There the five Divers took on divers from Maggie Walker Governor’s School and Brentsville High School in Region 3B, but also competed alongside the Region 6B Divers as they competed for Region 6B State Championships. The 11-Dive meet was an all day affair but proved to be a success as all five divers qualified for the State Meet on February 17th. From the Boys Team, Connor Tweddle (Freshman) placed 2nd with a score of 228.4 and Markus Kummer (Freshman) placed 3rd with a score of 191.45. From the Girls Team, Jane Afsah-Mohallatee (Freshman) placed 2nd with a score of 304.70, Julia Hall (Sophomore) placed 3rd with a score of 226.2, and Helen Jordan (Junior) placed 4th with a score of 201.90. Jane Afsah-Mohallatee’s score secured a new school record, surpassing Senior Natalie Burke’s previous record of 286.05 in last season’s State Meet.

The Mustang Swim Team started off with a bang as both Boys and Girls Teams continued to shine throughout the competition. Overall, Meridian placed both teams in the top three. Boys placed 2nd and were Region Runner-ups and the Girls were 3rd place. The team had successes in both Individual and Relay events, and will send even more qualifiers to States through their times in other meets during the Regular Season. After last season, which was restricted to only the Top 5 placers in the Region due to Covid Mitigation practices, the ability to qualify during the season allowed the Mustangs to send a much larger delegation than last year.

The Boys Team lead the way with a second-place finish in the 200 Medley Relay, comprised of Matthew Janicki (Sophomore), Wills Fleming (Freshman), Ben McCracken (Junior), and Carson Ruoff (Junior) with a time of 1:41.45, shaving 5.5 seconds off their seed time. The 200 Free Relay, comprised of Ben McCracken, Wesley Sturgill (Junior), Wills Fleming, and Carson Ruoff came out on top with a first-place finish with a time of 1:30.42. The 400 Free Relay, comprised of Wesley Sturgill, Jonathan Katen (Freshman), Eddie Hughes (Senior), and Matthew Janicki had a strong third place finish with a time of 3:35.18, dropping four seconds off their seed time.

The Girls Team also continued to impress with their third-place finish in the 200 Medley Relay, comprised of Anna Dickson (Junior), Mya Taheri (Freshman), Lydia Sturgill (Freshman), and Lexi Ries (Sophomore) with their time of 2:01.37. The 200 Free Relay, comprised of Elysha York (Junior), Emerson Mellon (Senior), Alexis Niemi (Junior) and, Lauren Mellon (Senior) placed sixth, but still qualified for the State Meet for their time from a previous meet. The 400 Free Relay team, comprised of Lexi Ries, Lydia Sturgill, Elysha York, and Anna Dickson placed 3rd with a time of 3:56.97. Lydia Sturgill’s time in the 500 Free of 5:38.02 set a school record, which was previously set by 2021 Graduate, Ellen Chadwick in 2018.

Meridian had an excellent showing of Individuals throughout the competition as well. Top five in each Individual Event will continue on to the State Meet this weekend. 200 Free — Wesley Sturgill (2nd), Matthew Janicki (4th), Anna Dickson (4th), Alex Perez (Junior – 11th), Lauren Mellon (12th), and Alexis Niemi (13th). 200 IM – Wills Fleming (4th), Gaspar Green (10th), Jack Flanagan (11th), Mya Taheri (11th), Katherine Steyn (Freshman – 14th), and Clementine Kim (Freshman – 16th). 50 Free – Carson Ruoff (1st), Lexi Ries (4th), Alexis Niemi (10th), Jonathan Katen (12th), Eddie Hughes(13th), and Emerson Mellon (15th). Ben McCracken will also compete in the 50 Free with a Regular Season qualifying time.

Diving – Jan Afsah-Mohallatee (2nd), Connor Tweddle (2nd), Julia Hall (3rd), Markus Kummer (3rd), and Helen Jordan (4th). 100 Fly – Ben McCracken (2nd), Carson Ruoff (4th), Lydia Sturgill (5th), Emil Morin (Senior- 9th), Ally Campbell (Freshman – 13th). 100 Free – Lexi Ries (5th), Eddie Hughes (7th), Elysha York (9th), Lauren Mellon (10th), Alex Perez (14th), and Wesley Crawford (Freshman – 19th). Carson Ruoff will also compete in the 100 Free with a Regular Season qualifying time. 500 Free – Ben McCracken (2nd), Lydia Sturgill (3rd), Alexa Wagner (5th). 100 Back – Wesley Sturgill (3rd), Matthew Janicki (5th), Anna Dickson (9th), Elysha York (10th). Anna Dickson will also compete in the 100 Back with a Regular Season qualifying time. 100 Breast – Wills Fleming (4th), Mya Taheri (7th), Jack Flanagan (12th), Katherine Steyn (13th), Danielle Kuck (Junior – 15th), and Oliver Csaszi (Freshman – 15th).

Congrats to all the athletes who participated in Regionals – it’s been a great season!

The 2022 VHSL State Meet will be available for viewing on the VHSL Network. Follow the team on Instagram @meridianswimanddive.

PAGE 10 | FEBRUARY 17 - 23, 2022

Falls Church School News & Notes

MHS Cheer Team Heading to Nationals

The Meridian competitive cheer team and coaching staff will be heading to Orlando to compete in the UCA Nationals. They qualified for this tournament for the first time in school history this past Fall by achieving a top score in a specific tournament. MHS wishes congratulations to the coaching staff and team on their accomplishments this season, and wish them the best of luck at the UCA tournament this weekend.

Student Recognized for Technical Skills

Each year, U.S. high school students in grades 9 through 12 who are women, genderqueer, or non-binary are eligible to receive recognition for their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing, as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education. Meridian High School’s Victoria Lam has been recognized for her technological aspirations and skills by the National Council of Women in Technology. This year Victoria was one of the 40 winners and 360 honorable mentions selected from more than 3,500 outstanding, talented young applicants. At Meridian High School, Victoria is a leader in Mr. Snyder’s IB computer science class, the CyberPatriot team, the Girls Who Code club and the robotics FRC team.

Student Wins Art Silver Key Award

Isabel Cassilly, a Senior at Meridian HS and an IB Visual Arts student, has won a Scholastic Art Silver Key Award for her ceramic artwork, “Salt House.” The Fairfax County Art Region of the Scholastic Art Awards recognized 339 student artists in grades 7 — 12, with 586 awards for outstanding artworks. Artworks were submitted and judged in drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, ceramics, sculpture, digital art, design, architecture, jewelry, fashion, film and animation, mixed media and portfolios. 191 Gold Key awards, 188 Silver Key awards, and 207 Honorable Mention awards were earned, and five works were nominated for the best-in-show American Visions Award.

The Gold Key and Silver Key artworks will be displayed at Northern Virginia Community College’s Ernst Community Cultural Center in Annandale from Friday, February 11, to Thursday, March 24, with an award ceremony on Wednesday, February 23.

MHS wishes congratulations to Isabel. The Scholastic Art Awards program, presented by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, is the largest, longest-running recognition program of its kind in the United States. Established in 1923, the awards have recognized teens who have become some of our nation’s most celebrated artists, including Richard Avedon, Robert Indiana, Phillip Pearlstein, and Andy Warhol.

Girls Basketball Recognizes Seniors

Friday, in front of a large crowd at home, the Girls Basketball team recognized its ten seniors and longtime manager.

The Mustangs jumped out to an early lead against Skyline and, at halftime, were cruising, 39 — 14. MHS’s deep bench and strong play at both ends of the court led to a 72 — 25 win. The team’s record is now 18-1. The girls traveled to play their last regular-season game Monday night at William Monroe.

District Chorus Festival Wows Audiences

From the Aux Gym to the Henderson Cafeteria to the Learning Stairs to the Auditorium and more, spirited singing filled the entire FCCPS Secondary campus for three days, culminating in 3three outstanding concerts offered to full audiences Saturday afternoon. Since this was Meridian/Henderson’s first time to host the annual District Chorus Festival of nearly 300 auditioned singers from 21 schools, many hands were on board working toward success, hospitality, experiential enrichment, and choral excellence. The new campus was repeatedly admired and hospitality appreciated by students, choir directors, respected clinicians/directors, and audiences alike. Congratulations to the 10 FCCPS students who auditioned into the choirs: Will Albaugh, Caroline Bean, Nate Berol, Ailene Neal, Eudora Neal, Emma Hart, Matthew Bloss-Baum, Eliana Pizzirusso, Ava Rissetto, and JP Tysse.

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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

MERIDIAN HIGH SCHOOL and Henderson Middle School hosted the annual District Chorus Festival. Ten FCCPS students auditioned into the choir alongside nearly 300 other students from 21

other schools. (Photo: Fccps)

MHS Swim & Dive Team Heads to States

The Meridian Swim & Dive Team is heading to States! Last week, the Mustangs competed in the Region 3B Meet, where nine teams competed to secure their slots for the State Championships this Thursday and Saturday in Richmond. The Mustangs will be sending 22 students to the State Competition this week.

Anna Hennesy Scholarship

The Falls Church Education Foundation (FCEF) is honored to steward the newly created “Anna Hennessey Scholarship for Service Learning” in recognition of the life of service of George Mason High School Class of 2015 alum Anna Hennessey, who passed away November 11, 2021.

The post-secondary scholarship will be awarded to a graduating senior from Meridian High School who demonstrates community involvement in or out of school to include civic participation, church involvement, volunteerism, a love of servicelearning, and a commitment to continue that service-learning beyond high school. The students will be nominated by high school staff and chosen by the Meridian High School Scholarship Committee in collaboration with a representative of the Hennessey Family.

Donations to support the “Anna Hennessey Scholarship for Service Learning” may be made at www.fcedf.org/donate or sent to FCEF, 150 S. Washington St., Suite 400, Falls Church, VA 22046. Questions may be sent to Debbie Hiscott, FCEF Executive Director, at dhiscott@fcedf.org.

Meridian HS Legacy Grove Bricks Installed

Remember those engraved bricks from the old high school? They were saved and installed, along with new ones in the Meridian High School Legacy Grove. Wondering if there’s a brick with your name? Check the Legacy Kiosk online or in the school for the Legacy Grove Directory at mustangs.touchpros.com/SearchByLocation. aspx?tabid=4302. Search by name/keyword and check out a map of the area to figure out where to find your brick. There are 1,443 engraved bricks and space for new ones to be added. Bricks ordered by June 15, 2022, will be installed this summer.

Virginia Financial Aid Event This Weekend

Virginia students of all ages are invited to receive FREE help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the NEW Virginia Alternative State Aid application (VASA; for Virginians who are not eligible to file a FAFSA).

Date and time: Saturday, February 19th, 2022 from 10 a.m. — 3 p.m.

Location: Dewey Gottwald Center — 2301 W. Leigh St, Richmond, VA 23220

MHS Senior Recognition Pages Due

This year, for the first time, Senior Recognition pages are absolutely free for ¼ pages. The goal is to include everyone. Are you looking for more of a presence? Pay for an upgrade to a half or full page. Prices are halfpage $175, and full-page $300. The final deadline for the Senior Recognition pages has been extended to today, February 17.