Towne Athlete Meet Al

from What's Up? Annapolis - February 2020

What Do You Think?

TOWNE ATHLETE

Alanna Craig

Rockbridge Academy Soccer, Basketball

By Tom Worgo S occer midfielder Alanna Craig suffered through a left knee injury for more than a year as a freshman and sophomore. Craig, a senior at Rockbridge Academy in Crownsville, ended up seeing more doctors than she ever expected.

“I had a lot of knee problems the doctors couldn’t explain,” says Craig, who also plays varsity basketball and lacrosse. “So, I went to at least five orthopedic surgeons, a physical therapist, trainer, and chiropractor.”

She recovered, but the ordeal led Craig to a decision about what she wanted to be: orthopedic surgeon. Craig will study biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University, where she’ll also play soccer. “I have seen a lot of orthopedic doctors in my lifetime,” Craig explains. “Thinking about my own problems and trying to understand what was going on with my own body made me interested in doing that for a career. I want to help people, and I really love learning the anatomy of knees and ankles.” Craig has the work ethic and smarts. She carries a 4.0 grade-point average, scored 770 on chemistry SAT test last summer while posting a perfect score of 800 on two math SAT tests. “She is extremely gifted. She is very aggressive and extremely strong. I step out of the way when she is coming through the lane. She has a great court awareness and is very coachable. She is also great mentor for our younger players.”

“I taught myself chemistry this past summer,” Craig says. “Not too many students get that high of a score.” She also won a gold medal in 2017 in the Science Olympiad Maryland State Tournament and has secured gold medals for four straight years on National Latin Exams.

Craig belongs to her school’s Students For Life Club, sings in the choir, and is active in the service club.

“I taught Alanna during her freshman and sophomore years and coached her as a junior and senior,” Rockbridge Girls Soccer Coach Becca Knoll says. “She is so gifted in so many areas. She is a phenomenal student and athlete.”

That’s especially true when it comes to soccer. The 5-foot11 midfielder dominated the Maryland Independent Schools Athletic League with her size, speed, and high soccer I.Q.

Those qualities caught the attention of coaches from Johns Hopkins and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, another school she considered for soccer.

“The team is really awesome,” Craig says of Johns Hopkins. “The skill level and camaraderie of the team is great. All the girls are friends and really supportive and encouraging of one another. I love that.”

Craig started for four years and co-captained the team for two at Rockbridge. She finished her career by being named the MISAL’s Most Valuable Player after racking 14 goals and leading her team to a league championship and 9-1-3 record.

“I think she was deserving,” Knoll says of the MVP. “She was the strongest player in the league, but she also showed the best leadership and character in the league. Those are the things we talked about in the (season-ending) coaches meeting.”

The 17-year-old Craig scored 11 goals as junior, but had a better year this past fall.

She says playing on a boys team three times a week in an Annapolis Area Christian-School-sponsored-league made her a better all-around player.

“Boys soccer is more physical and faster paced,” Craig explains. “It was just a higher level of soccer and the best level I have played. It really helped me.”

Craig also honed her skills playing club soccer for six years, including with Premier, Ellicott City, and Soccer Association of Columbia. The club season runs from November to June.

“I am one of the only girls on my high school team that plays club soccer,” Craig says. “It’s made a huge difference in my skill level.”

Craig, a power forward, carries that that same work ethic over to the basketball court. She led Rockbridge last season in scoring (averaged 17 points) and (13 rebounds) while serving as co-captain.

She had some outstanding games. She scored 20 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a rout of Covenant Life and made the game-winning shot in the final seconds in a 31-30 conquest of Mount Airy Christian.

“She is extremely gifted,” Rockbridge Girls Basketball Coach Donna Griffin says. “She is a very aggressive and extremely strong. I step out of the way when she is coming through the lane. She has a great court awareness and is very coachable. She is also great mentor for our younger players.”