S T E W A R D ATH L E TI C S
A Triumphant Fall Season
for Spartan Girls
Commitment to long term skill-building and to one another
took Steward’s fall varsity girls athletic teams all the way to state
championships.
The fall of 2018 was a banner season for girls’
athletic teams at Steward, and our coaches largely
credit this to the seamless chemistry between
their players formed early in the season and even
earlier in their athletic careers at Steward. From
established teams that came together this year
to achieve long-awaited victories to new teams
that are gaining momentum to individual runners
setting record race times, Steward girls ran the
fields and courts this fall. For the first time in
Steward’s known history, all of our fall varsity
athletic teams (both boys and girls) qualified for
and competed in the state tournaments.
Director of Athletics Bruce Secrest feels strongly
that the skills and the tight bonds needed to get to
this level of play are built long before the athletes
make varsity teams. “For the past four years,”
Mr. Secrest said, “Assistant Director of Athletics
Christen Heidler and I have been building a
program in which athletes for each sport across the
Middle School, JV, and varsity teams are practicing
the same kinds of drills, workouts, and philosophies.
The varsity coaches coordinate the pieces of this,
so when they reach varsity, they are prepared. The
coaches can then focus primarily on refining skills,
rather than teaching them from scratch.”
Mrs. Heidler believes that the accomplishments
of the girls’ teams mean a lot more than just a
winning record. “It’s not about winning and losing,
although we’re so proud the teams represented the
school well in all the tournaments this fall season,”
Mrs. Heidler said. “It’s about Steward girls making a
name for themselves in athletics.”
Mr. Secrest and Mrs. Heidler both say it’s important
to them to invest in young people and to work
with passionate coaches who have that same
philosophy. “That’s what we’re about here at
Steward,” Mr. Secrest said. “It’s not just a job – it’s
so personal.”
For Mrs. Heidler, that investment pays off in
watching the players succeed. “In one way or
another, I’ve either taught or coached most of the
girls who are now on varsity teams,” she said. “It’s
really fulfilling to watch their accomplishments
and growth. It’s fun for me, now in the Assistant
Director of Athletics role, to see them shine like we
always knew they could.”
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY VARSITY FIELD HOCKEY VARSITY GIRLS TENNIS VARSITY VOLLEYBALL
Though varsity cross country
is coed and the team practices
all together, the girls and the
boys run in separate races at
meets. “This season, the bond
between the girls was special,”
Coach Laura Akesson said. "At
our state meet, the girls’ race
was the last race to run. With
three other big races tearing up
the course beforehand on a cold
and rainy day, getting traction to
push forward without sliding out
was challenging. In the end, [the
girls] finished eleventh out of 41
teams." The varsity field hockey team
closed out their season with an
8-5-1 record, and made it to both
the TCIS Tournament and, for the
first time in many years, the state
tournament. “I think that this
year, the difference started with
our three-day pre-season camp
run by [Steward alumna and
co-founder of Virginia Beach’s
TCOYO Field Hockey Clinic]
Sandy Szilassy ‘86,” Varsity Field
Hockey Coach Susan Twining ‘84
said. “The girls were excited to
play, and once we started beating
teams that we lost to last year,
we got stronger." Despite the setback of significant
injuries among highly-ranked
players this past fall, the
varsity girls tennis team had a
remarkably successful season. It
culminated in the team’s place
as runner-up state champions
after holding their spot in the top
three of TCIS teams all season.
“Over the past three years, a very
young team has matured into a
conference force by improving
their conditioning and ball-
striking consistency as well as
the execution of point and game
strategies and tactics,” Coach Ed
Schulman said. Varsity girls volleyball had an
unparalleled season this past fall,
with a 20-4 record and a 15-game
winning streak, finishing at #3
in one of the most competitive
conferences for volleyball (TCIS).
According to their coach Greg
Young, the root of their success
was their tight team bond and
a shared mission to prove the
team was a statewide force.
“The chemistry this team has is
incredible,” he said. “They find a
way to have fun with one another
while staying focused."
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The Colonnade