Extraordinary Extracurriculars

When it comes to skateboarding and the culture that it entails, senior Landon Sears is your guy. Landon has been skateboarding for roughly four years and his off-and-on career has brought about a new passion for the action sport. His life in skateboarding began in second grade when he was introduced to his first skateboard. He began trying small turns, moves, and tricks that he and his friends would...

Ice hockey is a fast paced and very physical sport. It requires agility and quick thinking skills, not to mention a highly skilled player needs to be quick on ice. Enter Rush Higginbotham, a ninth grader at Western who plays ice hockey in both Charlottesville and Lynchburg. Because of his love for the sport, Rush has been playing since 2009. “When my family and I moved to Crozet from Richmond...

Francis Hajek started officially playing squash at 11 years old when the Boar’s Head Sports Club renovated their facilities, even though he had been hitting the ball around with his dad for some time beforehand. “All of a sudden there were eight quality courts right by where I live that I could easily access. They also hired a squash club pro.” The pro, named Mark Allen, is the current UVA...

Most people know that dance requires dedication and skill, but many do not realize that it serves as a source of stability for many dancers. There are many dancers at Western, including Ashna Nizsche, a senior, who started dancing at the Albemarle Ballet Theatre in sixth grade after her mother recommended the sport when she left gymnastics. Since then, Nitzsche has not only found a passion, but...

From mucking out stalls to learning new jumps, the life of an equestrian is never dull. Senior Kathleen Hughes has been doing it for over seven years. She started riding in kindergarten, but did not continue with it throughout elementary school. She picked it back up in seventh grade after a few of her friends that already rode attended a summer camp and Hughes decided to join in. Since then, her...

The boys dive team captured their third state championship in a row at St. Catherines High School in Richmond, VA this weekend. The girls dive team also secured their eighth state championship in the past nine years with a comeback on the final day to top Monticello High School. While swim and dive are separate sports, they score as one team during meets and will both have to rise to the competition...