November 2015 Athlete of the Month
Gannon Willcutts, Boys Cross Country
Gannon Willcutts had a monster senior season for Western Albemarle’s boys cross country team, peaking at just the right time to win a Group 3A individual state title and also lead the Warriors to a team state title.
He wasn’t done yet though, as he headed to the Foot Locker South Region championships in Charlotte, North Carolina and finished as the South runner-up behind a fellow Virginian, Loudoun County’s Andrew Hunter. That earns Willcutts a spot in San Diego for the national championships for the second time.
Like we said, monster season.
October 2015 Athlete of the Month
Stephen Kuzjak, Football
Stephen Kuzjak has been an impact player for Western’s football team for two years, but this season he emerged as an absolute force for the Warriors. Kuzjak has helped make it so opposing offenses can’t simply focus on containing Osiris Crutchfield because the Warriors’ quick linebacker will make them pay. This fall he made 25 solo stops with 14 tackles for a loss at a clip of nearly four total stops per game. He’s a big reason the Warriors posted a 9-1 regular season record and earned the No. 1 spot in the Region 3A West playoff bracket.
September 2015 Athlete of the Month
Kelsey Grove, Western Albemarle volleyball
Through the first full month of volleyball season, Kelsey Grove has been an unbelievably potent dual threat for the Warriors. It’s rare when a team’s leader in kills is also coming up with a lot of digs, but Grove is exactly that kind of all-around player as she leads Western with 185 kills while committing just 54 total hitting errors on the year and is second on the team behind libero Hannah Miles in digs with 132. Miles has 136. It’s no wonder the Warriors are out to an 11-5 record this year with Grove prowling the court.
August 2015 Athlete of the Month
Dixon Hass and Nathan Vance, Golf
Western Albemarle golf’s Dixon Hass and Nathan Vance each posted 78s at the JD Mini-match, a one-two punch that gave the Warriors a third-place finish.
July 2015 Athlete of the Month
Aaron James, Boys Swimming
Western Albemarle swimming’s Aaron James swam particularly well for his Boar’s Head swim club at the JSL championships, taking second place in the 100-IM, first in the 50-free and first in the 100-freestyle. His outing helped push Boar’s Head to a third place overall finish.
June 2015 Athlete of the Month
Stevie Mangrum, Baseball
Stevie Mangrum had a monster spring for Western Albemarle baseball, posting a .467 batting average while blasting six home runs and ripping seven doubles and three triples. He finished with 22 RBI and an on-base percentage of .600. The Virginia Tech signee capped that incredible spring with a big moment in June. That’s when the Boston Red Sox selected Mangrum in the 28th round of the draft. That selection confirmed what everyone in Central Virginia already knew, Mangrum is the real deal.
May 2015 Athlete of the Month
Jane Romness, Girls Soccer
Jane Romness is just a freshman, but she’s a major reason why a young, inexperienced Western Albemarle squad picked up a Conference 29 title. Romness emerged as a steady, solid presence in the midfield for the Warriors, scoring nine goals and dishing out three assists in the regular season. Her improved play helped the team turn from a squad that couldn’t quite put it together into a confident, dangerous squad.
April 2015 Athlete of the Month
Ellie Allen, Girls Lacrosse
Ellie Allen has put together a strong start to her senior year for Western’s girls lacrosse team, and the George Washington commit has helped put the Warriors in a familiar spot, battling it out at the top of the Jefferson District. Allen averaged nearly three goals per game during April while also dishing out five assists. She’s been a force on the draw too with two different games with five controls. While the Warriors recently dropped a back-and-forth battle with Monticello in the final minute, Allen and fellow big-time scorers like Hanna Schuler and Sammie Magargee should make Western a formidable presence down the stretch.
March 2015 Athlete of the Month
Annie Taylor, Girls Track and Field
Annie Taylor has been a key member of Western Albemarle’s running programs since she first hit the track and trail as a freshman, and her senior year has shaped up to be yet another strong campaign. Taylor finished second in the 1600-meter run and fifth in the 1000-meter run for the Warriors at the Group 3A state championships in early March, scoring key points that helped spur Western to a third place finish in the state.
Taylor gets one more shot at high school glory this spring as part of the outdoor track squad and if her past record is any indication, look for more fireworks from the senior as the weather warms up.
February 2015 Athlete of the Month
Remedy Rule, Girls Swimming
It’s a high bar that Remedy Rule set right out of the gate at Western, winning a pair of individual event titles as a ninth grader. She maintained that momentum all four years though, and this month capped that career with two more individual titles at the Group 3A meet, her sixth and seventh in her career. She set new state records in those two events, cementing her place among the best to ever grace the pool in state history.
And surely most important to Rule, she also helped spark the Warriors to a fifth-straight state championship, ending her career with four straight titles.
January 2015 Athlete of the Month
Brazil Rule, Girls Swimming
Brazil Rule put together a monster January for Western’s girls swim team. Rule first won a pair of individual championships at the Ben Hair meet, winning the 200-freestyle and 100-frestyle titles while also swimming a leg for the championship-winning 200-free relay squad. Rule followed that up with a championship in the 200-IM at the Conference 23 meet, showing her versatility that makes her such a valuable weapon for the Warriors. That’s a big month for Rule, but with the region and state championship meets looming, February has the potential to be even bigger.
December 2014 Athlete of the Month
Russ Hill and Gabe Rody-Ramazani, Wrestling
Western junior Russ Hill and senior Gabe Rody-Ramazani have ignited Western Albemarle wrestling through the first month of the 2014-2015 season. Hill is 16-1 since the year started. Rody-Ramazani has posted a 19-3 record, and in tandem they’ve helped boost the Warriors to twp runnerup finishes and a third place spot at three of squad’s first tournaments. Both Hill and Rody-Ramazani beat former state champions while posting their records, with Hill beat the defending three-time champion from Strasburg Nic Campbell while Rody-Ramazani beat Riverheads’ former state title winner Dylan Wade.
November 2014 Athlete of the Month
Gannon Willcutts, Boys Cross-Country
Gannon Willcutts had a breakout season last year in cross country and this fall he established himself among the state’s best, winning both the Conference 23 and Region 3A West individual championships. His efforts at the top of the podium helped advance Western all the way to the Group 3A state championships where Willcutts again didn’t disappoint as he took the runner-up slot overall and lifted Western to a fourth place finish as a team. Well done Gannon, congratulations.
