The Washington Post published its winter All-Met selections April 8, and six of Whitman’s top athletes were included on the prestigious list.
After the athletics program’s successful winter season, many of its players collected All-Met accolades in basketball, swimming, wrestling and hockey.
All-met athletes are selected at the end of each sports season by local high school coaches and the Post’s All-Met staff. All high school athletes in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia are eligible for the awards.
Leading the way were basketball stars guard Abby Meyers and forward Shaquyl Diboti-Lobe, who made the first and third teams respectively.
Diboti-Lobe led boys’ basketball to the state semi-finals and collected individual accomplishments along the way, including the title of county scoring champion, while Meyers helped girls basketball land its first state championship in more than 20 years.
Hard work and familial motivation were the forces that propelled her to the top, Meyers said.
“My passion and pure enjoyment also inspired me to play the game at all hours of the day,” she said. “Motivation from friends and family pushed me to achieve unbelievable goals such as winning states, player of the year for Montgomery County, and first team All-Met.”
Fellow guard Hannah Niles made honorable mention status in the awards. She took her preparation to new heights following a tough loss to Eleanor Roosevelt in last year’s playoffs, Niles said.
“After we lost to Roosevelt in the state semi-finals, I was in the gym the next day,” she said. “I worked with [my trainer] last year two or three times a week putting in extra shots, training with him, and doing stuff on my own to prepare for this season.”
Three other Whitman athletes made honorable mention status: breaststroke swimmer Alex Vissering, wrestler Mitch Fenton and hockey forward Benjamin Barrett.
Vissering said that garnering All-Met recognition was his goal from the start of the season.
“I knew if I swam well and did what I needed to do I could get myself on the roster,” he said.
Fenton has been a staple of the Whitman wrestling program since his freshman year, with more than 100 recorded wins. His All-Met status was well deserved, as he took an undefeated record to states and placed sixth in his weight class at the championships.
Though many athletes had been striving for All-Met recognition, Barrett said he was surprised by his inclusion on the list.
“I’ve only been playing hockey since 7th grade and I’m not even the most skilled guy on Whitman, so it’s really an accomplishment for me,” Barrett said. “I’ve always known I contribute to my team, but to be recognized by the Washington Post is pretty cool.”
