Throughout the fall season, several athletes have surpassed expectations and helped their teams improve, despite remaining under the radar.

Boys Soccer (5-3-2):

Sam Lilek – Lilek has plenty of soccer experience; he has participated in competitive club soccer for eight years and began playing at age five.

“I bring composure to the team because I usually keep good possession and help keep the flow of the game in our favor,” he says.

This falls record has already been a huge improvement to last year’s 4-7-1 finish. With a recent win against then-undefeated Poolesville, the team is looking strong and focused on playoffs.

“We started off a little rocky,” he says. “we would control the game but not get the wins we deserved. But, the goals are starting to come now and we are peaking at the right time.”

Lilek attributes the team’s success to the bonds among the players.

“We have had pretty amazing chemistry this year and I’m just glad to be a part of it,” he says. “I think if we keep it up, we have a good chance to be one of the best teams in the state.”

Cheerleading:

Nora Connors– As JV captain, Connors made her debut at the homecoming pep rally. In a routine full of basic cartwheels, Connors stood out, landing a front-handspring round-off back-handspring with ease.

Connors has only been doing acrobatics for three years, but in that time, she has managed to qualify for and compete in an international competition in Poland. Most consider her overqualified for the JV squad, but she thoroughly enjoys being captain.

“What I bring to the team is leadership, another smile, and an eagerness to work hard and cheer,” Connors says.

Field Hockey (6-5):

 Eileen Nalls– Nalls, a right forward and team captain, has successfully led the team to a winning season, exhibiting great athleticism, skill and dedication while maintaining a relaxed attitude.

“I try to keep the atmosphere light and fun for everyone,” Nalls says. “I want the other girls to have fun on the team, not kill themselves over one game or practice. That being said, when it comes down to game time, I am completely focused and I try to motivate the other girls to do the same. Dedication is a big deal to me, so I try to pass that on to the other players.”

Nalls has helped the team to their current winning record with her six goals and five assists.

Football (6-1):

Defense– After going just 4-6 last year, many students had little faith in the team, but this fall, the boys have proven those doubters wrong.

While the offensive players tend to get more press, the defense is by far the strongest force. Only 79 points have been scored on the defense, which is the third best in Montgomery County.

Whitman’s defense is known throughout the county for its ability to shut down some of the toughest opposition. Leading this force are linebackers Sassan Nejad, Tony Atkinson, Jeff Gruen and defensive tackle Danny Lee, all of whom have shown great leadership and skill throughout the year.

“We have a lot going for us, eight out of the eleven [defensive starters] have a year or more of varsity experience as well as our ability to stop the run on every team we play,” Atkinson says. “We’re extremely aggressive, and we have the mentality of bending, not breaking.”

Girls Soccer (5-5):

Emily Mason– Mason, a member of varsity since her sophomore year, uses her optimism and willingness to motivate the team.

“I try to be positive and pick other people up, and if I make a mistake I work hard to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Mason says. “As a senior I need to be a leader and to set a good example for the underclassmen. I use my speed and strength to make recovery runs and make sure the other team doesn’t score.”

Despite the teams’ slow start, Mason hopes that, by playoffs, things will improve.

“Our current record isn’t as good as the past few seasons,” she says. “We have a really young team and hopefully we can come together for playoffs.”

Girls Tennis (11-1):

Nicky Gotrett- Gotrett is currently tennis’ number two singles player and has shown great promise for future years on Whitman tennis.

Through numerous years of dedication, Gotrett has honed her skills and become one of the school’s most feared opponents.

“I have been playing tennis since I was about 4 when my dad first taught me,” Gotrett says. “Although I do get tired, I’ve never wanted to quit because I love it.”

Gotrett has had a strong season and has only lost two matches, making her the number three seed in her division. Also, going into regionals with single’s number one player Sarah Macy, they are sure to rank high in the competition.

Poms:

Angela Cox– A senior captain, Cox has danced for the majority of her life. After doing ballet for 11 years at the Washington School of Ballet, Cox quit due to injury and recovered just in time for Poms try-outs her freshman year.

She leads the team with her choreography and dance experience, and motivates the team to be open-minded towards different styles of dance.

“I bring my own impression of what I think Poms should be,” Cox says. “I try to bring new choreography with the classic ‘Poms’ style. I also love to incorporate as much hip hop dancing as possible.”

In addition to practicing after school, Cox works with senior Jillian Shainman to choreograph the routines in her free time. They look forward to the upcoming winter competition season.

“I expect great things out of our upcoming competitions,” Cox says. “We placed third last year and I would love to see us place second or even first this year. Anything is possible as long as the team stays motivated and we don’t have to deal with injuries.”

Volleyball (4-7):

Alex Rosenthal- A setter, Rosenthal has not only been challenged with a new position this season, but has been confronted with a new responsibility to always keep her team members motivated.

“I have never set before and this year I am the only setter for the varsity team,” Rosenthal says. “I have to keep a positive attitude and encourage the other girls to play hard as a team.”

Rosenthal has only been playing volleyball since seventh grade, but had the skills to make her the only sophomore on varsity last year. With so many returning varsity members, she feels the team has improved.

“The team has recently been playing a lot better than earlier in the season,” Rosenthal says. “We’re starting to trust each other and learn to play as a team instead of individuals.”