Choosing The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press Male Athlete of the Year (Lake Taylor’s Elijah Washington) and Female Athlete of the Year (Grassfield’s Sophie Rambo) and runners-up (Poquoson’s Baker Green and Princess Anne’s Micah Ojo) was no easy task.
Here’s a look at some more athletes who stood out during the 2023-24 year in high school sports:
Star Power
Keylen Adams, Green Run football: The Virginia Tech signee set Virginia High School League career records for receiving yards (4,226) and touchdowns (63) and finished second in career receptions (203). He also broke the South Hampton Roads career receiving records in yards, touchdowns and receptions. His senior season stats: 59 receptions, 1,233 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Jordyn Anderson, Woodside wrestling: At 126 pounds, she gave Hampton Roads a VHSL girls championship.
Silas Barksdale, Woodside basketball: The junior was named All-Tidewater Player of the Year and Class 5 state Player of the Year after helping the Wolverines (27-1) beat L.C. Bird for the program’s second consecutive Class 5 championship.
Brooke Bettencourt, Norfolk Academy field hockey: The senior, headed to Wake Forest, was the All-Tidewater Player of the Year after anchoring a state championship team with 28 goals and 23 assists.
Sam Braidwood, Cox boys soccer and football: The senior became the first goalkeeper to be named the All-Tidewater Boys Soccer Player of the Year after leading the Falcons to a second Class 5 state title in three seasons. In football, he made nine field goals, including a 48-yarder — the longest of the season in Hampton Roads and tied for fifth-longest in South Hampton Roads history.
Sofia Catlin, Kellam gymnastics: Catlin registered scores of 9.3 or higher in all four events to win the VHSL Individual Open all-around competition at Ocean Lakes High. Catlin also helped the Knights finish second in the team competition.
Armani Chance, Catholic track and field: The sophomore won the 100-meter hurdles (15.35 seconds), long jump (17 feet, 10 inches) and the triple jump (35-1½) at the VISAA Division I outdoor championships. She also finished fifth in the 100.
Rainer Christiansen, Grafton boys tennis: The senior made his fourth consecutive individual state tournament trip pay off, taking his first Class 3 singles crown and the doubles title with John Lee.
Peter Cook, Lafayette football: The son of legendary William & Mary quarterback Mike Cook, Peter Cook stars sacking quarterbacks and was named the state Class 3 Defensive Player of the Year in leading the Rams to the state championship game. He finished with 131 tackles — 27 for loss — and 25 sacks.
Kayleigh Duffy, First Colonial swimming: Duffy, a senior signed with Virginia, repeated as champion in the 50-yard freestyle and 100 freestyle events at the Class 5 championships.
Kayla Foley, First Colonial girls volleyball: The senior was the All-Tidewater Player of the Year after guiding the Patriots to the Class 5 championship. She led the charge from the back with 55 aces, 89 assists, 406 digs and a 96.3 serving percentage.
Jared Goodson, Poquoson wrestling: Goodson won the Class 2 state title at 126 pounds, leading Poquoson to second place in the tournament. With two titles in as many years, he remains on track to become the fourth Islander with four individual state titles.
Elena Granados, Cape Henry track and field: The senior won the long jump (17 feet, 5¼ inches) and triple jump (38-0¾), finished second in the 100 and 200, and placed eighth in the shot put and 11th in the discus at the VISAA Division II outdoor championships.
Keegan Haesler, First Colonial baseball: The junior outfielder/first baseman, the All-Tidewater Player of the Year, batted .486 with 47 hits, 34 runs, 24 stolen bases and 22 RBIs to help the Patriots win their first state title in 31 years.
Jeylah Hamrick, Walsingham Academy track and field: The senior won the girls 100 meters with a VISAA Division II outdoor championship meet record and also won the 200 and 300 hurdles, and finished runner-up in the long jump.
Destiny Harris, Granby softball: Harris showed why she is LSU-bound with a .703 batting average, five home runs, 43 runs and 48 RBIs.
Mika Hilburger, Tabb field hockey: A three-sport standout (she also plays basketball and softball), Hilburger, a junior who led Tabb to the Class 3 state title with 37 goals and 27 assists, was named the state Player of the Year.
Alexis Keeter, Grafton volleyball: A senior outside hitter who will play for Florida Gulf Coast, Keeter led the Clippers to a seventh consecutive state final and was named the Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year, Class 3 Player of the Year and Region A Player of the Year.
Maddie Leach, Jamestown girls basketball and soccer: Leach was first-team All-Class 4 in both sports and led Jamestown to a girls basketball state tournament for the first time in 18 years with averages of 21.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 5.9 steals. The Bay Rivers District Player of the Year in basketball, she repeated that honor in soccer, scoring more than 20 goals.
Sydney Miller and Skylar Miller, First Colonial girls soccer: The identical twins, both signed with Tennessee, scored 17 goals each and led the Patriots to the Class 5 state championship game. They are the first players to share All-Tidewater Girls Soccer Player of the Year honors.
Au’Tori Newkirk, Maury football: The junior was the 2023 Abe Goldblatt All-Tidewater Player of the Year after throwing for 3,670 yards — second on the all-time single-season South Hampton Roads list — and 44 touchdowns, with just five interceptions. He had 4,430 all-purpose yards and 57 total TDs, both second on the all-time South Hampton Roads list.
Dylan Olinger, Bruton golf: The senior shot a 1-under-par 71 at Great Oaks Country Club in Floyd to become the first golfer in VHSL history to win three consecutive state titles.
Matthew Onoff, Menchville tennis: The senior, given an opening because of an injury to the defending champion, won the state Class 5 singles title after repeating as the Class B champion.
Ryan Pecora, Kempsville boys volleyball: The 6-foot-7 senior middle blocker, the All-Tidewater Player of the Year, registered 592 kills in helping lead the Chiefs to their first state tournament appearance since the 1990s.
Kaliya Perry, Hampton girls basketball: Perry had 19 points and 17 rebounds in the Class 4 state final, but it wasn’t enough to give the Crabbers a third state championship in four seasons as they fell 68-58 to Woodgrove.
Jane Phillips, Kellam track and field: Phillips had never won an individual state title before her senior year, but she graduated with five. She won the state cross country title in the fall, the 1,000 and 1,600 at the Class 5 indoor championships and the 800 and 1,600 state outdoor titles.
Anthony Reddick, Phoebus football: The state Class 3 Defensive Player of the Year, Reddick, a defensive end, led the state champion Phantoms’ defense — which allowed only 44 points in 15 games — with 96 ½ tackles, including 27 for loss, and 26 sacks. He signed with Maryland.
Andrew Salvodon, Bayside: The junior ran the 500 meters in a blistering time of 1 minute, 2.9 seconds to win his first state title. His time was a Class 5 indoor meet record and the fourth-fastest recorded time in the nation this season. In outdoor, he won the 400 (47.19).
Gretchen Scott, Norfolk Academy: The senior, headed to Brown, was a first-team All-Tidewater defender for the state champion Bulldogs in field hockey, anchoring a defense that surrendered just 12 goals all season. In soccer, Scott was a first-team All-VISAA pick for a team that lost in the state semis.
Brianna Selby, Indian River track and field: Selby, a senior, broke her state record in the 55 meters (6.76 seconds) — the fourth-fastest recorded time in the nation this season. She also won the 300 state title in 39.66 seconds.
Seventeen boys from Hampton Roads won VHSL state wrestling championships — Class 6: Landstown’s Michael Phoutasen (138) and Naasir Edmonds (285); Class 5: Cox’s Seth Pringle (106 pounds), Caleb Rafal (126) and Rudy Wagner (190); Great Bridge’s Myrin Nixon (138), Beau Lewis (144) and Caleb Neal (157); First Colonial’s Thomas Stofka (150), Leonard Ashley (165) and Schey Huff (215); Tallwood’s Josiah Irizarry (113); Kellam’s Brodie Altman (132) and Deep Creek’s Samuel Diggs (175); Class 2: Poquoson’s Jared Goodson (126), Bryan Latta (135) and Reed Booth (144).
— Compiled by Sonny Dearth, Jami Frankenberry, Marty O’Brien, Michael Sauls and Larry Rubama
