Photo by Lennox Franks ’25

Girls Varsity Soccer

Submitted by Coach D’Antonio

09/06/24: W 1-0  vs Worcester Prep

Girls Varsity Soccer kicked off ESIAC conference play with a thrilling 1-0 victory against Worcester Prep on Friday, September 6 at “The Island.” In a match that felt more like a heavyweight title fight, the Herons battled fiercely for 80 minutes to claim their win. Captain Nina Johnston ’25 scored the game’s lone goal, earning herself the highly coveted “Tony Chocolonely Bar.” The goal came after an impressive penalty kick by Addi Temple ’28 hit the crossbar, with Johnston perfectly following up to slot the rebound into the back of the net, securing the game-winning moment. There were standout performances all around. Hanna Mae Conner ’26 was recognized as the “Henry Heron Warrior” for her relentless play across the field. Captain Lilah Wharton ’26 took home the GAME BALL for her efforts, earning her the title of “Player of the Match.” It was a tremendous team effort, and a perfect start to conference play on Soccer Island. A huge thank you to all the fans who came out to support, and a special shout out to the Boys Soccer Team for bringing the energy with their cheers and noise. Go Herons!

09/11/24: W vs 4-0 vs Salisbury School

The Girls Varsity Soccer team was in top form on Wednesday, embracing “Island Time” as they took on the Dragons of The Salisbury School. With a dominant 3-0 lead at halftime, the Herons sealed the victory with a fourth goal, securing a 4-0 win and a clean sheet for the BACK 4 and goalkeeper Teagan Trautman ’27. This impressive performance pushes their record to 2-0-1 on the season and 2-0 in ESIAC play.

Defensively, the Herons were rock-solid, with standout performances from Reagan Johnson ’28, Lily Thomas ’28, Josephine Wood ’27, and Captain Lilah Wharton ’26, completely shutting down The Salisbury School’s offense. In the midfield, Olivia Blusk ’27 and Captain Vee McCluskey ’25 held firm for nearly the full 80 minutes. Offensively, the Herons were unstoppable, with Abby Philippon ’27 scoring twice and Addi Temple ’28 and Emma Seraveñals ’27 each adding a goal. Abby Philippon ’27 earned the Tony Chocolonely Candy Bar for being the top scorer of the game, while Josephine Wood ’27 claimed the coveted Henry Heron Warrior Award for her defensive prowess. Lily Thomas ’28 was named the Player of the Match, securing the Game Ball for her tenacious play at Stopper Back.
Next up, the Herons face a highly anticipated rematch against ESIAC rival Salisbury Christian on Friday, their first meeting since the Jaguars' win in last year's ESIAC Championship. The stage is set for an exciting battle at 4 p.m. on the Island! Let’s go, Herons!

Boys Varsity Soccer

Submitted by Coach Juan Angarita

09/10/24 W 4-3 vs Delmarva Christian

The Boys Varsity Soccer team emerged victorious against Delmarva Christian with a thrilling 4-3 win! The game was intense and challenging, but our team displayed exceptional teamwork and determination.
Our goalkeeper, Gareth Borghardt ’25, was outstanding, making seven incredible saves, including a crucial one-on-one stop that kept us in the game. Alex Elfenbein ’25 shone brightly by scoring two goals, one of which was a perfectly executed penalty kick. Bennett Wirtz ’25 set the tone early by scoring the second goal, giving us a solid start. With the score tied at 3-3 in the 70th minute, Van Topjian ’26 stepped up to score the sealing goal for the Herons, clinching the match at 4-3. A huge shoutout to our defense for their intense work in marking Delmarva’s attack, ensuring we held the line. Congratulations to the entire team for their resilience and unity during this challenging game. We look forward to seeing our fans and the boys back in action this coming Friday, 9/13. Let's keep the momentum going!

Cross Country

Submitted by Coach Stephenson

09/11/24: Tri Meet @ Key School

Venturing into the world of MIAA (Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association) competition for the first time, the Gunston boys Cross Country team traveled to Fusco Park in Annapolis for a meet against Key School, Jemicy, and Chaplegate Christian. Out of 40+runners, Gunston placed 5 boys in the top 22 with standout performances from Zach Steinberg ’25 (10th) and Willem Grant ’27 (14th). Running for the first time this season were Blake Algier ’26 and RP Johnson ’25. Next up, the boys travel to St. Vincent Pallotti on September 18.

Field Hockey 

Submitted by Coach Matthews

09/09/24: Win 5-3 vs Roland Country Park School

Gunston Herons won against Roland Park Country School in a 5-3 victory in a thrilling game. After going up 2-0 early in the second quarter, Roland Park came back to tie it just before halftime. Gunston found themselves down 2-3 early in the second half, but came roaring back with three more unanswered goals before the final whistle blew. Layla Kent '26 scores a hat trick for the winners. Grace Shepherd '25 and Isabel Gerstmyer '28 each had a goal. The Herons had 10 corners and 8 shots on goal. Lorelei DeGour '28 had 4 saves for the Herons. Isabel Gerstmyer '28 (pictured above right) was awarded Harold, for scoring her first career goal with Gunston.

09/10/24: W 10-0 vs Delmarva Christian

The Gunston Field Hockey team extended their win streak today in a decisive 10-0 victory over Delmarva Christian School. Impressively, 8 different players scored for the Herons during their first ESIAC matchup of the season: Kate Zottarelli '27, Grace Shepherd '25, Elena Szwaja '27 (2 goals), Layla Kent '26 (2 goals), Tori Nessly '25, Riley Faff '26, Lily May '26, and Lia Schut '26. The Herons had 10 corners. Our defense was solid, and goalie Lorelei DeGour '28 did not face a shot during the game. For the first time ever, Harold was awarded to three players: Lily May '26, Riley Faff '26, and Lia Schut '26 (pictured left, in order).

Photo by Isabelle Bent ’27

Varsity Volleyball

Submitted by Coach Henry

Friday 9/6 W 3-0 vs Worcester

On Friday, Sept 6, the Gunston Varsity volleyball team continued with their strong start of the season with a 25-9, 25-6, 25-13 victory over ESIAC-conference opponent Worcester Prep. The Herons served the ball well throughout the match, getting 7 aces from Liv Labrador ('27), 5 from Phoebe Kelly ('25), 4 from Scotia Hopper ('27), and 2 a piece from Chloe Bennett ('27), and Alli Lutz ('25). Alie Merkle ('28), Emma Nkanza ('26), Kate Andrews ('26), and Lizzy Chiochetti ('27) each chipped in 1 ace a piece. Offensively, Gunston was led by Kelly's 4 kills, while Merkle contributed 3, and Labrador 2. 

Wednesday, 9/11 W 3-0 vs Concordia Prep

The Gunston Varsity volleyball team pushed their record to 5-1 with a 3-set victory over IAAM-C opponent Concordia Prep, 25-21, 25-12, 25-19 on September 11. The Herons were led offensively by ninth grader Alie Merkle's season-high 12 kills to accompany her 4 serving aces. Liv Labrador ’27 (6 aces) and Mia Walker ’25 also had season-highs in kills with 7 & 5 respectively, and Phoebe Kelly ’25 recorded 5 kills. In the 2nd set, the Herons received a big contribution off the bench from Lilly McDonald ’28, who had to sub-in for an injured Kelly. In the 3rd-set, Addison Coldwell ’28 stepped in, and played very well while contributing 6 serving aces. Gunston had a season-high 29 kills, as Emma Nkanza ’26 started the hitting parade with 22 assists. Defensively, Hopper, Labrador, and Merkle led the way with 18 combined digs, Nkanza chipped in with 3, and Walker led the team with 2 blocks. The Herons will face off in a rematch of last season's ESIAC conference championship game this Friday, September 13 vs Salisbury Christian. The Varsity will follow the JV match which starts at 4:00, so game time for Varsity would be about 5:15. Come down and pack the Heron's Nest!

Junior Varsity Volleyball

Submitted by Coach Coner

09/11/24: L 2-1 vs Concordia Prep

JV played Concordia Prep this evening narrowly losing two sets and winning one. The scores were 18 -25, 25-18, and 11-15. This was our first game playing a new offense and the players fought hard and played well. Mauriana Wichlinski ’28 ruled up at the net with rapid fire spikes and blocks. Savannah Landon ’27 passed and fired hits from the back line. Feeding them nice sets were Madi Hopwood ’27 and Izzy Hildebrandt ’28. Our Court Captain, Jessalyn Tavenner ’28, placed the ball where the opponent couldn't get it. Our entire team played with heart. Be sure to come out and cheer us on this Friday at our home game against Salisbury Christian!