On November 11, the Bishop O'Connell girls soccer team won the finals of the state tournament, beating Potomac School, 4-2, on penalty kicks after a 0-0 scoreline during regulation. In this, their first-ever appearance in the state championship game, the Knights fought hard and overtime was back and forth. Thanks to a strong defense and goalkeeping, the team was able to preserve the shutout. 

The Northern Virginia Independent Schools (NVIS) tournament was established four years ago as a post season state playoff for schools whose girls soccer teams play in the fall season. In the southern areas of Virginia, many girls teams play in the spring. To prepare for the tourney, the Knights added additional independent teams to their regular season schedule.

"This was a true team effort," said head coach, Alberto Starace. "I'm so glad they were able to take home this win. Last year's team went 6-0-1, but because of COVID there was no post-season tournament." 

The Knights finished with a record of 10-3-2, dropping the WCAC semifinal game, 1-2, to eventual champions St. John's, before earning an NVIS championship.

Congratulations to the following student-athletes who earned post-season recognition:

Sophie Viscovich - WCAC 1st Team
Bridgett Prophett - WCAC 1st Team
Delena Bucaj - WCAC 1st Team
Raleigh Burns - WCAC 2nd Team
Megan Heuschel - WCAC 2nd Team
Phoebe Carver - WCAC Honorable Mention
Sara Turner - WCAC Honorable Mention
Ava Signorelli - WCAC Honorable Mention

In the spring of 2021, the Bilaniuk Family, Ivan, Andrea, and Peter '25, established a scholarship to honor the memory and legacy of Andriko Bilaniuk '22, who passed away from cancer in July 2020 following his sophomore year. The Andriko Bilaniuk '22 Memorial Endowed Scholarship was made possible by the generosity of numerous donors and by the vision of Mr. Timothy LaCrosse, Chair of the Bishop O'Connell Fine Arts Department, who organized and hosted an extraordinary 11-hour virtual memorial benefit concert. Thanks to Mr. LaCrosse's leadership, management, and tender care, and the support of a number of musically gifted O'Connell students, teachers, and alumni and a bevy of world-class musicians from six continents, this concert was an enormous success, breathing to life what has become a very generously supported scholarship.

Andriko was an accomplished violinist and a devoted student of philosophy (Greek for "love of wisdom"). This new scholarship is awarded annually to a rising junior who shows both a keen interest in strings or other instrumental music, and philosophy, as demonstrated in/through the student's religion, literature, and/or history classes. Awarding this noteworthy point of recognition to a rising junior, as Andriko would have been, symbolizes brightness, hope, and the promise of the future. 

The inaugural $1,500 scholarship was awarded in the fall of 2021 to Christian Noska '23, a violinist and member of the school's strings ensemble. Bishop O'Connell juniors were nominated by the performing arts, religion, history and English departments for demonstrated intellectual inquiry and introspection, as well as interpersonal qualities and character, and the top candidates were called on to write a personal reflection and an essay as a part of the selection process. This scholarship will be awarded annually in this same manner, and is renewable for the recipient's senior year.

"Andriko's life and example will continue to inspire the members of the Bishop O'Connell community," said Head of School Bill Crittenberger. "This commemorative scholarship will forever remind us of the potential for grace, goodness, and light that is in all of us, children of God."

Pictured: Andrea and Ivan Bilaniuk presented O'Connell junior, Christian Noska, with the 2021 Andriko Bilaniuk '22 Memorial Endowed Scholarship during the Oct. 7 Student Recognition Assembly.

Join us this Advent season for one or several of our FREE performing arts events.
Mark your calendar to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Christmas season!

Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 7 a.m. - (Jazz & Java Holiday Edition) Morning Christmas Caroling in the Library 

Thursday, Dec. 2 (7:45 - 8:30 p.m.) - Catch the O'Connell Madrigals at Shirlington's "Light Up the Village" 

Friday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. - A Very DJO Christmas Carol (faculty and student stage reading) in the Auditorium 

Tuesday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. - Instrumental Concert - A Christmas Festival (Auditorium) 

Saturday, Dec. 11 (6:00 - 6:30 p.m.) - O'Connell Band Performance  - "Country Christmas" event
at St Thomas More Cathedral* (see note below)

Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. - Christmas Choral Concert (Auditorium)  

*The St. Thomas More "Country Christmas" event has a $10 suggested donation. Find out more...

Congratulations to our student-athletes who committed to play sports at the next level during the February signing ceremony:

Ashton Armour (Hampden-Sydney College - Baseball)
Bradley Armour (Roanoke College - Baseball)
Bobby McDonough (William and Mary - Baseball)
Job Grant (United States Naval Academy - Football)
Riley Debiec (Washington & Lee - Volleyball)
Ryan Lindley (Fairfield University - Cross Country)
Kit Shiells (Case Western Reserve University - Soccer)
Conor Dillon (New York University - Soccer)
Toby Klein (Aevolo Cycling - Cycling)

For an updated list of 2022 commitments, visit bishopoconnell.org/commits. 

By Student Correspondents, Claire Theriot and Drew Owens, for publication in the Feb. 10-23, 2022 issue of the Arlington Catholic Herald.

Did you know that area high schools have a winter track season, also known as the indoor track season? At Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington, this program has seen monumental growth in recent years.

"Traditionally, our winter schedule would include mostly indoor meets and possibly one or two outdoor meets (known as 'Polar Bear' meets)," said Head Coach James Connor. "Because of COVID this year, several of the indoor meets had to be canceled or replaced with outdoor meets."

The team practices after school every day on the outdoor track, but the cold weather hasn't deterred participation. Senior Grace Freitas, who also runs cross country in the fall and track in the spring, is in her first year with the winter program. When she was asked what felt special about this team, she quickly answered, "How friendly everyone is! The whole team is very supportive and talkative." Her favorite memory so far is the very first race of the year at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School. She explained that everyone still had a great time cheering people on even though it was cold. "The little things make a big difference!" she added. 

Senior Alessia Natalucci has been on the winter track team since she was a freshman, and she attributes recent growth to the welcoming atmosphere. "The upperclassmen make it a priority to know everyone's name," she said. "We are determined to make this team a positive place for everyone."

Coach Connor, who is also O'Connell's math department chair, as well as the head coach of the school's cross country and spring track programs, brings his passion for running to the sport. He ran cross country in high school and college. "I love this sport," he said. "I really enjoy it!"

When Coach Connor came to the program in 2016, there were ten participants. This winter season, more than 70 students signed up.

Reflecting on the season in mid-January, Coach Connor mentions recent successes by two student athletes—junior Chayse Raymond and sophomore Molly Weithman—at the Virginia Showcase in Virginia Beach. Weithman finished second overall in the 3200-meter run and Raymond ran a 7.35-minute 55-meter dash. These performances qualified both of them for the national championships in New York City on March 11-13. He also noted that every O'Connell athlete set a personal record at the showcase meet.

Coach Connor is extremely proud of how far this team has come, and he is thrilled to see several football players join in and contribute to successes in the short-distance races. Senior football player Mori Langshaw has only been on the team for two months, but has already qualified for the state races in February.

"This whole team has a connection," said Coach Connor. "Everybody has his or her role, and they all play their roles well." 

The O'Connell winter track team is rising in the ranks in size and talent. One thing all the seniors said they would like to see for the future is for the underclassmen to come back and bring friends. They look forward to seeing the program continue to thrive.

Next up for the team is the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) state championship races on the weekend of Feb. 19 at St. Christopher's School in Richmond. The team hopes to come out strong and compete well. With one great season comes many more.

Spring Sports Tryout Dates

Please contact the head coach to let him or her know you are interested so that you are on their contact list and will be notified of any weather-related changes.

As a reminder, all required medical forms must be on file with the school before students may participate in tryouts. CLICK HERE for more information.

Golf
Feb. 19 (9-11 AM) at The St. James
Feb. 22, 24 (3:30-5:30 PM) - East Potomac Golf Course

Boys Tennis
Feb. 22, 23, 24 (3:30-5:30 PM) - Bluemont Park

Track & Field
Feb. 23, 24, 25 (3:30-5:30 PM) – Stadium Track

Boys Lacrosse
Feb. 19 (Noon - 3 PM) - Stadium Field
Feb. 21, 22 - Times TBD

Girls Lacrosse
Feb 19 (9 AM-Noon) – Stadium Field
Feb 21, 22 - Times TBD

Baseball
Feb. 19, 21 (11 AM-2 PM) – Baseball Field
Feb. 22 (3:15-5 PM) – Baseball Field

Softball
Feb. 19 – Returning varsity, seniors and juniors (9 AM-10:30 AM) – Aux Gym
Feb. 19 – Sophomores and freshmen (10:30 AM-12:30 PM – Aux Gym
Feb. 21 – Returning varsity, seniors and juniors (9 AM-10:30 AM) – Aux Gym
Feb. 21 – Sophomores and freshmen (10:30 AM-12:30 PM – Aux Gym
Feb. 22 (TBA) – Aux Gym

Crew
Feb. 22, 23, 24 (3:15-5 PM) Erg Shed on Stadium Field
Feb. 24 (4-4:45 PM) - Swim test at Yorktown HS

More than 425 Bishop O’Connell supporters attended the 2022 Gala & Auction on Saturday, Feb. 26 at the McLean Hilton Tysons Corner for an evening of fellowship, fun and fundraising. The evening included student performances, dinner, dancing and a lively auction that raised more than $250,000 for the school.

For the first time, the night’s program also included special recognition of eight “All-Star” faculty members and parent volunteers who received a plaque in honor of their dedication to the Bishop O’Connell community. The 2022 All-Stars are:

Melody Ballesteros (PTO Volunteer) 
According to her PTO peers, Mrs. Ballesteros has a heart of gold, endless energy, and has been a blessing to O’Connell’s PTO and our community. She works tirelessly and seemingly effortlessly on some of the PTO’s biggest projects. She goes well above and beyond in her dedication to the students and parents in her work with the All Night Grad Party and the Used Book Sale. 

Robert “Boomer” Buckreis '86 (Faculty - 31 years)
Mr. Buckreis came to O’Connell as a Religion teacher, then made his way to the Activities Office where he superbly managed every aspect of student life from clubs to dances to graduation ceremonies. Now as our Facilities Manager, he undertakes the enormous task of managing construction projects, day-to-day campus operations and continual facility upgrades.

Cathy Carroll (Faculty - 30 years)
Mrs. Carroll has dedicated 30 years of service to the O’Connell community, both in the studies office and behind the wheel of the Maryland bus. She has touched the lives of hundreds of O’Connell Knights who have become part of her “bus family” since 1992. Read more… 

Hollyann Morton (Athletics Boosters)
Ms. Morton is a new parent to the O’Connell family this year. She responded to an announcement placed in the KnighLline looking for Athletics Boosters volunteers. The initial email exchange was a typical new volunteer interaction. “Yes, I am interested. No, I do not have much time to give.” She then met the boosters leadership and immediately they knew that she would be an invaluable resource and friend. “Ms. Morton is an angel sent to us in our time of need,” they said. When the boosters are short volunteers or are overwhelmed, she magically appears to lend a hand. Ms. Morton has been an integral part of the success this year.

David Nasca '72 (Faculty - 40 years)
Mr. Nasca has served the O’Connell community as a much beloved Math teacher, swim coach and football coach. He has spread positivity in the O'Connell community for over 40 years! 

Taryn Salinas (Fine Arts Booster)
Mrs. Salinas serves as the President of the Fine Arts Boosters Executive Board and works tirelessly on behalf of our Fine Arts students, parents, and faculty to advance O’Connell’s Fine Arts program. Her leadership, creativity, and hours of volunteer work have increased our ensembles' visibility, ticket sales, parent engagement, and student participation. Mrs. Salinas is a kind and generous leader who reaches out to new students and families to make them feel welcome and engaged.

John Stamm (DJO Dads Club)
Mr. Stamm has been a member of the DJO Dads Club since its inception in 2017, serving as vice president since 2020. He has spearheaded one of the club’s hallmark service programs, managing the yard maintenance of the neighborhood convent where our IHM sisters live. 

James Welsford (Faculty - 45 years)
Mr. Welsford has been a religion teacher for over 40 years at Bishop O’Connell, having spent most of his teaching career in the Diocese of Arlington. He has taught all grade levels of students, covering both the Old Testament to the New Testament in his classroom. There is a very good chance that if you meet an O’Connell graduate, he or she would have had Mr. Welsford at some point in their high school career. His constant presence on Little Falls Road is beautifully summed up by his favorite phrase, “By the Grace of God, I’m here.”

Thank you to the many volunteers and supporters who made this celebratory event possible! Mark your calendars now, the 2023 date has been set. Join us again (or for the first time) on February 4, 2023!

Inaugural Marymount competition gives O'Connell students a taste of business school.

Congratulations to Bishop O’Connell seniors Aisling Flett, Ava Godfrey and Emma Lavellee, who took top honors at last week’s Business Model Design Competition held at Marymount University.

The trio was part of an O’Connell cohort who participated in the inaugural high school Business Awareness Initiative, hosted by faculty members at Marymount’s School of Business. Over the past three weeks, 21 Bishop O’Connell juniors and seniors took part in half-day learning sessions on business-related subjects, where they formed six teams and developed six different business plans. The culmination of the program was the Business Model Design Competition, where each team presented their projects to a panel of judges, made up of representatives from Marymount, Bishop O’Connell and the Arlington Economic Development Office.

The winning business model was “Limelight Theaters,” a unique movie experience for a variety of age groups and interests. For this top team, winning was nice, but the journey that got these students to that moment was what mattered most. “As someone who intends to enter the business field, this experience was extremely valuable in providing me a glimpse of how to build a business and market it to others,” said team member, Aisling Flett.

Other well-conceived student business plans included a flexible mobile phone magnet, an online retail clothing concept, a roommate matching app, a cryptocurrency fund manager, and vehicle charging stations.

Dr. Carlo Ninassi, Assistant Professor of Management at Marymount, served as the faculty lead. He designed this high school pilot program as a scaled-down version of a 15-week college program he offers at Marymount.

“It’s always a delight to work with students that are intelligent, approachable and creative, not to mention pure fun, as were the students from Bishop O’Connell…these young men and women are what we all aspire to be - naturally gifted leaders,” he said. “Watch for great things from each of them in the future!”

Bishop O’Connell’s program coordinator, Ms. Whitney Webb, and business and technology teacher, Mr. Bill Betthauser, supported the project and guided the students throughout the process. 

“This was an incredible and meaningful opportunity for Bishop O’Connell,” said Ms. Webb. “Our students were enthusiastic, engaged, motivated and so very eager to learn, and their final presentations were all phenomenal. I am so grateful to Dr. Ninassi for his vision and his commitment to this program’s success.”

READ MORE

"Inaugural Business Model Design Competition Connects High School Students with MU Faculty" (March 10, 2022 - Marymount University)

View the March 4 Business Model Design Competition program HERE.

Pictured below – Head of School Bill Crittenberger served on the judges’ panel for the competition. He is joined here by Limelight Theater team members Aisling Flett, Ava Godfrey, and Emma Lavallee, along with O'Connell faculty mentors Bill Betthauser and Whitney Webb.