Marella won the 800 meters (2 minutes 19.86 seconds) and 1,600 (5:04.24, a personal record), while Lauren finished second in the 800 (2:21.25) and 1,600 (5:04.57, a PR) and won the 3,200 (11:04.90) as the Hawks took second overall.
According to Coach Ammera Schmidt, the Virmani twins’ running intelligence — how they approach training and race strategy — belies their youth.
“From day one, when they showed up for our tryouts for indoor track,” Schmidt said, “it was extremely obvious that they have their built-in running IQ and have developed it in a manner that’s very beneficial.”
The duo also excels on the soccer field, where they clash daily: Marella plays as an attacking midfielder, while Lauren is on the defensive side as an outside back.
“We get our competitiveness mostly from soccer,” Lauren said. “We’re really competitive there, and we bring it to the track in workouts against each other.”
That competitiveness helps the twins train and race together; Lauren sets the pace, and Marella increases the speed near the end.
“It’s pretty cool to have someone that you can train with and then also race with,” Marella said. “We’re definitely competitive, but we also are, like, nice to each other.”
Osbourn Park graduated its top five offensive performers at the conclusion of the 2022 season. Yellowjackets Coach Patrick DeRosa knew he would be relying on his youth to step up for a 2023 team without much veteran experience, but he was not sure what to expect from a young team that showed potential early in the season.
“[They’re] not just young, but it’s also … not as game-tested,” DeRosa said. “I could tell the talent was there — you just never know, are they going to be up to the task of doing so much?”
DeRosa didn’t see this level of dominance coming. The young group is 17-3 and poised to make a deep postseason run, having already collected wins over Battlefield — the team that knocked the Yellowjackets out of the playoffs last year — and Tuscarora, which made a state championship appearance a season ago.
Osbourn Park ended its regular season with a combined perfect game against Osbourn, a 17-0 win that sends them into the playoffs on a 10-game winning streak. The team’s lineup, which features sophomores at first base and catcher as well as multiple freshmen, has rolled through its opponents with relative ease.
“When you have a young team you never know what to expect,” DeRosa said. “So the fact that we’ve come out reliant on so many younger girls and done well is a huge step for us.”
Glenelg Coach Alex Pagnotta knew his team’s path to a title would likely include early matchups against Century and Manchester Valley.
The three programs are the class of their region and often face off early in the postseason. The Gladiators had faced Century twice in the playoffs the past two years — losing by one goal in season-ending defeats both times.
This year, Glenelg advanced with a 9-8 win in the region semifinal. But Pagnotta’s team wasn’t out of the gantlet yet as a matchup with the region’s No. 1 seed Manchester Valley loomed. The Mavericks beat the Gladiators in overtime Monday, 10-9, as the tough early bracket ended Glenelg’s season again.
“Typically, if you can get out of this region, you have a really good chance of winning the state championship,” Pagnotta said.
His team went down early but fought back, showing the type of resilience the coach said he’d remember about this squad.
“My whole thing was always like, leave it on the field, 110 percent effort, and nine times out of 10 you’re going to come out a winner,” he said.
Unfortunately for the Gladiators, Monday’s game was the off scenario where they were sent home.
The Battlefield Bobcats came into this season with their work cut out for them: find a way to replace the 15 seniors they had just lost to graduation. Coach Kevin Hilton’s program is a consistent contender in Prince William County, and Hilton knew he would have talent on the roster. So the early season became about finding the best way to employ it.
“We had to try and figure out the best way to utilize our strengths,” Hilton said. “And that meant trying a few different looks. In that first Gainesville game, we made another tactic shift and haven’t looked back since then. At that point, we all understood what was going to work best for us.”
Part of what works best for this group is a focus on keeping possession. That requires a lot of control from the midfield but also consistent composure from the back line. Not only has Battlefield’s defense kept opponents off the board (giving up just two goals since March) but it is able to hold possession and help the team build from the back.
“Everybody who has played on that back line for us this year has been awesome,” Hilton said. “They show so much composure in getting the ball and keeping the ball.”
Up front, freshman Kyndal Shuler has been a pleasant surprise and a major part of a dynamic attack, leading the team with 17 goals. On Thursday night, the Bobcats (11-1-3) put that offensive firepower on display as they faced rival Patriot in the regular season finale. They scored three goals in the first 15 minutes of a 4-0 win.
“We’ve done a really good job of jumping out pretty early and putting the ball in the back of the net,” Hilton said. “That win gave us our first regular season district title in five years and I know the girls were excited to put another number on that banner in the gym.”