Sidwell Friends athletes, alumni, and coaches earn plaudits at home and internationally.

SUMMER WRAP-UP

“Athletics is an essential component in the student experience at Sidwell Friends,” says Keith Levinthal, David P. Pearson ’52 Director of Athletics. Not only for the physical health benefits, but for the leadership skills, camaraderie, and spirit that emerges at every level, whether it’s a Lower School game of tag or a competitive varsity match. “It is my personal mission,” says Levinthal, “to help students develop into individuals who are inspired to do great things on and off the field by making their experience meaningful, rewarding, and fun.” This past summer was a season of great achievement for alumni, staff, and current athletes. Taylor Knibb ’16, the youngest woman ever to qualify for the USA Olympic triathlon team, earned a silver medal in the mixed relay, becoming Sidwell Friends’ second Olympic medalist after Jair Lynch ’89, who won silver in men’s parallel bars in the Atlanta 1996 games. Meanwhile, Saddiq Bey ’18 was named to the 2021 USA Men’s Select Team and even earned a temporary promotion to the Olympic Team when players were unavailable. Then there’s Miles Brown ’15, who recently signed with the NFL’s Detroit Lions. In college football Walter Rouse ’19 was named to the Outland Trophy watch list—awarded annually to the best college interior lineman. Closer to home, tennis coach Logan West ’01, was named the USTA Mid-Atlantic Coach of the year. Current students also continue to shine. Kiki Rice ’22 was part of the gold-medal-winning Team USA in the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup in Hungary this summer, and Jadyn Donovan ’23 and Kendall Dudley ’24 competed on the USA basketball U16 team, which took the gold medal in the championship tournament in Mexico. Alice Xu ’23 recently won both the singles and doubles titles at the G18 national clay court tournament.

FALL WRAP-UP

The School continued the trend back on campus. Winning ways and a culture of leadership thrived with the Sidwell Friends Sports Leadership Academy seeing a 48 percent growth over last year. The girls’ tennis team along with Head Coach Logan West ’01 have been a force to be reckoned with, winning back-to- back Independent School League (ISL) AA Division regular-season banners and ISL AA Division championships! Girls’ tennis ended their season ranked ninth nationally in the Universal Tennis Rankings. Girls’ soccer, meanwhile, capped their season with a 6-0 win over rival Maret at Catholic University, nabbing the DCSAA (District of Columbia State Athletic Association) Championship. The team then prevailed 2-1 over Johns College in the DCSAA semifinals. Kiki Rice ’22 was named player of the game. This is girls’ soccer’s second DCSAA title in three competitive seasons. Boys’ soccer continues to develop but for now fell to Potomac in the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAC) Tournament. On the football field, the Sidwell Friends program has transformed under new Head Coach Donald Davis. As of publication, the Quakers were 6-2, tied for second place in the MAC tournament, and optimistic heading into the DCSAA playoffs. Field hockey hosted an ISL playoff game against National Cathedral School, and the volleyball team took to the road for their ISL tournament—season-ending matches for both teams. Boys’ and girls’ cross- country finished their season at the DCSAA Championships at Kenilworth Park. The golf team wrapped up at the MAC Championships at Falls Road Golf Course, where they placed fifth under first-year Head Coach Jon Mormino.