Spring sports proceed to regionals!

Richelle Zheng
CHS Class of 2025

(6/2025) The school year may be coming to an end, but Catoctin’s softball and unified track teams are indestructible as they move onwards to regionals! The softball team also proceeded to states on May 24 at the University of Maryland, representing Catoctin High School on live television! Nevertheless, these student athletes are all unstoppable as they continue to put in the work in both academics and sports!

Softball

On April 26, the junior varsity Lady Cougars competed against the Boonsboro Warriors. The game began with a slow start as the girls did not score their first run until the bottom of the fourth inning. Sophia Perez and Logyn Thomas each scored a run, with Perez doubling to center field and Thomas singling to the left side of the infield. Corine Jewell was the starting pitcher. With the success of her incredible pitches, she was able to strike out five batters and walk two. However, the Warriors managed six hits and three runs throughout seven innings. The back-to-back lineup with Perez and Thomas gave the Warriors a tough time since they are both strong batters, both allowing one run batted in for the team. Additionally, Perez led the team in hits, making three out of three hits! The Cougars defeated the Warriors 3-2, with the top contributors being Perez and Thomas!

Just a few days after prom night, the girls put their game faces back on as they went to take on Williamsport High School on April 28. Up at the plate, junior Kassidy Kreitz led the team by making four hits, which allowed for a home run, two doubles, and four runs batted in! In addition, Bralyn West and senior Madison Ohler both contributed three hits. West’s strong performance allowed for a triple, and Ohler’s hits drove in three runs. Senior Taylor Smith made two home runs and allowed for six runs batted in, driving in the most runs! Kelsey Roberts contributed to the team’s success by making two doubles and three runs batted in. Junior Tatiana Owens made two hits, one of which included a double. Highlights from the field include Smith’s incredible strength, allowing Catoctin to obtain the win by throwing two innings and striking out all six batters she pitched for! Then, Caitlynn Stambaugh finished off the rest of the game, pitching for three innings and making one strikeout. During the final three innings, the Williamsport Wildcats made two hits and one earned run. Behind the plate was Charley Keilholtz, who was the catcher for both pitchers. The Lady Cougars showed off their strength and agility in this game, taking the win from the Wildcats, 22-1!

The Lady Cougars headed to regionals on May 15 to play against South Carroll High School. At bat, West and Kelsey Roberts both made two hits each, with a home run! Smith also contributed another home run. Kreitz and Stambaugh both made one hit. Additionally, senior Madison Ott added to the team with a hit as well. Roberts and Smith both made two runs batted in. Then, with all bases loaded, the South Caroll Cavaliers intentionally threw Smith a softball, making her walk. Over on the field, Smith came in clutch, pitching all innings of a game and allowing three hits, which were all shutouts. She also had eleven strikeouts. Keilhotltz remained tough behind the plate, catching Smith’s brutal throws. The Lady Cougars took the victory against the Cavaliers, 6-1, allowing their Central Maryland Conference record to remain undefeated!

The girls then went on to play against Fallston High School on May 17 and won 9-0. Highlights from the offensive plays include senior Abagayle Shives leading the team by making four hits, which drove in three runs! Kreitz made two hits during the game, and seniors Aubrie Courtney and Kenzie Lewis both hit a double, driving in one run each. Ott made a hit with two runs batted in, and Ryleigh Hammond hit a single with a run batted in. On the field, Smith’s aggressive throws led the opponents to be unable to hit any balls back, causing a no-hit shutout. In total, Smith made sixteen strikeouts, with the sixth strikeout marking her 700th career strikeout! Catoctin can not wait to see what the University of Virginia, a division I school, has awaiting for Smith!

Unified Track

On Tuesday, April 29, the unified track team competed in the county tournament against Frederick High School and Maryland School for the Deaf. Vinny Perella was the first to run. He competed in the 100-meter run and made a great start to the meet by placing third! Additionally, Lucas Phelan worked hard to beat his personal record and placed second in the same event! On the same note, senior Chad Zimmerman hit a new personal best as well and placed second in the 100-meter event. CJ Endlich placed second, and Falyn Zimmerman made a new personal record for himself and placed third in the 100-meter run. Then, in the 200-meter run, John Greenwell and James Grossnickle were head-to-head, competing for the first-place spot. Their friendly competition against each other drove them to make new personal bests! This exhilarating contest ended with Greenwell taking first and Grossnickle right behind him in second.

Shay Johnson dominated the 400-meter event as he showed great agility, placing first! In the 4x100-meter relay event, the team of Phelan, senior Josh Ramos, Falyn Zimmerman, and Chad Zimmerman worked together and placed second, setting a new team record! For the 4x200-meter relay, Greenwell, Endlich, Grossnickle, and Johnson swiftly transferred the baton to one another and placed first, also with a new team record! On the field, Maria Perella competed in the softball throw event. Her incredible strength allowed her to place first, with Vinny Perella coming in third. Greenwell, Chad Zimmerman, and Josh Ramos all participated in the shot-put event. Taking the medal was Greenwell in first, then Zimmerman in second, and Ramos in third. In the mini javelin category, Johnson took first place, and Grossnickle and Phelan both tied for third. Additionally, Grossnickle, Falyn Zimmerman, and Phelan each threw new personal bests! Endlich competed in the running long jump and came in first place! Although Catoctin is a small team, they are all incredibly hardworking and unstoppable, allowing them to claim the Division III, Frederick County Unified Track and Field Championship!

Later, on May 15, the unified track team took to regionals! The meet was held at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex with the Cougars competing in the 2025 Interscholastic Unified Track and Field State High School Invitational! Division I schools included Catoctin High School, Parkdale High School, Southern Garrett High School, Largo High School, Wise High School, and Maryland School for the Deaf. The Cougars began their competition out on the field with Maria Perella and Vinny Perella starting in the softball throw event. Maria took second place and Vinny took third.

Next, in the shot-put category, Catoctin was represented by Ramos, Greenwell, and Chad Zimmerman. These three athletes stole the top three spots as Ramos placed first, Greenwell second, and Zimmerman third. In the mini javelin Grossnickle’s incredible strength landed him the first place spot! Following not far behind were Johnson in second and Falyn Zimmerman in third. Endlich took on the running long jump event and placed second. These incredible athletes all pushed themselves to great distances, allowing them to gain new personal bests and get silver at regionals!