Memory Highlight Reels
IAAM Senior Athletes Share the Best of Their Year in Sports
By Maria Beam Gray
The bleachers gleam bare in the sun, spectating over empty fields. The daily clatter of cleats on pavement as athletes march to and fro has faded. The track sits barren, looping like a silent old movie reel, while inside, the gym lights flicker to darkness.
Senior student-athletes across the IAAM will never forget what happened at those now vacant and quiet spots throughout campus. It’s where they grew up. It’s where they spent countless hours practicing, pushing through on days when they didn’t know if they had more to give. It’s where they proudly wore their high school uniform as they celebrated in victory or consoled each other in defeat. It’s where they made some of the best memories of their lives with teammates and coaches they’ll never forget.
Although the silence is bittersweet, the echoes are still fresh: the crowds erupting in cheers, the crack of a metal bat, high tops squeaking on the hardwood, and the grunts as athletes collide on the pitch or clear a hurdle. And then there was the music and the laughter… lots and lots of music and laughter.
If they close their eyes, they can still breathe in the smells—aromas from the concession stands, chlorine in the pool, mud-caked equipment, and the locker rooms, where the air was fragranced by the sweat of a sisterhood forever bound by competition.
Like all worthwhile things, time flew by. Soon, diplomas will be handed off like batons in a relay. Tassels will sway on rearview mirrors as graduates excitedly motor towards a life that playing sports helped prepare them for.
Before grad caps are flung, we asked senior athletes throughout the IAAM to take one final look over their shoulders and reflect on what made the 2024-2025 sports year so special. Here’s what they’ll remember, and what they’ll miss the most.
Lacrosse and soccer were Gerstell’s Kirsten Clarius’ calling, and she’ll have her lax talents on display at Florida Tech next season. The path wasn’t always an easy one after Clarius tore her ACL her sophomore year, but she gained a “new perspective of the game” and credits high school athletics for building her mental toughness.
“I learned how to lead and contribute from the sidelines, how to be resilient, and how to fight for a comeback,” stressed Clarius, whose favorite memory was ringing the victory bell after a lacrosse game her senior year.
“At Gerstell, it’s a long-standing tradition for the team captains to select a ‘Player of the Game’ following a home win – someone who demonstrated leadership, hustle, or made a significant impact – and that player gets the honor of ringing the bell, once for each win we’ve earned that season,” said Clarius. “Standing beside my teammates and our families and ringing that bell was unforgettable. That day represented a full-circle moment, and it’s one I’ll carry with me always.”
Catholic High’s Rachel Roane, was an All-Conference field hockey and lacrosse player who also played basketball and was a three-sport captain. It was a spring trip to Florida for lacrosse training that she holds dear as “the trip brought our team together and I think the bonding we did is what helped get us to the championship game.”
Roane is going to miss the environment of competition, confidence, and friendship that came with playing for Catholic because “all the girls support each other, and there is always someone cheering you on. Cub Pride is truly unmatched.”
Avery Weetenkamp suited up for soccer, basketball, and lacrosse, and also ran indoor track & field her senior year at Maryvale Prep. The soccer and lacrosse captain notes winning the 2025 “A” Conference lax championship as her favorite sports memory, and she’ll most miss the day-to-day interactions with her teammates outside of the classroom, and the excitement starting a new sports season would bring.
“Being a part of the lacrosse team since freshman year, I got to see us get better and better every year and reach further into the postseason, but we could never conquer the semifinals obstacle,” said Weetenkamp. “Beating McDonogh, whom we have never beaten during my four years on the team, to advance to the championship was a game I’ll never forget. Then, getting the experience to play at US Lacrosse in front of so many amazing fans and classmates, and coming out on top against Spalding was the best way to cap off my years at Maryvale.”
Allie Greene played field hockey and lacrosse for Bryn Mawr. Her favorite memory is taking to the field at Stevenson University as a senior captain and winning the “A” Conference field hockey championship 4-3 in overtime against Spalding.
“It was so exciting to be playing alongside my best friends, and the energy was amazing,” said Greene.
As for what she’ll miss the most about playing sports, it’s the camaraderie of the preseason, whether taking spring break team trips for lacrosse or enduring the mid-August heat for field hockey, where she “loved bonding with people in different grades over watermelon during water breaks”.
Friends School Lulu Mickle was a soccer, basketball, and softball captain and All-Conference player in the latter two.
“My favorite sports memory is reaching 1,000 career points in basketball,” recalled Mickle, who will greatly miss playing in Friday night basketball games. “It was super heartwarming to see my friends, family, and all the faculty show their support.”
All-Conference Annapolis Area Christian School volleyball and lacrosse captain Ellie Hansen played in three title games before her last game as an Eagle netted her first high school championship.
“To have my last game be a long awaited championship was the best feeling,” enthused Hansen. “Sports brought me my best friends that I never would have met otherwise. The community between everyone who came to our games and the parents was unmatched, and so special.”
Sofia Herrera participated in soccer and indoor track and was an All-Conference lacrosse selection for St. Paul’s School for Girls.
“My favorite sports memory was definitely our lacrosse senior game. It was such a special moment to share with my team and classmates, and the traditions that have been passed down since my freshman year made the experience even more meaningful,” said Herrera, a University of Maryland lacrosse commit who captained two sports for SPSG. “What I’ll miss most about playing high school sports are the relationships I built across grades. I formed friendships with girls I likely wouldn’t have met otherwise, and they became like family to me.”
Park School of Baltimore’s Meredith White was a captain in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse this year and will miss her teammates and coaches as it was “the friendships and community formed by each team that made me excited to play each season”.
White’s favorite sports memory was beating Concordia Prep during the regular basketball season.
“It wasn’t that we won that game that made it special to me. What made the game stick out in my mind was the people there; all of my friends and family came to watch, and more importantly, my teammates with whom I got to play.”
Kennedy Jade-Watkin Myrie ran indoor and outdoor track & field and played basketball and lacrosse while attending Garrison Forest.
“One of my favorite senior sports memories was placing second at the IAAM Indoor Track and Field Championships. Our team was small, and for most of the girls, it was their very first season doing track,” said Jade-Watkin Myrie, who also captained the team and was named All-Conference. “We worked hard, supported each other, and showed up every day with grit and determination. Bringing home the first track and field plaque in school history was such a proud moment.”
A captain in both volleyball and lacrosse for Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Elizabeth Trockenbrot will miss “playing sports with friends and staying after school for long hours for practice” as the experience made her teammates “grow closer and stronger together”.
“My favorite sports memory from this year was the ‘Dig Pink’ game,” added Trockenbrot. “During this game, we raised money for women with breast cancer. Playing with my best friends and raising money for a cause made it so much more special.”
Grace Salveron earned a volleyball championship, and also played softball, basketball, and lacrosse in her years with Chapelgate Christian. The All-Conference volleyball and lacrosse recipient, and captain in both sports, will miss practices and games with those she grew close to as she “genuinely created a family with others”. Salveron’s volleyball senior night stands out in her memory bank.
“I realized how much of the hard work I had put in for so many years finally came to fruition, and I was excited to see middle schoolers in the crowd and be the ‘big girl’ volleyball player that they, as I once had, could look up to.”
A four-year starter in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse, Anna Ervin netted many honors as a standout athlete for St. Mary’s High School. Perhaps her greatest reward was the friendships she curated along the way as “spending six days a week together brought us incredibly close and created memories I’ll always cherish.”
Her favorite game to look back on senior year was “beating one of the strongest and most well-respected lacrosse teams in the IAAM – St. Paul’s”. Citing her team’s belief in each other, as well as their grit and battle for every possession, Ervin will always remember the Saint’s self-proclaimed “Bench Mob” for helping to “carry the team with their energy and celebrations”.
Ginevra Iliff was captain and All-Conference for both soccer and lacrosse for The Key School. She treasures that she got to share the lacrosse field with her younger sister this year and relishes the celebrations the entire team would have after her sister assisted her on a goal. She looks back in appreciation of the culture her team worked to cultivate.
“I’ll miss the moments when everything just clicks. When all the hours of practice, communication, and effort come together, and our team moves as one,” noted Iliff. “There’s nothing like the feeling of executing a play exactly the way we prepared for it. That level of trust and chemistry doesn’t happen overnight, and I’ll miss being a part of a team that worked hard to make it look easy. Those moments of flow where the game slows down and we’re completely in sync are what made high school athletics so special.”
A Message from the IAAM:
The IAAM would like to give a round of applause to every senior athlete throughout our member schools. You made us incredibly proud representing our league with superior sportsmanship, a fun and feisty competitive spirit, and standout character.
We hope that the memories you made over the course of the past four years, alongside the teammates you wore the uniform with, will forever evoke a smile.
Congratulations on your upcoming graduation. We wish you the very best as you pursue the endless and exciting possibilities that await.
~ Sue Thompson, IAAM Executive Director
