West Springfield High School
Encyclopedia
West Springfield High School is a public high school
located in Springfield
in Fairfax County
, Virginia
, at 6100 Rolling Road, and is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools
system. West Springfield (often referred to as WSHS) enrolls students from grades 9-12, offers the Advanced Placement program and currently enrolls over 2,200 students.
, located in the central part of the county.
soldier and school colors are orange
and blue
.
The school competes in the Patriot District
which is in the AAA Northern Region
of the Virginia High School League
. Major rivals have traditionally been Lake Braddock
, T.C. Williams, and Lee, based on their geographic proximity. Top ranked WSHS athletic programs include its boys and girls soccer teams, girls basketball team, girls softball team, boys baseball team, and boys and girls cross country teams.
Alumni of note include Jeremy Kapinos
(punter for the Pittsburgh Steelers), James Dexter
(former NFL offensive lineman with the Carolina Panthers
and Arizona Cardinals
), Kara Lawson
(Guard for University of Tennessee and Guard for WNBA Sacramento Monarchs
), Ryan Speier
(Baseball
pitcher for the Washington Nationals
), Joe Saunders
(Baseball
pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks
), Brian Carroll
who plays for the Columbus Crew, and Jeff Carroll
who plays for D.C. United
.
3B prospect Marc S. Tugwell), has won:
2 Virginia AAA State Championships (1991 & 1998)
6 Northern Region Titles (1983, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2009)
12 District Championships (1974, 1975, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2005)
Current Spartan baseball coach, John James (2005 to present)
1 Virginia AAA State Championships (2010)
2 Northern Region Titles (2009 & 2010)
2 District Championships (2009 & 2010)
The Spartan Baseball motto is "Furnulum pani nolo" (From Season to Season, the Tradition Continues.)
Current head baseball Coach John James has been leading the Spartans since the 2005 season, in which the Spartans won the Patriot District Title, defeating the Lake Braddock Bruins 4-2. In 2009 the Spartans were crowned district and regional champions, and compiled a record of 23-5, and going undefeated in the northern region. Coach James won the Northern Region again and also won his 1st Virginia AAA State Championship with a 24-4 record in 2010 defeating the then undefeated Woodbridge High School who finished (27-1). Coach James is assisted by Jason Olms (Outfield/Hitting Coach), Tim Alley (Infield/Hitting Coach), Julio Rivas (Pitching Coach), John Batchelor (Head JV & Catching Coach), Joey Tinsley (Asst Coach JV), Matt Thorn (JV Pitching Coach) and Spencer Askin (JV Outfield and Baserunning Coach).
The 1980 West Springfield Spartan varsity football team went to the Virginia AAA State Championship Game, losing to the Hampton Crabbers. The game was played at W.T.Woodson High in Fairfax, VA.
The 93-94 West Springfield Spartan varsity football team won the Northern District Championship with an undefeated run through the district schedule. The Spartans defeated crosstown rival Lake Braddock SS twice during the season and were the only team to score a touchdown on the Bruins the entire year. West Springfield beat Lake Braddock 24-7 during the regular season and 41-14 in the first round of the regional playoffs. The Spartans would fall to the eventual state champs from Annandale High School in the Northern Region Championship game.
The 06-07 West Springfield Spartan varsity football team holds the Virginia State High School Football record for most combined points for two teams in a single game with West Potomac High School
. The West Potomac Wolverines won the game 81-74 in 4 overtimes. The Spartans' losing score of 74 has the notorious distinction of being the highest score by a losing team in the history of high school, college, or professional football.
The 07-08 West Springfield varsity football team (10-3) won the Patriot District Championship for the first time since 1994, but went on to lose in the Northern Region Final against the would-be 15-0 State Champion Westfield Bulldogs
.
The 08-09 West Springfield Spartan varsity football team (10-3) won the Patriot District championship for the second year in a row. They lost two games into the playoffs to undefeated Oakton High school.
The 09-10 West Springfield Spartan varsity football team (4-6) did not win the Patriot District championship. After the 08-09 season, head coach Bill Renner
retired, to be replaced by JT Biddison, who formerly coached at Marshall High School
, with a combined record of 29-34.
by a score of 50-48. Petersburg had a player named Mosed Malone. Koesters went on to play basketball at the University of Virginia
.
In 2009 and 2010 the Lady Spartans basketball team won districts and made it to the final four at states before getting defeated. In 2009 the Lady Spartans lost five players including one player who went off to play college basketball, Melanie Todd. She made a big impact in the post. Melanie went off to continue her basketball career at Lincoln Memorial University in 2010, then transferred to Indiana University of Pennsylvania to play in 2011. In 2010 the ladies also won regionals by defeating their biggest competitors in regional semi-finals, Oakton, who they had lost to last year at regionals. They finished with the record 28-3 in 2010. They only had one senior go off to play in college and that was their starting post player Nora Osei, who went off to play basketball at Eastern Mennonite University. She had a huge impact on the team. For the 2011 season, the Lady Spartans will be losing four starting seniors and of those two, Logan Battle has committed to Georgetown University and April Robinson has committed to Duquesne University.
Youtube auditions, WSDT qualified as one of the top 12 acts, earning them a spot to compete on the show with the other 11 acts. After the in-show Youtube round, WSDT was eliminated in the judge's choice over choosing favors of 14-year old dancer Beth Ann Robinson. However, Sharon Osbourne
selected WSDT as her wildcard choice, giving them a second chance to qualify. In the wild card performance, both Howie and Piers didn't respond favorably to their routine except for Sharon. During the results show they passed through to the semifinals over BMX-Stunt Bikers Yellow Designs Stunt Team and singer/musician Shevonne. In the semifinals, they again compete against 11 acts for a place in the Final 10. In the results show, they were in the judge's choice again. With the decisions that the judges made, both Howie Mandel
and Piers Morgan
chose WSDT and they advanced to the Final 10 over 20-year old singer/pianist Daniel Joseph Baker. In the Top 10, they compete against the other nine acts. As they performed in the Top 10, judges did not respond favorably to their performance as Piers Morgan
gave them an X. In the results show, they were finally eliminated.
In 2008, the men's freshman 8 was awarded the bronze medal at VASRA States, and continued through to compete in Nationals. At nationals, they were the fastest freshman men's 8 out of all of the public school competitors. The same year, the women's varsity eight also qualified for Nationals.
In 2009, the women's freshman 8 got 7th in the state, but with a disqualification of a higher ranking boat, was awarded a place to compete in Nationals.
In 2010, the men's junior eight won the silver medal at VASRA States and qualified to compete in Nationals. Both the women's lightweight four and women's varsity four won second place at states and qualified for Nationals. The women's second four won third place at states.
In 2011, the women's lightweight four won third place at states, qualifying them to compete in nationals. The Men's Varsity eight came in 9th place at State and competed in nationals
The Symphonic Orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Steve Fraser, played as an honor orchestra in the 2005 Virginia Music Educator's Association. There is also a Concert Orchestra, an orchestra below the level of the Symphonic Orchestra. A third orchestra is the Chamber Orchestra, a level above the Symphonic Orchestra, which was established in the 2008 school year for the elite players.
WSHS has a Guitar program, with school-provided guitars for students to use. Their Jazz Guitar Combo is one of few high school groups of its kind in the region. They receive consistent ratings of "Superior," as does the Advanced Guitar Ensemble and Guitar Ensemble. The current director is the legendary Mr. Keith Owens. The Guitar Program is currently the largest music department in terms of population, with their 5 different levels of difficulty. Many freshman begin with Guitar 1 to learn the basics of the guitar, with many going on to Guitar 2, and many still go on to other ensembles. Members of the guitar program frequently show off their talents in West Springfield's Battle of the Bands, which every year proves to be phenomenal.
The choral program at WSHS features five classes, three of which require auditions. Treble Choir is an unauditioned all-women's choir. Men's Choir is also an unauditioned choir, but it is composed entirely of men. The three audition choirs are Ladies' Select, Madrigals and Personality. Ladies' Select is an all-women's choir that sometimes sings a capella. Madrigals is a mixed a capella choir. Personality is a mixed dance choir. The all-women's show choir, Pizazz, was disbanded at the end of 2007, despite its numerous awards. At competitions, the Choral Department has received many awards and recognitions, as well as many "Superior" ratings over the past several years. All choral classes were taught by Michael Dombrow from Fall 2002 through Spring 2008, and all show choir performances are choreographed by John Gonzalez. Choral director Erin Huss became the new chorus teacher in the 2008-09 school year.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located in Springfield
Springfield, Virginia
Springfield is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States and a suburb of Washington, D.C. The Springfield CDP is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau with a population of 30,484 as of the 2010 census. Homes and businesses in bordering CDPs including North Springfield,...
in Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, at 6100 Rolling Road, and is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools
The Fairfax County Public Schools system is a branch of the Fairfax County government which administers public schools in Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax...
system. West Springfield (often referred to as WSHS) enrolls students from grades 9-12, offers the Advanced Placement program and currently enrolls over 2,200 students.
History
The school opened in 1966. A planetarium was added in 1967. A school renovation was completed in 1991, which included the construction of new classrooms in a courtyard and remodeling the library, Auditorium, Spartan Hall, and the Career Center.Publications
The school has three student-run publications, whose names appropriately are in keeping with the Spartan mascot: The Oracle, The Olympian and The Symposium. The Oracle, the school's newspaper, has won countless national, state and local awards for outstanding reporting, writing and layout. In fact, this student-run newspaper was second in the nation in 2001 for its reporting on an administration attempt to encourage students to forge their parents' names on a Federal Government form that determines budgetary allotments. The Olympian, the school's yearbook, consistently wins scholastic journalism awards as well, along with The Symposium, the school's literary magazine.Layout
The school is laid out on two stories with the library, planetarium, administration offices and cafeteria in front and auditorium and gymnasiums in the back. The school shares a layout with Herndon High School, located in the western part of the county and Oakton High SchoolOakton High School
Oakton High School is a public high school in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in proximity to the town of Vienna, in the United States. It is part of Fairfax County Public Schools....
, located in the central part of the county.
SOAR
Because West Springfield High School is the oldest Fairfax County Public School that has not been renovated, complaints have been raised about the condition of the school's facilities, including its heating and cooling, as well as its computer network. SOAR (Spartans Organized for Action on Renovation) is an organization formed with the purpose of reconciling the issues. The renovation process has been slow and sources say that it could take until 2022 to start renovations.Demographics
In the 2007-08 school year, West Springfield High School was 58% White, 7% Black, 17% Asian, 11% Hispanic, and 6% Other.Athletics
WSHS participates in a wide variety of high school sports. West Springfield's school mascot is a SpartanSpartan Army
The Spartan army was the military force of Sparta, one of the leading city-states of ancient Greece. The army stood at the centre of the Spartan state, whose citizens' primary obligation was to be good soldiers. Subject to military drill from infancy, the Spartans were one of the most feared...
soldier and school colors are orange
Orange (colour)
The colour orange occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum at a wavelength of about 585–620 nm, and has a hue of 30° in HSV colour space. It is numerically halfway between red and yellow in a gamma-compressed RGB colour space, the expression of which is the RGB colour wheel. The...
and blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
.
The school competes in the Patriot District
AAA Patriot District
The AAA Patriot District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools from eastern Fairfax County and Alexandria City. AAA is the largest enrollment class and also typically the most competitive level in Virginia high school sports...
which is in the AAA Northern Region
AAA Northern Region
The AAA Northern Region is one of the four AAA regions in the Virginia High School League. It is made up of four districts: the AAA Concorde District, the AAA Liberty District, the AAA National District, and the AAA Patriot District...
of the Virginia High School League
Virginia High School League
The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike similar organizations in many other states, private or religious schools are prohibited from joining. Non-public schools belong to other organizations,...
. Major rivals have traditionally been Lake Braddock
Lake Braddock Secondary School
Lake Braddock Secondary School is a combined junior-high and high school in Burke, Virginia, United States, administered by Fairfax County Public Schools . It is one of four secondary schools in Fairfax County; the other three are Hayfield, Robinson, and South County.Opened in 1973, Lake Braddock...
, T.C. Williams, and Lee, based on their geographic proximity. Top ranked WSHS athletic programs include its boys and girls soccer teams, girls basketball team, girls softball team, boys baseball team, and boys and girls cross country teams.
Alumni of note include Jeremy Kapinos
Jeremy Kapinos
Jeremy D. Kapinos is an American football punter for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was first signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
(punter for the Pittsburgh Steelers), James Dexter
James Dexter
James Roland Dexter is a former professional American football player who played offensive tackle for five seasons for the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers....
(former NFL offensive lineman with the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
and Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
), Kara Lawson
Kara Lawson
-External links:**...
(Guard for University of Tennessee and Guard for WNBA Sacramento Monarchs
Sacramento Monarchs
The Sacramento Monarchs were a basketball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 until folding on November 20, 2009...
), Ryan Speier
Ryan Speier
Ryan Andrew Speier is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher currently in the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles for Nippon Professional Baseball...
(Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher for the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
), Joe Saunders
Joe Saunders
Joseph Francis Saunders is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-College and minor league career:...
(Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
), Brian Carroll
Brian Carroll
Brian Carroll is an American soccer player who currently plays for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
who plays for the Columbus Crew, and Jeff Carroll
Jeff Carroll
Jeff Carroll is an American soccer player who last played for Real Maryland Monarchs in the USL Second Division.-College:Carroll attended West Springfield High School, and played college soccer for St...
who plays for D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
.
Debate and Forensics
The Forensics Team won its first Group AAA crown in 2006 under coach MaryLove Wynne. Forensics won again in 2009 under coaches Madeleine and Kevin Deliee. Debate also won the Group AAA in 2009 under coach Patricia Hagy, the first win since 1969. The Deliees' continue to coach Forensics. The new coach of Debate installed this year is Michael Dutcher, former Director of Debate at The Catholic University of America. Students from both Forensics and Debate compete in the Washington Arlington Catholic Forensics League (WACFL) tournaments in the Diocese of Arlington. Students also compete in invitational tournaments at universities along the East Coast, including Yale University, St. Joseph's University, and George Mason University, where WSHS has produced many finalists.Varsity baseball
The Spartan baseball team, coached for 26 years (1974–2000) by Ron E. Tugwell (father of Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
3B prospect Marc S. Tugwell), has won:
2 Virginia AAA State Championships (1991 & 1998)
6 Northern Region Titles (1983, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2009)
12 District Championships (1974, 1975, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2005)
Current Spartan baseball coach, John James (2005 to present)
1 Virginia AAA State Championships (2010)
2 Northern Region Titles (2009 & 2010)
2 District Championships (2009 & 2010)
The Spartan Baseball motto is "Furnulum pani nolo" (From Season to Season, the Tradition Continues.)
Current head baseball Coach John James has been leading the Spartans since the 2005 season, in which the Spartans won the Patriot District Title, defeating the Lake Braddock Bruins 4-2. In 2009 the Spartans were crowned district and regional champions, and compiled a record of 23-5, and going undefeated in the northern region. Coach James won the Northern Region again and also won his 1st Virginia AAA State Championship with a 24-4 record in 2010 defeating the then undefeated Woodbridge High School who finished (27-1). Coach James is assisted by Jason Olms (Outfield/Hitting Coach), Tim Alley (Infield/Hitting Coach), Julio Rivas (Pitching Coach), John Batchelor (Head JV & Catching Coach), Joey Tinsley (Asst Coach JV), Matt Thorn (JV Pitching Coach) and Spencer Askin (JV Outfield and Baserunning Coach).
Varsity football
The 1978 West Springfield Spartan varsity football team won the Northern District Championship with a regular season record of 10-0. The Spartans lost in the regional playoffs to James Madison High School.The 1980 West Springfield Spartan varsity football team went to the Virginia AAA State Championship Game, losing to the Hampton Crabbers. The game was played at W.T.Woodson High in Fairfax, VA.
The 93-94 West Springfield Spartan varsity football team won the Northern District Championship with an undefeated run through the district schedule. The Spartans defeated crosstown rival Lake Braddock SS twice during the season and were the only team to score a touchdown on the Bruins the entire year. West Springfield beat Lake Braddock 24-7 during the regular season and 41-14 in the first round of the regional playoffs. The Spartans would fall to the eventual state champs from Annandale High School in the Northern Region Championship game.
The 06-07 West Springfield Spartan varsity football team holds the Virginia State High School Football record for most combined points for two teams in a single game with West Potomac High School
West Potomac High School
West Potomac High School is a public high school in Fairfax County, Virginia. It is located on 6500 Quander Road and is part of Fairfax County Public Schools.-History:...
. The West Potomac Wolverines won the game 81-74 in 4 overtimes. The Spartans' losing score of 74 has the notorious distinction of being the highest score by a losing team in the history of high school, college, or professional football.
The 07-08 West Springfield varsity football team (10-3) won the Patriot District Championship for the first time since 1994, but went on to lose in the Northern Region Final against the would-be 15-0 State Champion Westfield Bulldogs
Westfield High School (Fairfax County, Virginia)
Westfield High School is a public high school in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, west of the Chantilly CDP.It is a part of Fairfax County Public Schools , serving students from the communities including Chantilly and Centreville as well as areas with Herndon addresses in...
.
The 08-09 West Springfield Spartan varsity football team (10-3) won the Patriot District championship for the second year in a row. They lost two games into the playoffs to undefeated Oakton High school.
The 09-10 West Springfield Spartan varsity football team (4-6) did not win the Patriot District championship. After the 08-09 season, head coach Bill Renner
Bill Renner
William Arthur Renner, Jr. is a former punter in the National Football League who played for the Green Bay Packers. Renner played collegiate ball for Virginia Tech and played professionally for 2 seasons. He retired in 1987. Father of UNC quarterback Bryn Renner and Radio City Rockette Summer...
retired, to be replaced by JT Biddison, who formerly coached at Marshall High School
George C. Marshall High School
George C. Marshall High School is a public school in Idylwood, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, and part of Fairfax County Public Schools . Newsweek ranked Marshall 159th on its 2009 list of the top U.S. high schools.-Name:...
, with a combined record of 29-34.
Varsity wrestling
The West Springfield Spartan wrestling team has claimed three individual state champions; 1982, 1988, and 1990.Varsity basketball
Dave Koesters, Class of 1974, under coach Don McCool, led the basketball to its only state chamionship games after winning district and regional championships: once in 1972 and once in 1974. The 1972 team was the first Fairfax County team to get to the state basketball final. It lost the 1972 state final to Hopewell by a score of 63-55. It lost the 1974 state final to Petersburg High SchoolPetersburg High School (Virginia)
Petersburg High School is located in Petersburg, Virginia.Petersburg High School is located on Johnson Road in Petersburg, Va. The new school combined the old Petersburg High School on Washington Street and the old Peabody High School on Wesley Street.Petersburg High School opened the current...
by a score of 50-48. Petersburg had a player named Mosed Malone. Koesters went on to play basketball at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
.
In 2009 and 2010 the Lady Spartans basketball team won districts and made it to the final four at states before getting defeated. In 2009 the Lady Spartans lost five players including one player who went off to play college basketball, Melanie Todd. She made a big impact in the post. Melanie went off to continue her basketball career at Lincoln Memorial University in 2010, then transferred to Indiana University of Pennsylvania to play in 2011. In 2010 the ladies also won regionals by defeating their biggest competitors in regional semi-finals, Oakton, who they had lost to last year at regionals. They finished with the record 28-3 in 2010. They only had one senior go off to play in college and that was their starting post player Nora Osei, who went off to play basketball at Eastern Mennonite University. She had a huge impact on the team. For the 2011 season, the Lady Spartans will be losing four starting seniors and of those two, Logan Battle has committed to Georgetown University and April Robinson has committed to Duquesne University.
Dance Team
The West Springfield dance team or otherwise known as WSDT, has numerous titles under their belts. Two of those being back to back NDA National Champions in Medium Varsity Hip-Hop and Large Varsity Hip Hop. It is coached by notorious Tara Perez and Jason King, whose memorable and sometimes dark Hip Hop routines make them a well known Hip Hop choreographing duo in the dance world. From 2000-2010 the team has won 1st place in Hip-Hop at every local competition as well as numerous choreography awards. In the America's Got TalentAmerica's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
Youtube auditions, WSDT qualified as one of the top 12 acts, earning them a spot to compete on the show with the other 11 acts. After the in-show Youtube round, WSDT was eliminated in the judge's choice over choosing favors of 14-year old dancer Beth Ann Robinson. However, Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
selected WSDT as her wildcard choice, giving them a second chance to qualify. In the wild card performance, both Howie and Piers didn't respond favorably to their routine except for Sharon. During the results show they passed through to the semifinals over BMX-Stunt Bikers Yellow Designs Stunt Team and singer/musician Shevonne. In the semifinals, they again compete against 11 acts for a place in the Final 10. In the results show, they were in the judge's choice again. With the decisions that the judges made, both Howie Mandel
Howie Mandel
Howard Michael "Howie" Mandel is a Canadian stand-up comedian, television host, and actor. He is well known as host of the NBC game show Deal or No Deal, as well as the show's daytime and Canadian-English counterparts. Before his career as a game show host, Mandel was best known for his role on...
and Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan , known professionally as Piers Morgan, is a British journalist and television presenter. He is editorial director of First News, a national newspaper for children....
chose WSDT and they advanced to the Final 10 over 20-year old singer/pianist Daniel Joseph Baker. In the Top 10, they compete against the other nine acts. As they performed in the Top 10, judges did not respond favorably to their performance as Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan , known professionally as Piers Morgan, is a British journalist and television presenter. He is editorial director of First News, a national newspaper for children....
gave them an X. In the results show, they were finally eliminated.
Cheerleading
The Spartan Cheerleading squad won the AAA state title in 2003 under the direction of Rita Robinson and Betsy Fawsett. They also won the Patriot District Cheerleading Competition in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 beating out a major rival, the Lake Braddock Bruins. The Spartans are the only team in the state to have held their district title of "Most Cheer-Leadingest in All Of The Cheer" for five straight years. Many WSHS Cheerleader alumni have gone on to cheer at colleges including Clemson University, Oklahoma State University, NC State University, University of Virginia, Hampton University, Marshall University, Old Dominion University, The College of William and Mary, Radford University, Ithaca College, Gardner Webb University, Lenoir Rhyne College and Ohio University.Cross Country/Track & Field
The West Springfield Track team has seen AAA State Championships in 1996 and 1998. West Springfield set a national record in 1998 in the distance medley relay with a time of 10:10.30, breaking a record that stood for over 15 years with Pat Conway, Peter Lukens, Matt Scherrer, and Doug McMillan.For the first time in recent history, the West Springfield boys team took home the indoor track Patriot District Championship in 2007. The Girls 4x800m relay consisting of Maddie Wittich, Alexandra Watt, Anna Barber and Paige Kvartunas took the State Outdoor Championship in 2010, setting the Virginia State Meet Record. At Outdoor Nationals, they set the record for the entire State of Virginia. In 2003, Steven Tobin won state's for cross country with a time of 15:47 . Earlier in 2003, the indoor track team won 2 gold medals at Nike Indoor Nationals. Tobin along with seniors John Cook, Joe McMahon and Jeff Day, would win the boys Distance Medley Relay with a time of 10:22.15. The following day, the all-senior team of Cook, Tim Kwak, McMahon and Day would win the boys 4x800 relay, with a meet record time of 7:50.25. Notable coach(es) in the past have been Vic Kelbaugh, Duke Baird, and Chris Pellegrini, coaching multiple state champions in track and field and bringing Patriot District, Northern Regional, and All-State honors to the boys and girls cross-country and track teams over the past 30 years.Swim & Dive
The West Springfield Swim and Dive teams has won AAA State Championships in 1994 and 1995. Most recently the girls got fifth place in 2010, the boys got 35th.Crew
The WSHS crew team was established in 1981. The team primarily owns sweep style eights and fours. Previously the team owned a quad, as well as some smaller boats, but they have since been sold and WSHS crew no longer sculls.In 2008, the men's freshman 8 was awarded the bronze medal at VASRA States, and continued through to compete in Nationals. At nationals, they were the fastest freshman men's 8 out of all of the public school competitors. The same year, the women's varsity eight also qualified for Nationals.
In 2009, the women's freshman 8 got 7th in the state, but with a disqualification of a higher ranking boat, was awarded a place to compete in Nationals.
In 2010, the men's junior eight won the silver medal at VASRA States and qualified to compete in Nationals. Both the women's lightweight four and women's varsity four won second place at states and qualified for Nationals. The women's second four won third place at states.
In 2011, the women's lightweight four won third place at states, qualifying them to compete in nationals. The Men's Varsity eight came in 9th place at State and competed in nationals
Music
The Wind Symphony has, under the baton of Laurence J. Einus, Jr., received consistent ratings of "Superior" at band festivals for the past several years, and the Symphonic and Concert bands, while playing lower grade pieces, continue to receive "Superior" ratings. The Jazz band has received "Superior" ratings in all of their recent competitions, and received several awards during their last spring trip. The school's marching band, the Marching Spartans, has won multiple USSBA Group 5 (A and Open classes) championships, and are Virginia champions and All-States champions. The band earned its fifth Honor Band title in 2009.The Symphonic Orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Steve Fraser, played as an honor orchestra in the 2005 Virginia Music Educator's Association. There is also a Concert Orchestra, an orchestra below the level of the Symphonic Orchestra. A third orchestra is the Chamber Orchestra, a level above the Symphonic Orchestra, which was established in the 2008 school year for the elite players.
WSHS has a Guitar program, with school-provided guitars for students to use. Their Jazz Guitar Combo is one of few high school groups of its kind in the region. They receive consistent ratings of "Superior," as does the Advanced Guitar Ensemble and Guitar Ensemble. The current director is the legendary Mr. Keith Owens. The Guitar Program is currently the largest music department in terms of population, with their 5 different levels of difficulty. Many freshman begin with Guitar 1 to learn the basics of the guitar, with many going on to Guitar 2, and many still go on to other ensembles. Members of the guitar program frequently show off their talents in West Springfield's Battle of the Bands, which every year proves to be phenomenal.
The choral program at WSHS features five classes, three of which require auditions. Treble Choir is an unauditioned all-women's choir. Men's Choir is also an unauditioned choir, but it is composed entirely of men. The three audition choirs are Ladies' Select, Madrigals and Personality. Ladies' Select is an all-women's choir that sometimes sings a capella. Madrigals is a mixed a capella choir. Personality is a mixed dance choir. The all-women's show choir, Pizazz, was disbanded at the end of 2007, despite its numerous awards. At competitions, the Choral Department has received many awards and recognitions, as well as many "Superior" ratings over the past several years. All choral classes were taught by Michael Dombrow from Fall 2002 through Spring 2008, and all show choir performances are choreographed by John Gonzalez. Choral director Erin Huss became the new chorus teacher in the 2008-09 school year.
Theatre
The West Springfield Theatre Department has taken part in the Cappies Critics program since it began in 2002. The department is known for its high quality shows that have garnered many positive reviews . In 2010, West Springfield's production of "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" won a Cappie for Best Make-up.. Kelsey Rose was also nominated for Creativity for composing music and Megan Fraedrich was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a play . In 2009, West Springfield was nominated for Best Costumes, Best Stage Crew, and Best Lead Actress in a Musical (Erin Cafferky) for "Annie Get Your Gun". In 2008, Sara Meinhofer won a Cappie for Best Choreography for "The Music Man." In addition, the school was nominated for Best Sound, Best Sets, Best Stage Crew, Best Orchestra, Best Ensemble in a Musical, and Best Lead Actress in a Musical (Sara Meinhofer).Notable alumni
- Bryn RennerBryn RennerBryn "The Gunner" Renner is an American football quarterback for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He is currently the starting quarterback for the 2011 North Carolina Tar Heels football team.-Early years:...
(class of 2008), UNC Tarheel quarterback - Patrick G. ForresterPatrick G. ForresterPatrick Graham Forrester is a retired United States Army officer and a NASA astronaut. At the time of his retirement from the U.S. Army, Forrester had achieved the rank of colonel...
(class of 1975), astronaut
External links
- http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=70976 WUSA News 9 School Conditions Video
- http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=77656&catid=188 WUSA News 9 Renovation Video
- http://www.soarwestspringfield.com/ West Springfield Renovation Website
- http://www.davealbo.com/West_Springfield_High_School_Renovations.html West Springfield Renovation Website
- http://spartans.metroamericanvbc.org/ West Springfield Volleyball Program
- http://wshs.furrfu.com/ West Springfield Alumni Site
- http://www.classreport.org/usa/va/springfield/wshs/ Another Alumni Site
- http://spartansports.org/ West Springfield Sports Site
- http://wshsband.org/ West Springfield Bands Site
- http://wsbaseball.org/ West Springfield Baseball Site
- http://www.spartantdclub.org/ West Springfield Football Booster site
- http://www.spartansports.org
- http://www.vhsl.org
- http://www.dyestat.com/3state/VA/3xc/statemeet.htm
- http://www.wshs91reunion.com West Springfield Class of 1991 reunion site