As the AFS Athletics 2024-2025 winter season nears its conclusion, lots of Roos have been accomplishing great things on basketball courts, wrestling mats, indoor tracks and in swimming pools throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Below are a few recent highlights:
On Saturday, January 25, AFS Middle School Wrestling coach Justin Solonynka and several members of the Rasslin’ Roos traveled to Springfield Township Middle School for the 2025 Spartan Invitational Tournament. The Roos collected four victories on the mat in a tourney filled with a host of talented area middle school grapplers. Kudos to Aza W. ’30, Blake B. ’30, Will N. ’30, Matteo A. ’30, Isaac A. ’30 and Amelia S. ’29 for mixing it up on the mat all day.
On Tuesday afternoon, AFS Varsity Boys Basketball celebrated their four 12th grade players and manager prior to the team’s Senior Day game against Academy of the New Church. With their families on hand for the festivities and pregame tributes composed and read by teammates, Zamir Parker-Barnes ’25, Kamani Healey ’25, Jason Green ’25 and team manager Sydney Coleman ’25 were honored for all their many contributions to AFS Boys Basketball and the wider AFS community. Thanks for everything, Zah, Kamani, Jason and Sydney, best of luck as you move on from AFS. This afternoon, AFS Varsity Wrestling will honor their senior Jackson McWilliams ’25 prior to the team’s match with Germantown Friends School. Congrats, Jackson.
On Wednesday night, AFS Varsity Indoor Track headed down to the Ott Center on Penn’s campus for the Friends Schools Invitational with Friends’ Central, GFS, George School, Shipley and Barrack Academy. It was another stellar night for the Roos as a host of athletes established new personal bests, recorded AFS all-time top-10’s, and set new school records at the meet. Amongst the noteworthy accomplishments were yet another school record of 1:32.81 in the 4×200 relay for James Soergel ’25, Ethan Hodnett Bell ’25, Gio D’Amico ’27 and Jarius Ford ’26. James and Jarius also set new school standards in the 60 meters and 200 meters (James) and the triple jump (Jarius). Rihanna Williams ‘25 continued her record-setting campaign by smashing the school’s long jump record with a leap of 16’10” good for 25th in Pennsylvania this season. Rihanna also won the triple jump in 35’11.25, which fell short of her season best of 36’2.5”, a top-10 in Pennsylvania. Niels Rush ’25 established a new school mark in pole vault at 7’6”. Earlier in the week, Lucy Byrd ’28 set new school records and Pennsylvania season top-10’s in the 400 meters (57.66) and 200 meters (25.47) at the PTFCA Festival also at Penn. Way to go, Roos!
