Woodlawn Ranks #2 in NC 1A Schools: 2017-2018 Wells Fargo Cup Rankings

Written on 25 July 2018.

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Among the 35 schools in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) 1A division, Woodlawn School has earned second place in the 2017-18 Wells Fargo Cup competition.

The Wells Fargo Cup, presented and sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., recognizes overall excellence in high school athletics among NCISAA member institutions. As such, the cup has become the single most valued athletic achievement award in North Carolina. School rankings are determined by point totals earned through competition in state championships. Each school that finishes in the top eight of a state championship tournament receives Wells Fargo Cup points.

This year, Woodlawn ranked #2 with 287.5 points – its highest finish since joining the NCISAA in 2014. In the past three years, Woodlawn has been ranked 11th, 4th, and 5th in the Cup competition. Woodlawn earned points this year in eight different sports: boys cross country (35), girls cross country (25), boys swimming (40 points), girls swimming (25 points), boys track (35 points), girls track (45 points), boys golf (45 points), and boys tennis (37.5 points).

In Woodlawn's four years as a member of the NCISAA, the school has earned five 1A state titles and placed 26 students on NCISAA All-State teams. Additionally, Woodlawn swimming and track teams have topped the 1A rankings four times (those sports combine the 1A and 2A divisions in state championship meets).

“Our continued success in NCISAA athletics stems from having such committed athletes, coaches, parents and administration,” says Vicky Arrington, Athletic Director at Woodlawn School. “We are all thrilled with the progress we have made this year and look forward to further growth in the coming years.”

The full rankings of North Carolina schools eligible for the Wells Fargo Cup can be found here.

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Woodlawn is an independent school founded in 2002 and located just north of Davidson, North Carolina. Enrolling students in grades K through 12, Woodlawn is accredited by both the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and offers a challenging, project-based academic experience.

Berini Honored as NCISAA 1A Cross Country Athlete of the Year

Written on 17 November 2017.

DAVIDSON, N.C. – Senior Tripp Berini has had quite a ride during his four years as a Woodlawn varsity cross country runner. As a freshman, he set a personal best 5K time of 19:42, and placed 14th at the state championship meet (fourth for Woodlawn) as the Trailblazers upset heavily-favored Shannon Forest for their first NCISAA 1A title. In his sophomore season, he lowered his personal record to 18:23, and moved up to place 5th at the state meet (running in the third spot for Woodlawn), helping his team dominate the field for their second straight state championship. Tripp was nagged by injuries in his junior season, but he again came through at the state meet, placing 12th (third for Woodlawn) which allowed the Trailblazers to squeak by Halifax in a tie-breaker for their third title.

In 2017, due to the graduation of Quinn Schneider and Zach Lorch, Tripp knew that the front-running responsibilities would be falling on his shoulders. He set very high goals for himself, and then ramped up his summer training to prepare for his final year of Woodlawn cross country. Unfortunately, disaster struck in late July as he suffered a severe leg injury - as a result, he was forced to abandon running for 6 weeks and miss the first half of the season. Most runners might have assumed that their season was destroyed, but Tripp was not going to be defeated so easily. He spent many hours in the swimming pool, trying to maintain his fitness level, and carefully started running again in mid-September. By October 5th, he was still running gingerly, but competed in his first meet and ran a very respectable 19:00. Two weeks later, Tripp's hard work and careful rehabilitation paid off as he placed first in the SPAA Championship Meet with a new personal best of 18:17, leading his team to their fourth straight SPAA title. The following week at the NCISAA 1A state meet, he ran a nearly-identical time and demolished the field to take home the individual title - the third straight year that a Woodlawn runner claimed that prize.

“This has been an unforgettable season with so many unexpected turns,” said Tripp. “I really am so grateful for all the people that helped me during this season and my cross country career to achieve my goals. I'm really going to miss running here and being on this team next year, but I’m happy that I’ve contributed to the success of this team and I hope to see more success from them in the years to come!”

Tripp's success as an athlete is mirrored in the classroom - he has already been accepted at several universities and has multiple merit scholarship offers to consider as a he makes his college choice. His comeback story also caught the attention of the state running community, and he was recognized as the NCISAA 1A Cross Country Athlete of the Year, an award voted on by all NCISAA coaches. Tripp's cross country legacy at Woodlawn includes two all-state honors and three all-conference selections. His personal record of 17:58 (set at the Footlocker South Regional on Nov. 25, 2017) places him at #5 on the all-time Woodlawn 5K list.

Coach Dwayne Bowman has watched Tripp grow as a student-athlete over the past four years and noted that Tripp really rose to the occasion in his senior season when the team needed him the most. Coach Bowman stated, “Tripp is quick to credit the influence of his current and former teammates - he saw the incredible work ethic of runners like Quinn Schneider up close, and that was an inspiration for him as he faced a grueling road back to competitive racing after his summer injury. Now he has set an example for future Woodlawn runners.”

Boys Cross Country Team Wins Fourth Straight SPAA Conference Title; Girls Take Runner-Up Trophy

Written on 19 October 2017.

DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Woodlawn varsity boys cross country team continued its dominant ways, as they captured the SPAA Conference Championship at Fisher Farm Park on a beautiful autumn afternoon. The boys came in as the race favorites and they did not disappoint, recording four personal records as they cruised to a seven-point victory over second place University Christian. The Woodlawn girls entered the race as slight underdogs, and they could not quite pull off the upset as University Christian managed to edge the Trailblazers by three points in the team standings.

The race started out well for the Woodlawn boys, with senior Tripp Berini, still recovering from a summer injury, charging to the front. Tripp would lead wire-to-wire and finish with a personal record time of 18:17, #6 on the all-time Woodlawn boys 5K list. Freshman Jackson McGeough had a breakout race, smashing the 19-minute barrier for the first time as he finished in second place with a time of 18:46 (moving him to #8 on the all-time list). Sophomore Ethan Mason closed out the scoring for the 'Blazers with a season best performance of 20:28.

The girls race looked like a runaway at the halfway point, with two University Christian runners well ahead of Woodlawn's leader, 7th grader Adina Jacobson. But Adina unleashed a ferocious kick over the last mile, passing both University girls and taking third place to make it a much more interesting competition. Adina's finishing time was a remarkable 22:59, more than a minute below her previous personal best and #6 on the all-time Woodlawn girls 5K list. Senior Zoe Milburn ran to a personal record 24:42, with junior Ally Fleming right behind her with a season best 24:46, as the Trailblazers captured the runner-up trophy.

Tripp and Ally were honored with their third SPAA All-Conference selection, with Jackson taking his second, and Ethan, Adina, and Zoe their first.

View full results of the meet.

Boys Track Team Wins First-Ever Conference Title; Girls Place Second

Written on 11 May 2017.

DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Woodlawn boys varsity track and field team upset defending 1A/2A state champions Victory Christian by a narrow margin to take the SPAA Conference title on a beautiful afternoon at Alumni Track and Field on the Woodlawn campus. Our boys were led by outstanding performances from three seniors: Jake Johnson (1st in 100m, 200m, long jump and 2nd in 400m), Quinn Schneider (1st in 800m, 1600m, 3200m), and Zach Lorch (1st in pole vault, 300m hurdles and 2nd in 110m hurdles). The boys scored a total of 90 points to win the meet, followed by Victory Christian (82), Hickory Christian (65), University Christian (9), and Christ the King Catholic (4).

The Woodlawn girls also displayed some exceptional performances, earning their third straight SPAA Conference Runner-Up trophy. University Christian took the team honors, based primarily on their dominance in the distance and jumping events. Sophomore Megan Dailey (1st in 100m, 200m and 2nd in long jump) and 8th grader Natalie Boyle (2nd in long jump, 100m hurdles and 3rd in 300m hurdles) were the top scorers for the Trailblazers. Final team standings for the girls were University Christian (96), Woodlawn (64), Victory Christian (61), and Hickory Christian (12).

Woodlawn athletes now turn their attention to the NCISAA 1A/2A state championship, which will be held at Campbell University on May 19-20. The Trailblazers set a new standard this season by qualifying 8 boys and 8 girls for the state championship, and they hope to surpass last year's state meet scoring effort of 20 points (boys) and 15.5 points (girls). Listed below are the Woodlawn state qualifiers, along with their 1A/2A state rankings where applicable:

Matt Childers - Discus
Jake Johnson - 100m (#5), 200m (#2), 400m (#4), Long Jump (#3), Triple Jump
Zachery Lorch - 110m hurdles (#9), 300m hurdles (#5), Pole Vault (#3)
Quinn Schneider - 800m (#3), 1600m (#1), 3200m (#1)
Tripp Berini - 800m, 1600m
Jack Hager - 100m
Ethan Mason - 400m
RJ Klein - 400m

Zoe Milburn - 400m, 800m
Megan Dailey - 100m (#7), 200m (#10), Long Jump (#4)
Ally Fleming - 400m
Hadley Zucker - Pole Vault (#1)
Madison Berini - 400m, Long Jump (#10)
Natalie Boyle - 100m hurdles, 300m hurdles, 400m, High Jump (#4)
Carmen Lolla - 100m, 200m
Gabby Polsky - Shot Put, Discus (#5)

View full results of the SPAA Championship meet.
Photo gallery from the SPAA Championship meet

Three Woodlawn Students Advance to National NHD Competition

Written on 03 May 2017.

DAVIDSON, NC —During the North Carolina state competition of National History Day, held in Raleigh on April 29, 2017, three Woodlawn School students qualified to advance to the National finals to be held in College Park, Maryland in June. This year’s theme was “Taking a Stand”.

Junior Individual Documentary: 1st Place Joey Carol Dr. Roy Vagelos Distributes Pharmaceuticals for Free

Junior Paper: 1st Place Camille Vandeveer Southern Women and the Right to Vote

Senior Paper: 2nd Place Mitch Porter Portugal's Age of Exploration

Eighth grader, Joey Carol won first place for his 10-minute documentary about Dr. Roy Vagelos, the former CEO of Merck Pharmaceuticals, who took a stand for world health by distributing medication to treat tropical river blindness free of charge. Joey interviewed Dr. Vagelos in New York. He also wrote a letter to the Carter Center in Atlanta and was able to interview former President Carter. President Carter invited Joey to the Carter Center where Joey was able to meet with Carter and others involved with world health issues. President Carter introduced Joey to a group of Carter Center benefactors as "his new, close friend."

Another 8th grader, Camille Vandeveer, won first place for her historical research paper about the women's suffrage movement in America and how it was experienced by Southern women. She created her thesis around the idea that Southern women had to take a different approach in their stand for suffrage. She emailed professors and authors, heard back from Dr. Marjorie Spruill of the University of South Carolina, and was able to set up an interview with her. Camille writes in her annotated bibliography: "This interview with Dr. Spruill was one of the most interesting things that I did in my research. We talked about many interesting topics in relation to suffrage. We spoke about the importance of their Southern Lady image, the importance of Southern values and how social status and race played into the suffrage movement. We also discussed how America changed after the suffrage movement."

Finally, Woodlawn Upper School Freshman Mitch Porter, received second place for his historical research paper titled "Portugal's Age of Exploration: A Tiny Country with a Global Mission". Mitch writes in his paper's introduction, "During the Age of Exploration, the Kingdom of Portugal transformed the operations of the world stage; Portugal led a monumental change in the balance of world power. As a small European nation, it was able to take a powerful stand in new trade, commerce, and colonization around the world during the early 1600s." Mitch analyzed a document written as far back as 1829 that focused on the 17th century. Mitch stated, "This was the only primary source I was able to find due to Spanish Inquisition in Iberia; few primary sources survive from within the region. Peele’s work was common in England, where the Inquisition never reached." Mitch was also the 2017 winner of the NC National History Day special prize in naval history. The National Maritime Historical Society sponsors this award, which includes a $150 prize and a subscription to the Society’s magazine.

National History Day is a nationwide competition open to Middle and Upper School students, who submit a project in one of several categories (research paper, video documentary, website, exhibit, performance) relating to a particular theme. The winners advance to the regional, state, and national levels. Woodlawn students have participated in the competition every year since 2005.

Schneider Signs with US Naval Academy

Written on 19 April 2017.

DAVIDSON, NC — Upper school students and faculty gathered in the Red Barn on April 19 to witness senior Quinn Schneider’s signing ceremony. Quinn has committed to attend the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he will run on the varsity cross country and track teams for the Midshipmen. Navy has a stellar cross country tradition, having finished first for the past four years in the Patriot League (NCAA Division I). The team also advanced to the Division I national championship this past season, along with just 30 other college teams.

Quinn is an accomplished long distance runner who has represented Woodlawn at the highest level on both the varsity cross country and track teams for the past four years. He has been instrumental in Woodlawn’s three NCISAA 1A state cross country championships - finishing second individually in 2014 and then placing first the 2015 and 2016 state meets. In his senior season he was so dominant (running a school record 15:40 for the 5K distance) that he was named Charlotte Observer Runner of the Year, as well as NCISAA 1A Athlete of the Year for 2016.

Quinn’s long distance prowess extends to the track as well. He turned heads in his junior season when he upset the favored runner in the NCISAA 1A/2A state championship 3200m event, recording a time of 9:31 to win the race and shatter the Woodlawn school record by 16 seconds. This season, he is picking back up where he left off - he’s already run a 4:22 for 1600m (equalling his personal record from last season) and has his sights set on even better performances as the track season culminates at the state meet in May.

Quinn’s work ethic is legendary - both in the classroom and on the track and trails. He received a good bit of notoriety this past winter when an unusual 6-inch snowfall covered the track in January. Quinn shoveled off lane 1 of the track in order to complete his workout, while documenting this unusual feat with a drone-based camera system. The short video was featured in the Washington Post, and was picked up across the country on TV news stations and websites (it received over 43,000 views on YouTube).

Quinn becomes Woodlawn’s first-ever graduate to enroll in a military academy - he was quickly followed by classmate and fellow all-state runner Zachery Lorch, who received an appointment to the Air Force Academy. He leaves very large shoes to fill at Woodlawn, but he will serve as an inspiration for Woodlawn students for many years to come.

Patrick and Lore Schneider of Cornelius are Quinn's parents.