Lacrosse won the IAC championship, Rugby won the MAVRC championship, and 16 student-athletes earned All-IAC honors, including Anthony Panetti ’24, The Washington Post All-Met and IAC Player of the Year for lacrosse. Here is a wrap-up of the spring 2024 varsity sports season.
Baseball
Under its new Head Coach, Henry Martinez, and captains Jay Adams ’24, Reed Fernandes ’24, George Lee ’25, and James Pedas ’24, the varsity baseball team developed throughout the season and made an IAC championship series appearance, ultimately coming in second in the league. This playoff run, which Coach Martinez identified as a goal at the beginning of the season, was kept alive through Davis Recker ‘24’s walk-off RBI in the 11th inning of the quarterfinal against Episcopal, followed by the team’s second road win of the season against St. Albans. Coach Martinez cited both of these feats as highlights of the season. In addition to these successes, Coach Martinez was proud of the boys’ comeback win against Riverdale Baptist early in the season, and he agreed with his captains’ assessment in the Spring Season Preview that playing such talented teams during spring break provided a valuable opportunity for growth going into the IAC season. The team finished the year with an overall record of 13-15 and an IAC record of 7-7 (including going 2-2 in the IAC tournament). Josh Burstein ’26, Sam Rosand ’25, and Bo White ’26 were named All-IAC. Rosand also received All-Met honorable mention from The Washington Post.
Crew
With Head Coaches Chris Ros and Kali Palmiotto at the helm, the crew team built on the program’s first season last year, adding more members to its ranks and naming the program’s first captain, Jett Pedersen ’25, mid-season. The novices progressed well over the season, with Leo Iacovelli ’26 qualifying for Mid-Atlantics, which took place in New Jersey in early May. Will Cate ’26, Liam Pilkington ’26, and Luke Yang ’27 also qualified in the U17 boat, and Pedersen qualified in the 2V boat. Due to Pedersen’s boat’s performance at Mid-Atlantics, he is headed to Nationals, making him the first Landon rower in program history to qualify! The team also competed closer to home at Thompson Boat House and Riley’s Lock, and its members look forward to having the program progress and grow in seasons to come.
Fencing
It is safe to say that Head Coach Matt Johnson’s goals at the beginning of fencing season were met this spring: the team improved in skill, competed, and had fun. The veteran fencers – Holton-Arms’ Kira Bardin (Holton 2026), Ryan Kramer ’25, and captain Ryan Loev ’24 – did a great job of mentoring the squad’s many novice fencers. The team, with a final record of 2-3, competed more than they had in previous years and hosted matches in Riddleberger Gym. They managed to sweep St. Anselm’s, with Bardin and Abdu Dembele ’26 scoring match-winning points.
Golf
The varsity golf team, led by Head Coach Andy Luther and captain Griffin Lugar ’24, navigated the young and inexperienced roster by achieving small, daily goals designed to build camaraderie, as well as a competitive spirit, within the team. By the end of the season, the returners had gained experience with mentoring, and the novices grew tremendously both in their golf skills and their ability to remain composed under pressure. The team benefited from several individuals’ ability to step up in different competitions – there were four golfers who shot low individual scores throughout the season. The lowest individual score of the season came against Georgetown Prep, when Will LeBlanc ’26 shot a 35 on the day. Performances like that earned LeBlanc All-Met honorable mention from The Washington Post. The team’s lowest score came against Loyola Blakefield, with a 187, and the overall record for the season was 8-5, although the lack of experience showed in IAC matches, in which the team went 1-4. The golfers rallied at the IAC championship, however, finishing third. Coach Luther explained that the season ended on a high note: the team won the Freeman Memorial Tournament, with Lugar, LeBlanc, and Owen Moore ’26 scoring a 77. On that same day, Mac Marshall ’25 scored a 78, and Nick Appleton ’26 – a first-year golfer for the school – shot an 86.
Lacrosse
For the first time since 2017, the varsity lacrosse team won both the IAC regular season and tournament, led by Head Coach Will McGettigan and captains Nathan Furgeson ’24, Kevin Miller ’24, Davis Owens ’24, Anthony Panetti ’24, and Ahmed Zaid ’24. The team finished with an overall record of 17-2 and an undefeated IAC record of 7-0 (5-0 in the regular season and 2-0 in the tournament). After sufferings its only two losses early in the season, the team built on its successful spring break trip to Texas, beating perennially strong Highland Park High School and Episcopal School of Dallas, and never looked back, winning the remaining games on their schedule. In addition to these obvious accomplishments, Coach McGettigan listed the comeback overtime win at Gonzaga as a highlight of the season, demonstrating the importance of keeping a cool head under pressure – both the pressure of the in-game situation of being down a number of goals at halftime, and the overall pressure of the season’s success. The team kept its composure throughout the season, remaining true to the team standards – Compete. Next play. Team. This attitude paid off through both the team’s accomplishments and individual accolades, as seven players earned All-IAC honors: Zach Abramson ’24, Miller, Sean Murray ’25, Owens, Panetti, Chase Robertson ’24, and Troy Ulisney ’24. Panetti was named Washington Post All-Met and IAC Player of the Year for boys' lacrosse. Owens and Robertson received first team All-Met honors while Abramson, Miller, and Ulisney received honorable mention.
Outdoor Track & Field
Head Coach Griffin Gagnon credits the senior leadership of his team with assisting the culture building that the team worked toward this season, shouting out not only captains Nicolas Alway Roza ’24, Brannon Hamilton ’24, Ari Kalish ’24, Ian Lever ’24, and Milan Mattheis ’25, but also many others and remarking that they “left an indelible mark on the program.” These leaders, as well as younger athletes, both novice and veteran, made strides throughout the season, culminating in a 5th place finish at the IAC championship meet. Of note was Kalish’s performance at the Bishop McNamara Invitational, which broke the school record for 400-meter hurdles. Additionally, Anthony Akwara ’25 continued to improve in pole vaulting, finishing second in the IAC championship meet. Finally, Mattheis built on his impressive indoor throwing season, with the help of first-year throws coach Kalah Brown. Having already broken the indoor shot put school record in the winter, he went for the outdoor discus record this season – and recorded the second farthest throw in school history. He also earned All-IAC honors, winning both the discus and shot put at the IAC championship meet.
Rugby
Head Coach Sam Tyler and captains Dean Farber ’24, Barrett Hoffman ’24, and Hugh Neill ’24 led the varsity rugby team to an undefeated season – 6-0 in the regular season and 2-0 in the playoffs – and a MAVRC (Metro Area Varsity Rugby Conference) championship. In total, over the eight games, the team ended the season with 276 points for and 91 points against. Coach Tyler was particularly proud of the team’s resounding, hard-fought wins against DeMatha and Gonzaga to end the regular season, as well as the veterans’ approach to mentoring the less experienced players. The few returning players helped the novices learn the nuances of the game, while the newer players remained coachable and put in the hard work to thrive in a new sport. At the conclusion of the season, Tucker Akridge ’24, Farber, Marshall Hyman ’25, Lucas Knight ’24, Jack Lapham ’24, and Neill were named All-MAVRC, while Graham Haberl ’24, Tiller Smith ’25, and Jonathan Willis ’25 earned Honorable Mention. Even with so many seniors graduating from the program this year, 23 in total, the team looks to be in good hands in the coming year!
Tennis
The varsity tennis team made it to its second consecutive IAC tournament final this season, ending the season with an overall record of 8-3 and a 4-1 IAC record, going 1-1 in the tournament. Captains Rex Bondi ’24 and Jeh-Lei Fan ’25 led a young but experienced team to a successful season, with another highlight being finishing second at the George Shaeffer Invitational in Philadelphia for the first time. Head Coach WT Miller ’86 was proud of his team’s win over Gilman School and the determination with which his athletes played. This was especially true in the two close matches against St. Albans. At season’s end, Bondi, Fan, and Frank Wang ’26 were named All-IAC.
Ultimate Frisbee
Head Coach Bryan Calloway’s small ultimate squad welcomed a number of new players this season to their still senior-heavy squad. Captains Sean Curran ’24, Khalil Dembele ’24, Benji Groeschel ’24, and Christian Jensen ’24 brought skill and spirit to the game and mentored newer and younger players to greater skill acquisition. In particular, Coach Calloway was impressed by the chemistry between Curran and Jensen, as Jensen was able to convert a number of Curran’s long passes to large territorial gains for the team. Zachary Fekrat ’26 proved to be a great all-around utility player, and newcomer to the sport James Hanley ’24 provided much-needed defensive support. A competitive highlight was a comeback win against Maret, overcoming a 2-7 deficit at the half, and the team finished 1-2 on the season.
