Athletes are untying their cleats, taking off their knee pads, and storing away their hockey sticks as the Jackson-Reed fall athletic season comes to an end. Hear about our teams’ journeys, below, proving once again that they put up a great fight for the ‘Jackson-Reed’ name on their jerseys. 

Field Hockey:

With a short field hockey season, the team finished 3-6. The team was limited to only 5 in-season games and a weekend tournament to develop players’ skills as they had many newcomers. The season started with a 2-1 win against Oakrest School, followed by a loss against the National Cathedral School. The annual tournament at Justice High School included 4 games that resulted in a 1-3 score overall. 

While the record may not be what the team wanted, the players remain proud of themselves and their teammates. Sophomore Nora Kaprowski said “it’s amazing watching each other grow throughout the season and our work paid off, especially towards the end of the season.” She loves how the team is truly a safe space that allows people to be themselves in a very supportive environment. Freshman Eliza Bowers-Shreve agreed, emphasizing that, “the team was really fun because we got to build a community, which also helped us collaborate on and off the field.” 

Cross country:

The co-ed cross country team went from tournament to tournament, showing out in each race. One of the team’s favorite tourneys was the Maryland Twilight Showcase 5K (Under the Lights), where two underclassmen, Freshman Simon Mitchell and Sophomore Milo Gavin both reached Personal Bests. Meanwhile, Sophomore Marta Flabbi-Fruttero led the girls side in a time of 20:52. 

The team also traveled all the way to North Carolina on October 4 for the Great American XC festival. Bhat remembers, during their time in NC,  “the team had some fun at a Haunted House and went out to dinner together.” In the DCIAA championships the boys placed 3rd overall and the girls placed 2nd overall. They competed in the DCSAA championships, with athletes participating in the JV, Varsity B, and Varsity. Gavin placed 5th in the JV race in 18:23; Flabbi-Fruttero placed 2nd in the girls JV race in 21:18; Bhat placed 5th in the boys varsity race in 15:45. While this is where the season ended for most, on November 22, some varsity athletes traveled back to NC for Nike Cross Regionals Southeast for their last meet. 

Volleyball (Max-Preps too):

The girls’ volleyball team started strong despite being built off of a lot of new players, but fell short in the DCIAA championships. In the championship they lost to School Without Walls, 2-3. Their season officially ended, though, in the DCSAA playoffs against GDS, who has been known to be a powerhouse. They finished with a 20-6 record. The team has come a long way since the beginning of the season. This year, there were six Freshman who made varsity, not to mention other new players such as Junior co-captain Tyaja James. So, it was originally a challenge to communicate and work together; they had to learn each others’ play.  For James, “Every one of my teammates has taught me something that will stay with me as I continue to progress in my volleyball career.”

• Tyaja James (Junior): I’m new to Jackson Reed, it was a new environment for me to be in, playing for the team. One of my highlights was definitely getting captain because I’m new and my teammates were putting their trust in me. Throughout the season I would say I got to know my team really well, and having half freshmen and half seniors, it was interesting getting to see the difference between the people to look up to and the people to teach. I had a big role in the team. Senior night was definitely our best game. It was electric, the stands were full, energy was up, we lost but everybody had a great time playing. 
• The challenge was initially working together as a team, having not really met each other or been familiar with working fluidly or communicating during a game. One of my favorite parts of playing on the jackson reed team was getting to know my teammates though and having a better understanding of them on the court.
• Every one of my teammates has taught me something that will stay with me as I continue to progress in my volleyball career.

Crew: 

The boys and girls crew teams, known for their early morning practices, had a good start to the year. The varsity girls crew team tied with the all-time team record for best placement at Head of the Charles race in Boston. That race was a highlight for Junior Anya Furry, who said “I had so much fun racing it as well as just exploring the city and all the sights at the race course.” In their last regatta of the year on the Occoquan River, the 1V girls boat beat their biggest rival Walt Whitman. They placed 2nd overall, achieving their goal. Senior coxswain Maya Raj said there weren’t “many low parts of the season.”

Meanwhile, the boys beat Walt Whitman as well in three second place finishes at the Sweepers Head of the Potomac, Occoquan Chase, and Head of the Occoquan. They finished 11 at Head of the Schuylkill, and third scholastically. Captain Etan Zerwitz said the main challenge of the season was they “had to deal with a lot of missed practices from [their] top rowers and coxswain because they were on official visits with colleges.” Overall, Zerwitz is “proud of [their] fall season and excited to make progress over winter to win some races in the spring.”

Ultimate Frisbee:

The girls’ and boys’ Ultimate Frisbee teams also had a successful fall season. While their fall season is focused mostly on new player development, the boys and girls team took home 5th and 6th place respectively at Coconut Classic, a tournament in New Jersey. The teams also combined to play in the co-ed Mixed Virginia States tournament, winning 5th place and taking home a 4-1 record on the weekend. 

Senior Dan Kaye said, “we had a super great fall season that was focused on team building, skill conditioning, and having a great time.” Senior Captain Maddie Woods echoed this sentiment, saying, “we really grew as a team this season and we’re really excited to see all we can accomplish this spring.” 

The fall season of 2025 went by in a flash. For the Seniors, it is their very last time playing this sport with JR, and this is an ending they should be proud of. Meanwhile, the year-round sports, such as frisbee and crew, are just gearing up with a start to the year that deserves recognition.