A Winning Season Built on Teamwork, Trust

 

Varsity lacrosse team brings home state championship.

Theirs was a season seven years in the making, and a championship won with only 17 seconds left on the clock. 

For the seven seniors who helped clinch the 2021 state championship for St. Mary’s Episcopal School varsity lacrosse, their final season of play reflected the girls’ strength, determination, and mutual trust as a tight-knit team. Most of the seniors began playing lacrosse together in sixth grade, and Varsity Head Coach and SMS Athletics Director John Bartholomew says their tenure as teammates fostered an atmosphere of leadership and chemistry on the field.  

“These girls tended to get stronger as the game went on and wore down their opponents,” said parent volunteer Jeffrey Block, whose daughter Josie ’24 was on the team. “Most importantly, they were mentally tough in knowing they were never out of a game and would pull together when down.” 

According to the players, dedication and hard work, coupled with teamwork and trust, kept them moving together on the field—and kept them laughing and coming back despite the grind. 

“I learned how to trust from my teammates, and I learned from Coach B. and the assistant coaching staff that hard work now means fun later,” said Rachel Beem ‘21. “Any game can change in a split second, and it takes a tremendous amount of trust to know that everyone on the team will make the right decisions at the right moments. All the conditioning in the beginning gave us time later to really enjoy the game and, as we would say, ‘start schemin’.’”

In addition to the team’s resolute efforts, the new donor-driven indoor training facility at the Athletic Wellness Center was a game changer.

“It was not lost on us that the first year we had an indoor practice space and on-site strength training and conditioning equipment, was also the year we brought home the state championship,” said Susan Jones, mother of Grace ‘22. Susan and husband, Will, have now seen all three of their daughters play lacrosse for the Turkeys.

“The new athletic and wellness center was critical to our success,” Bartholomew agreed. “Before this season, we would miss substantial practice time due to wet fields, but thanks to the strength and conditioning center, during rain outs we spent our afternoons lifting weights or practicing stick skills on Linkous Field.”

In April, Bartholomew arranged for SMS to square off against Florida’s IMG Academy, one of the country’s top teams. While the players were understandably unnerved to face such a fierce competitor, the opportunity to sharpen their skills — and hold their own — against national champions helped bolster the Turkeys’ collective confidence in their abilities. 

“Although we lost against IMG, we played a very good game, and it was at this moment that our players realized how good we were,” said Bartholomew. “We didn’t lose a game after that.”

And on May 15—just two days before the seniors would celebrate their commencement—the Turkeys defeated the Harpeth Hall Honeybears for the state championship title. Down by one with less than a minute remaining in the final quarter, two-time all-American midfielder Virginia Horton ‘21, secured the tying goal to bring the score 5-5. With just moments to go in regulation play, All-American Rebekah Leventhal ‘21 passed the ball to Carrington Davis ‘22, academic all-American, who scored the winning point and clenched the victory for St. Mary’s with 17 seconds left on the clock. 

It was a powerful moment for St. Mary’s, made even sweeter by the knowledge that Davis was cleared to return to competitive play only two months earlier following an accident that jeopardized her athletic career. After multiple surgeries and a gradual return to rotation, Davis’s recovery — strengthened by the steadfast support of her teammates—led to what was according to many, the proudest and most rewarding moment for the Turkeys in a season filled with wins.

“I am incredibly proud of the class of ’21 for their resilience,” said Bartholomew. “We have been building this program for years, and our victory was made sweeter knowing that we didn’t cut any corners and we didn’t rely on lucky breaks.”

Bartholomew was also quick to acknowledge the breadth of individuals who made this championship season possible, from the parent volunteers and assistant coaches, Thomas Quinlen and Caryn Welsh, to the school’s athletic trainer, Bob Dunaway, and strength and conditioning specialist Claire Betti. Bartholomew also extended a heartfelt shout-out to Coaches Christine Mudalige and Tricia Dewey, who led many of this year’s seniors to win a middle school lacrosse championship in 2016 as eighth graders. 

“This leadership and winning experience trickled down to their younger classmates, particularly the class of ‘22 who were instrumental to our championship this year,” said Bartholomew. 

In addition to the state title, Bartholomew took home Coach of the Year accolades from The Daily Memphian, The Commercial Appeal, and Tennessee’s chapter of US Lacrosse. Horton was named the female Player of the Year by both The Daily Memphian and The Commercial Appeal.

As for the future of lacrosse at St. Mary’s, Bartholomew remains heavily involved in the development of players from junior varsity, middle school and even grades 3-5.

“We are always building and looking ahead to our future,” said Bartholomew. “The consistency of SMS lacrosse is very important to me, and that demands taking a wide-lens view and making sure all players get opportunities. This model was part of our success this season, and I believe it will benefit us greatly in 2022 and beyond.”

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  • Upper School

Additional Images

On Senior Night, St. Mary's recognized seven players.  Left to right: Coach John Bartholomew, Margaret Saab, Rachel Beem, Ellen Feild, Turkey, Rebekah Leventhal, Emily Taylor, Virginia Horton, Faith Preston, and Assistant Coach Thomas Quinlen. 

The whole school celebrated the Lacrosse team’s victory with a parade through campus.

Students in the Lower School were especially excited to celebrate the lacrosse team's big win. Several players served as coaches for St. Mary's Lower School lacrosse team. 

Two-time all-American midfielder Virginia Horton ’21 (above) was named The Daily Memphian’s female Player of the Year. Horton, Carrington Davis '22, Rebekah Leventhal '22, Amelia Quinlen '22, and Emily Taylor '21 were named Varsity Lacrosse All-Region players. 

The Turkeys celebrate a regular season win over Hutchison School.