Maryah Nasir, Varsity Volleyball, Varsity Tennis, & Girls Swimming All Claim Victories

Check out this week’s athletic schedule:
8/30 – Varsity Tennis @ AC Flora, 4:30
9/1 – JV/Varsity Tennis vs. Ashley Hall, 3:30
9/1 – Golf vs. Wilson Hall, 4:00
9/2 – Varsity Football vs. Christ School (NC), 7:00
9/3 – Boys Cross Country @ Palmetto Festival hosted by Ben Lippen, 9:00

Come join us for the Grand Opening of The Tourville Center for Strength, Conditioning, and Rehabilitation this afternoon! 3:15 on the Lower Gym Lawn, with tours available from 3:30-5:30PM!

Duffy Beal escapes a Ben Lippen defender Friday night in the home opener.

Maryah Nasir started off the 2016 season by winning the Skyhawk Invitational on Saturday morning!

The Lady Highlander Swim Team won the Newberry Invitational on Saturday, claiming titles in both of their opening events of 2016!

The Varsity Football team (1-1) held their home opener on Friday night, as they hosted the Ben Lippen Falcons (2-0). The Falcons got started early, racing out to a 43-7 lead at half, as the Highlanders dropped their first contest of 2016, 50-14.

Heathwood would have a tough time throughout the night tackling the Falcons, as Blythewood-transfer Kyle Wright started the scoring on the night with a run less than three minutes in. On the ensuing drive, the Highlanders drove the length of the field, working their way down inside the BL 10-yard line before the drive stalled. Two plays later, Dutch Fork-transfer and recent Virginia Tech commit Bryce Thompson scored on his first of two first half touchdowns to double the BL lead.

After falling behind 22-0 midway through the second quarter, junior Brandon McCullough woke the Highlander faithful with a HH record 99-yard kick return for a touchdown (Matt Watford PAT).

The second half saw a Highlander team compete all the way through the final whistle, highlighted by a Wade Allen interception in the endzone, a Jaelen Kingforced fumble recovered by Gavin Goodwin, and aMac Hardy touchdown reception from Duffy Beal.

This Friday, Heathwood will welcome the Christ School Greenies from Asheville, NC. Christ School (1-1) finished 2015 as the NCISAA AA State Runner-Up, and will enter the game coming off of a loss to Davidson Day.

The 2016 Heathwood Hall Varsity Football Hype Video

The Heathwood Hall Girls Cross Country Team got their 2016 season off to a good start at the Skyhawk Invitational on Saturday. The Lady Highlanders finished in 10th place out of 30 schools represented at the meet. Junior Maryah Nasir led the charge with a first-place finish among the 291 girls competing. Kate Nassaband Emmye Mullins also ran strong races and finished in 61st and 74th places, respectively. In her first cross country race ever, Sarah Hudson finished in 129th place to claim the number four spot for the Heathwood team. Kate Willhide ran a solid race and rounded out the scoring for Heathwood with a 142nd place finish. Additionally, Isabelle Robinson, Catie Johnson, andMeredith Anderson all turned in strong efforts.

Nasir, who was shadowed by Carolina Homeschool’s Olivia Evans for most of the race, pulled away at the 2.5 mile mark and won in an impressive time of 18:59. The Lady Highlanders now prepare for the Coaches Classic,set for September 10th.

The Highlander Boys Cross Country team claimed 10th place in the meet, led by 8th-grader Joseph French‘s 26th place finish. French claimed the fastest time of any middle schooler in the event with an 18:45! Hugh Willcox claimed the meet’s best 7th-grade finish, and placed 42nd with a 19:13, while Ben Feldman (73rd), Nick Basile (89th), and Jack Cook(160th) rounded out the Highlander scoring.

Madison Branum will represent Heathwood today in the Palmetto Preview, hosted by River Bluff HS.

The Highlander Women’s Swimming Team continued their streak by placing 1st (122 pts) at the 2016 Newberry Academy Invitational for the fifth consecutive year. The Highlander Women defeated Cardinal Newman High School (101 pts), Spartanburg Day School (74 pts), Hammond (56 pts), Wilson Hall Swim Team (38 pts), Oakbrook Preparatory School (31 pts), Trinity Byrnes (23 pts), Ben Lippen School (20 pts), Newberry Academy (16 pts), Shannon Forest Chistrian (15 pts), and TSA (2 pts).

The Highlander Men’s Swimming Team practically quadrupled the number of points at the Newberry Invitational that it scored last weekend. Strong relay performances from Jake Sawyer, Luke Gabel, Preston Taylor, Gabe Cooper, and “Mac” Merrittled the team to a tie with Wilson Hall Swim Team (7 pts). Luke Gabel and Jake Sawyer have locked in State qualifying times and look to add more events as the season continues.

Highlander Women Top 5 Finishes:
200 Medley Relay: (L. Richter, A. Wilson, O. Moran, S. Hillmeyer) – 1st Place
200 Freestyle Relay: (L. Richter, A. Wilson, O. Moran, S. Conner) – 1st Place
400 Freestyle Relay: (S. Conner, S. Padgett, L. Derrick, S. Hillmeyer) – 2nd Place

Savannah Hillmeyer: 200 Freestyle – 1st Place, 100 Freestyle – 1st Place
Lily Richter: 100 Backstroke – 1st Place, 200 I.M. – 2nd Place
Abby Wilson: 50 Freestyle – 3rd Place, 100 Breaststroke – 1st Place
Sarah-Northey Pagett: 500 Freestyle – 2nd Place, 200 Freestyle – 2nd Place
Sophia Conner: 50 Freestyle – 6th Place, 100 Backstroke – 4th Place
Olivia Moran: 100 Butterfly – 2nd Place, 50 Freestyle – 4th Place

Under the direction of first-year coach Ashley Jordan, the Varsity Volleyball team opened the 2016 season with three consecutive home matches over a seven-day span. After falling to perennially tough opponents in Thomas Sumter and Richard Winn, the team bounced back with a big win over Orangeburg Prep, led by great performances from captains Jaylen Davis and Flinn Christian! The team will host Mead Hall next Tuesday at 5PM.

The Varsity Tennis team is off to a 2-0 start after wins over Pelion HS and Orangeburg Prep! In the Pelion match, the Highlanders received wins from Francis James, Olivia Merritt, Carter Smith, Kit Mullins, Constance McCants, and Laura McInnis, along with doubles wins from Merritt/Mullins, Smith & Emma Barr, and Claiborne Bunch & Daisy McLeod.

The girls will travel to crosstown rival AC Flora today at 4:30 PM, before hosting Ashley Hall tomorrow at the Cayce Tennis Center.