It’s back. After not being played the past two years because of COVID, the popular girls high-school Suburban Classic returns to action this season.
The 17th all-star basketball game will be held Sunday, March 20 at 2 p.m. at Madison High School, and consists of many of the top senior players from the 2021-22 season. The action will pit a team of players from the 6D North Region, including four from the state-champion Madison Warhawks, against a squad from the Occoquan Region.
Madison won its third straight state title on March 11.
The game will be preceded by a three-point shooting contest at 12:30 p.m. The activities are sponsored by the Northern Virginia Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (NVWBCA).
After the game, players and coaches of the year from various districts and the two regions will be recognized, and the NVWBCA will present a $500 scholarship to one student. The NVWBCA has awarded more than $25,000 in scholarships in the past 20 years.
The cost to attend the Suburban Classic is $8. All proceeds support the scholarship fund.
“We are so glad the event is back,” said Oakton High School girls basketball coach Fred Priester, a longtime president of the NVWBCA, who organizes the classic. “The players have had a lot of fun in this game in the past. There are some real good players in the game.”
Players from some 14 different high-school teams in Northern Virginia will be represented in the classic.
The Madison players participating will be Grace Arnolie, Alayna Arnolie, Mia Chapman and Kiera Kohler. Madison coach Kirsten Stone will coach the 6D North Region team.
Robinson’s T.J. Dade will coach the Occoquan Region squad.
Madison and Robinson were this season’s two region champions.
Players participating from Langley High School will be Annabeth Holsinger and Caitlyn Shumadine. Mia Fitzgerald will play from McLean, Sophia Zinzi from Oakton, Ana Bournigal from Yorktown, Rylie Hughes from Marshall, Erin Brodnik from Jefferson, Hayfield’s Kristina Ta and Ayana Gillen, Robinson’s Kristine Pham, South County’s Ka’mel Colbert, W.T. Woodson’s Eunice Yoon, Mount Vernon’s Isabel Lujan-Gonzales, Lake Braddock’s Riley Drumm and Skylar Thomas and N’jya Hopkins of Alexandria City.
Many of the players in the game were chosen to all-district and all-region teams.