Briar Woods Grad Zach Deaton Places 4th at Collegiate Triathlon Nationals Sprint in Alabama

Article and photos courtesy Aaron Bradner

(Apr. 14, 2011) - Former Briar Woods High School XC/Track runner Zach Deaton and is now currently a Virginia Tech Hokie Club Triathlete. This past Saturday, April 9, Deaton and 21 other Hokies made the trip to Tuscaloosa Ala. for the USA Collegiate Triathlon Nationals.

The event represented over 1,600 multisport athletes and 120 academic institutions. The three races were divided up into Men's and Women's Olympic distance race, and also a Sprint distance triathlon. Deaton raced the sprint distance and came in 4th in the undergrad division and 7th overall out of 295 males.

Deaton first stumbled upon the sport when he decided he didn't want to continue his running career at the next level, turning down walkon opportunities at Longwood University and Radford University.

"I wanted to challenge myself not with just one sport, but with multiple sports in one (endurance) race," said Deaton.

He has currently competed in only three triathlons so far but his future in the sport is looking pretty bright. His parents have a lot of experience in this sport as they used to race over seas and compete in ultra-marathons, triathlons, and even Ironman's.

"I hope to one day complete an Ironman, like my Dad, but I need to be a little patient and not jump into a race that completely destroys the body," said Deaton.


Overall the Virginia Tech Club triathlon men's team finished 8th out of teams in the Olympic distance event.

Baseball: Stone Bridge Grad Mattingly Switches Schools, Sports

(Apr. 7, 2011) - Stone Bridge Class of 2010 grad Mike Mattingly is giving up football at Lackawanna College to play baseball at Frederick Community College.

Mattingly will enroll in August and expects to play first base for the Cougars, who are coached by Rodney Bennett and currently ranked No. 1 in the country in Division II Junior College baseball at 26-1 for the season. The Cougars went to the Junior College World Series last year finishing in 5th place.

Former Stone Bridge standout Tyler Basso, who was first team All-State and first team Washington Post All-Met, plays third base and piches for Frederick.

Mattingly hit .409 as a junior for the Bulldogs and had a .539 on base percentage, earning all- Liberty district honors in 2009. He had to give up his senior baseball season to have labrum surgery from a injury suffered during football season.