competitive excellence with humility
No question about it, Anne Wiltshire and Ryan Mostrom are superb athletes. They’re intense competitors and outstanding team players. They’re confident without being cocky. They checked their egos at the door. They’ve earned their stripes the old fashioned way – through hours of practice and buckets of sweat – and their efforts have been duly rewarded.
At the end of the spring season, each was named player of the year in Central Virginia – Anne in soccer and Ryan in tennis -- by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Their similarities don’t end with the recognition, however. Perhaps the most striking parallel is their modesty. Indeed, neither is particularly comfortable talking about individual accomplishments, so let’s hear what their friends have to say.
“Anne is a quiet competitor,” said Mayme Beth Donohue, a classmate and basketball teammate. “She doesn’t talk on the field or court if you’re playing against her, but she does come to play and she will definitely beat you. She’s incredible.”
“What makes Ryan so good?” says tennis coach Wes Atiyeh ‘84. “Definitely his attitude. He’s got the most positive attitude on and off the court. He’s gifted, but he’s not complacent. He plays his best when he’s playing the best players. He’s a great role model for our younger players.”
Wiltshire, a forward who will play for Washington & Lee in the fall, scored 20 goals and contributed 14 assists as her team finished 18-2, won its eighth consecutive League of Independent Schools championship, and earned No. 3 ranking in the Times-Dispatch Coaches Poll. “I definitely don’t play for the awards,” she said. “My motivation is to play for the team.”
This soccer team was something special. There were nine seniors, many of whom had been together for years, and an outstanding cast of underclassmen that promises success for years to come. “I don’t know when another team like this will come along,” added Wiltshire, who’s earned All-Metro and All-LIS honors the last two years. “We all get along so well. We’re best friends. Our practices are a lot of fun.”
Wiltshire, who shared the player-of-the-year honor with Clover Hill’s Emily Renkin, has played soccer year-round since she was 9. Most recently, she’s been a stalwart for FC Richmond Mystx. “Soccer is a sport where I can get exercise,” adds Wiltshire, who played point guard for the Cougars the last three winters. “It’s a great stress reliever. I’ve met so many people I wouldn’t have known otherwise, and I’ve had some great coaches. And it’s fun.”
Mostrom, a rising junior, was the No. 1 player on the area’s top ranked team and the Prep League runnerup.
He was 16-2 in singles, won the prestigious Woodberry Forest Invitational, earned All-Prep and All-Metro honors for the second consecutive year, and was the T-D Scholar-Athlete for April.
“I was quite surprised, actually,” he said of his player-of-the-year recognition. “It’s a great honor to receive. “You’re out there on the court by yourself, but everything you do is a contribution to the team as a whole.”
Mostrom, who’s also a sweeper on the Collegiate soccer team, is No. 9 in the USTA Mid-Atlantic rankings and No. 250 nationally in the 16-under age bracket. This summer, he’s making the rounds of regional and national tournaments. His goal is to play Division I tennis.
Watch him play a match, and it’s difficult to tell if he’s winning or behind. He’s steady and totally focused from the opening serve to the final point. He never becomes flustered. He rarely shows emotion, but his passion and drive are definitely there.
“When you’re on the court,” says Mostrom, “you have to keep things in perspective. Tennis is still a sport. It fulfills me. I play tennis because I love it.”
