BLACKSBURG – Nine student athletes at Blacksburg High School are continuing their careers at the collegiate level – Sean DeLorenzo, Cameron Lee, Mia Littlejohn, Allie McDonald, Eric Metrey, Michael Mullins, Evelyn Rhoads, Audrey Stenger and Bode Thompson – are all slated to sign pen to paper today, Wednesday, May 1, in the school’s gymnasium.
Sean DeLorenzo, a senior boys soccer captain, has committed to play collegiate soccer and continue his academic and athletic career at the University of Lynchburg. Sean has led the varsity soccer team in goals his sophomore and junior years, achieving All District and All Region honors both years.
Throughout his career, he has played club soccer for Virginia United and VBR Star in the Elite Clubs Regional League and United Soccer League Academy. Sean is a two-time Virginia State Cup Champion with his club teams, winning in 2022 and 2023. Sean holds a 4.1 GPA and has been selected to the Westover Honors program at the University of Lynchburg.
Cameron Lee, a senior at Blacksburg High School, began her running journey in the spring of her sophomore year. She will attend George Mason University in the fall where she has committed to run cross country, indoor track and outdoor track for GMU.
She will study government and international politics. Lee has trained continuously since she began running competitively in the spring of 2022. Since that time, she discovered she had found her true sport as a middle-distance runner. In 2022, she earned a spot on the BHS Cross Country Team, which won the 2022 State Championship.
Later at Indoor Regions in 2024, she became a Region Champion by winning the 500-meter dash. A short time after that meet, at the State Championship meet, she was the lead off runner on two BHS relay teams, the 4×400-meter relay team and the 4×800-meter relay team. She and her teammates won both relay races and she became a state champion in each of those events.
Mia Littlejohn, a senior varsity track and field athlete, will sign her National Letter of Intent to compete in multi-events and the heptathlon at High Point University. She will pursue a degree in Pharmaceutical Science. Littlejohn is a four-year member of the BHS Track and Field team and a captain of the sprint team her senior year. Littlejohn has been part of the 4×100-meter and 4×200-meter record-breaking relay teams, alongside her teammates. She holds the indoor high jump school record at 5-feet-7-inches, and recently broke a 12-year-old record for the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.3 seconds.
During Littlejohn ‘s junior year, she earned the title “All American” by placing sixth in the nation in the shuttle hurdle relay at the New Balance Nationals track meet. Littlejohn won first place in the region in high jump two years in a row and has achieved multiple all-state performances in the 55-meter and 100-meter hurdles, the 300-meter dash, the 4×1 and 4×2 relay and the high jump. Littlejohn has been awarded the BHS Track and Field Sprint MVP for the last three seasons.
Allie McDonald, a senior varsity runner, will sign her National Letter of Intent to run cross country and track and continue her academic career at the College of William and Mary. McDonald is a four-year varsity athlete and a captain in her senior year for the cross country and track and field team.
McDonald has received four individual all state accolades and has been a part of two state champion 4×800 teams, the 2024 state champion 4×400 team, the 2022 state champion cross country team, and the 2020 and 2021 state runner up cross-country teams. She has been awarded the BHS Cross Country Best Newcomer Award, 2xBHS Indoor Track Bruin Award, and the BHS Cross Country Lynchpin Award. In addition to running, McDonald is the Vice President of BHS Steminists, the treasurer of BHS F.E.M, a member of the National Honor Society, and maintains an above 4.0 GPA. She plans to study Environment and Sustainability while at William and Mary.
Eric Metrey, a senior lacrosse player, will sign his letter of intent to play collegiate lacrosse and continue his academic career at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Metrey, a four-year varsity lacrosse defenseman, has earned VHSL Second Team All Region his sophomore year, VHSL first Team All-Region his junior year, earned the 2023 Team Ground Ball Award, and has been captain during his junior and senior year.
Metrey is also a three-year member of the Blacksburg High School Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field team, a member of the 2023 Indoor State Champion Team, being a member of the school record 4x400m Relay team, and being All-Region in the 300m Hurdles, as well as All-State in the 4x200m Relay, 4x400m Relay, and 300m Dash. Metrey was voted Overall MVP for the 2023 Indoor Season as well. Metrey will study Aerospace Engineering and do ROTC at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for a future in military and commercial aviation.
Michael Mullins, a senior boys lacrosse athlete, has committed to Bridgewater College to play lacrosse and continue his academic career. Mullins is a four-year letterman in Lacrosse. He holds the school record for most goals scored, along with most goals scored in a game. Throughout his career, he has played club lacrosse for Valley Select and Dukes Virginia. Mullins plans to major in Graphic Design at Bridgewater College.
Evelyn Rhoads, a senior varsity pitcher and outfielder, has committed to play collegiate softball and continue her academic career at Bridgewater College. Rhoads is a four-year starter for the Blacksburg Bruins varsity softball team and a captain during her senior year.
During Rhoads’ sophomore year she received the honors of 2022 River Ridge District Second Team All-District. During her junior year she received the honors of 2023 River Ridge District Second Team All-District and 2023 4D All-Region Second Team. Rhoads is also a member of the Virginia Phoenix Fastpitch organization.
Audrey Stenger, a senior volleyball athlete, has committed to play volleyball at a collegiate level and continue her academic career at Christopher Newport University. Stenger is a four-year starter for the BHS volleyball team. During her varsity years she got 2nd team all-district and 2nd team all-region.
Stenger is also a member of River Valley Juniors travel volleyball and competed at national level volleyball, competing in several qualifier tournaments. Stenger has played volleyball for over eight years. She maintains over a 4.0 GPA and plans to study childhood education and psychology in college.
Bode Thompson, a senior swimmer, will sign his National Letter of Intent to swim for Macalester College, continuing his academic and athletic career.
Thompson has been dedicated to swimming since he began at age nine in San Diego, California. He has been a member of the Bruins Swimming and Diving Team for all four years of high school, having previously competed for Blacksburg Middle School in seventh and eighth grade.
He also swims for the H2Okies club team since moving to Blacksburg in 2016. A natural leader, Thompson co-captained the Bruins to a first-place finish at the VHSL Class 4 State Championships last season. He also achieved individual success, placing 7th in the 100-yard butterfly finals. Thompson is part of the school record-holding 400-yard freestyle relay team, whose second-place finish secured the overall state championship win for Blacksburg in 2023. He also played a key role in the team’s 2021 state championship victory as a freshman. Beyond competitive swimming, Thompson has a lifelong love for being in the water. He enjoys surfing and water skiing whenever he has the chance. At Macalester College, Thompson will pursue a double major in biology and computer science.
Staff report
