Diao, Cooper recognized as Freshmen of the Year after dominant first year

As the year wraps up, many student-athletes find themselves reflecting on their seasons; looking back at who or what stands out the most. This year, The Tide has decided to start a new tradition, one that honors the new and outstanding athletes that RM has to offer. The Freshmen of the Year are athletes who display top-tier performance and sportsmanship throughout their respective seasons. Those who create an impact within the community and make us excited for what the future will look like. With their many wins and successes this year, RM’s first Freshmen of the Year are girls varsity basketball player Katie Diao and boys varsity player Tavares “Boogie” Vaughn-Cooper. Both are the only freshmen on their teams. 

Freshman Boogie Cooper has been playing basketball for almost his entire life, taking after his dad and RM security guard Tavaras Cooper who played basketball during his time as a Rocket. Growing up Boogie was known to be dedicated, humble, and diligent by his friends when it came to basketball. Now, he still exhibits the same qualities but has been described to be incredibly outgoing, understanding, and an amazing friend. “A lot of freshmen are intimidated by the fact that they are new. But Boogie was so outgoing and nice that he was accepted immediately,” freshman Kamari Peoples said. 

 After countless hours of practicing and hard work, Boogie was able to secure a spot on the varsity team in his first year in high school. At first, this was a shock to many returning players as they feared their positions on the team. But as the season went on, many found that Boogie was a friend, and most importantly a very valuable asset to the team. In school he exhibits top performance, keeping straight A’s while juggling club basketball during his off-seasons. “He’s always at practice working hard to prove that he’s not some little kid. He really does have amazing skills that are really impressive for someone his age,” junior boys varsity player Max Meringoff said.

With the girls, a lot of fresh talent came this year, but freshmen Katie Diao really made an impact. Amidst the fierce competition and immense talent that new faces brought to the court, Diao showed her potential early in the tryouts process. During her time as a freshman, she earned a spot on the MCPS 4a South First Team all division, earned the MoCo WBCA Newcomer of the Year award, and was one of the girl’s top point scorers with over 300 total points scored, breaking the freshman varsity scoring record. Along with these statistics, Diao was also one of the All-Met Honorable mentions in a Washington Post article that highlighted their win against their rival, Whitman. She was mentioned to be a “really smart and intuitive player,” coach Mike Oakes said in the article. 

Both on and off the court many of Katie’s friends say that she shows great spirit and ability. Whether it is in school, taking part in the international baccalaureate (IB) program, or at home practicing flute, Katie holds a lot of talent close to her. “She is an amazing teammate and a really hard worker, and our team would not be the same without her,” junior girls varsity player Emma Karlin said.