Record: 4-5-1
District: 2-1-1

Summary: The George Mason Mustang girls soccer team emerged victorious over the Strasburg Rams, winning by a score of 8-0. The Mustangs started off quickly with a goal from sophomore Leah Roth with in the third minute of the game assisted by junior Hannah Walker.

Two minutes later Walker would net one of her own goals, assisted by Roth. Roth would give another assist to senior Karen Hamill in the ninth minute of the game. Roth's final assist went to junior Elle Silverman in the eleventh minute.

Senior Nicole Peyton, who anchors the team with her stellar defense, made several runs forward and connected on a pass from Katie Breen, netting a goal in the 30 minute. Before the half, Walker netted an unbelievable corner kick over the goalie's reach.

To start the second half, Hamill scored her second goal of the night from an assist from Peyton. The game ended in a slaughter rule from a final goal slipped into the corner by Elle Silverman, assisted by Violet Miller. Although Miller was held scoreless, her constant hustle and obvious leadership on the field facilitated the Mustangs to their second district win. The Mustang defense held the Rams to three shots on goal.

Due to the current budget cut, students should expect to pay for participating in their sports next school year. Lasso went around school asking students for their opinions on this controversial matter.

	"If it is the only option, I would be willing to pay for my sport next season. If it means me playing sports then I definitely would. But, it still would suck to pay." Krista Kelly (sophomore)
	"It's not my money, sure." Emily Lubnow (gr8)
	"I absolutely would, especially since it is our only choice. Although a possible alternative that should be considered is raising money for the teams." Vijay Menon (freshman)
	"I think some athletes would drop off teams. The kids who are committed to their sports will pay, but for those who play another sport just to keep in shape will probably drop it." Claudia Villamor (junior)
	"What? Paying for sports! You could pay to be a 0-15 team. I don't think it is worth it." Tyrone Thompson (junior)

After a fantastic 23-2 season capped with the second state championship in two years, the girls basketball team was handed individual honors as well, as seniors Nicole Mitchell and Chantal Thomas were listed as the 2010 All Met team honorable mentions. The All Met team comprises of a first team through fourth team with five players each, and a handful of honorable mention players.

The All Met team is chosen by the Washington Post sports writers from both statistics and coach recommendations. Players eligible to be selected must participate on a high school team in the greater Washington, D.C. metro area. School size or class is not a factor in the decision, but George Mason being in the A class certainly made it more difficult to gain recognition over larger AA and AAA schools around the region.

This is Mitchell's second time on the All Met team, and Thomas's first. Both players contributed greatly to the Lady Mustangs' success this season, only losing to AAA powerhouse Chantilly High School and AA school Loudon County.

The All-Met honors for both add to their multitude of individual honors. Mitchell also received First Team All District and Region and Second Team All State honors. This is the second year in a row that she has garnered Second Team All State Honors.

Thomas, on the other hand, went from Second Team All District last year to District, Region and State Player of the Year this year. Both players have received exceptional honors both through VHSL and now The Washington Post.

When asked how she felt about the honor, Mitchell stated, "I was honored to be recognized for my talent by the Washington Post."

Thomas shared similar excitement at the credit. She said, "It was one thing to be honored by VHSL, but it was completely different to be compared to other schools in the area. It is a great honor."

Now, the two young stars can add to their list of accomplishments as they enter the next step in their young basketball careers.

Overall Record: 6-5
District Record: 4-0
Tuesday, April 13: Won at Clarke County 17-0 (5 innings)
Wednesday, April 14: Won vs. Dominion 10-0 (5 innings)
Friday, April 16: Won at Madison County 14-6
Tuesday, April 20: Won vs. Strasburg 3-0
Summary: The Mustangs bats exploded last week, amassing an absurd 41 runs on 44 hits against district rivals Clarke and Madison and AA Dominion. Against Clarke, the offense was paced by sophomore Max Kaplow and senior Michael Wolfe, who each had three hits (including Kaplow's first inning home run). Senior Brian Lubnow threw a complete game four hitter as the Eagles never threatened to score.

Against Dominion, the Mustangs stayed hot, recording a total of 12 hits, with junior Tyler Duncan and sophomore Stephen Lubnow each getting three hits. Kaplow, in just his second start of the year, held the Dominion bats in check, as he allowed only three hits over five innings to record his first win of the season.

In the Madison contest, the Mountaineers were able to jump out to an early 5-0 lead. The Mustangs, however, got 2 1/3 very solid innings of pitching from sophomore Jon Freeman and kept the game close, trailing only 5-3 with two outs in the sixth inning when they were able to catch lightning in a bottle. The Mustangs promptly recorded 11 runs over the next two innings while collecting a total of 17 hits, led by seniors Tyler Roth and Quinn Casteel, who had three apiece. Brian Lubnow once again earned the win, however this time in relief.

On Tuesday, in one of the biggest games to date, the Mustangs once again rode the dominant pitching of Lubnow to a victory. He scattered just three hits, gave up no runs and struck out 9 in a 3-0 shutout of defending district champion Strasburg. Wolfe had two RBI's on a two out base hit in the second inning, and Roth added an RBI single later as the Mustangs were able to hold off the Rams.

Coach Amerine: "We've been playing well. Pitching has been keeping us in game, the hitting has been timely all the way from one through nine in the order and we've had minimal defensive miscues. All that translates into wins."

Thursday (April 22): at Marshall
Saturday (April 24): vs. Broad Run

The Mason boys soccer team opened the Bull Run district regular season by topping Rappahannock county 3-1 Tuesday night. The George Mason Mustangs (1-0-3) have pulled out impressive results against respected AA and AAA schools. Coming off of a 23 game unbeaten streak, the Mustangs looked to continue their winning ways, not to mention avoid a single loss in the Bull Run district for fifty four straight games. The Mustangs came out looking to send a message to the rest of the Bull Run.

In the first half, the Mustangs possessed the ball well, creating numerous chances on goal. With quick ball movement in the midfield, the Mustangs advanced into Rappahannock territory, but constantly stalled out in the final third. Although a few key chances were created, none were fully taken advantage of. While the Mustang's offense continually put pressure on Rappahannock, the defense effectively shut down any opportunities Rappahannock had. Due to a few key saves by the Rappahonock goal keeper, the half ended in a 0-0 draw.

The game remained scoreless until Rappahannock put themselves on the board early in the second half. With only five minutes gone in the second half, a Rappahannock defender took an ambitious shot which paid off in the end. From thirty yards out, the Rappahannock player was able to bring down a ball from the air and turn to face the Mustang goal. Unmarked, the Rappahannock player ripped a shot that beat the Mustang goalkeeper by hitting off the right post and deflecting into the net. Rappahonock stunned the Mustangs by taking a one goal lead.

Down a goal for only the second time this season, the Mustangs answered back in a manner any coach would wish to see. Less than a minute after the Rappahonock goal, junior Harris Schaffer went on a breakaway streaming down the left side of the field. As Harris closed in on the Rappahannock goal, he floated the ball into the right side net, settling the score at one a piece.

The Mustangs continued to put pressure on Rappahannock, yet failed to score until the final few minutes of the game. With less than two minutes left in the game, Nick Smirniotopoulos connected with Alex Casteuble on a cross which gave the Mustangs a one goal lead. With a 2-1 lead, Erik Nelson found the back of the net only a few minutes after the Mustangs second goal. The final score was 3 to 1.

The Mustangs will host Essex High School this Friday in a non-district game.

As the National Basketball Association wraps up its 64th season, it is time for their annual end of the year awards to be handed out for the best players and coaches in the league. Here are my picks for the awards:

Most Valuable Player: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers. Last year, I felt that Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat should have gotten this award based on the work he did with mediocre talent on the Heat roster, but James ended up receiving the award. This year, it's no contest; LeBron's team has been the best in the league from pretty much the beginning to the end, with LeBron posting absurd numbers (29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game). The Cavs have had constant injuries this year and in spite of their problems, James has consistently led them to victory, which the Cavaliers have more of this year than any other team. Honorable Mentions: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder; Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic.

Rookie of the Year: Tyreke Evans, Sacramento Kings. The Kings may not be very good this year, but that certainly is not at the fault of Evans, who is currently averaging 20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. Those numbers are impressive for anybody, but Evans is a rookie, and the only other rookies in NBA history to get 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists are Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron. That alone should guarantee him the Rookie of the Year award. Honorable Mentions: Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks; Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors.

Sixth Man of the Year: Jamal Crawford, Atlanta Hawks. Crawford's 18 points are a great spark for the Hawks, and are one of the biggest reasons that Atlanta is the third seed in the Eastern Conference. Honorable Mention: Jason Terry, Dallas Mavericks.

Most Improved Player: Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls. This season, Noah developed from a reliable sixth man into one of the best defensive players in the league. 10 points and 10 rebounds a game are the sign of a workhorse, and Noah is certainly one of the best in the league. Honorable Mention: Aaron Brooks, Houston Rockets.

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic. Again, this is no contest. Howard is leading the league in blocks (2.79), rebounds (13.2), and is one of the most dominating defensive presences in the history of the game. Honorable Mention: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers.

Coach of the Year: Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City Thunder. Brooks took a team loaded with inexperienced young players, and took them into the Western Conference playoffs, which requires nearly 50 wins to even get in. The Thunder are now a force to be reckoned with, and Brooks has helped Kevin Durant develop into one of the best players in the league, and Russell Westbrook into a phenomenal point guard.