“Sam not only made the team better from an athletic standpoint but also from a confidence standpoint. He brought to the team a swagger and a level of confidence that was not there.”

Marc Hunter

Loudoun Valley High Head Coach

Athletic Excellence

The 5-foot-10, 160-pound junior won the Group 4A state meet this past season with a time of 15:20, breaking the tape six seconds ahead of his next-closest competitor and leading the Vikings to the state championship as a team. Affolder finished second at the Nike Cross Nationals Southeast Regional championships and crossed the line in 23rd at the NXN Final—just 1.5 seconds off All-American pace—as the Vikings won the team national title. A transfer from Carlisle, Pa., he was the 2017 Washington Post All-Met Runner of the Year.

Academic Achievement

Affolder has maintained an unweighted 4.04 GPA in the classroom. He will begin his senior year of high school this fall.

Exemplary Character

Affolder was attending his third high school in three years. He has volunteered at a soup kitchen and as a teacher’s aide at Vacation Bible School.