MoCo's Most Famous

Silver Spring's Thea LaFond won gold for Dominica during the Paris Olympics. Recently, MCM talked with LaFond at our Rockville studios about her trumphant journey.

LaFond, who lives in Silver Spring and represented Dominica at the Olympics, won gold in the women's triple jump in August. It was the first-ever Olympic medal for the island nation in the Caribbean. She was previously a teacher at John F. Kennedy High School, her alma mater, while also competing as an Olympian.

LaFond shared her story with MCM on the 50th and most recent episode of MoCo's Most Famous.

Rockville resident and Landon School administrator Joan Vassos became a household name when she became a contestant on the ABC show The Golden Bachelor. Vassos, 60, hit it off with the show’s namesake Gerry Turner, a 71 year-old widower from Indiana, but then suddenly departed the show when her daughter asked her to come home.

Vassos shared her story with MCM on the most recent episode of MoCo’s Most Famous.

Scott Van Pelt graduated from Sherwood High School and University of Maryland. After more than 20 years at ESPN, Scott Van Pelt has become one of the most successful and popular sportscasters in the business. The SportsCenter anchor has over two million followers on X, has hosted countless big sporting events and recently took over hosting duties for Monday Night Countdown.

Van Pelt talked to MCM Director of Content Joe Yasharoff about how his friendship with Tiger Woods changed his life and coming back home to Montgomery County in the latest episode of MoCo’s Most Famous.

Kayla DiCello is a world-class gymnast at the University of Florida. The Boyds native and Northwest High School alum was recently honored as the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Year.

Available now on MyMCMedia, Overcast, Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher, Facebook, Pocketcasts, and Twitter.  Subscribe now.

Lisa Ann Walter was born and bred in Silver Spring. She graduated from Blair High School and Catholic University. Two years ago, Walter became part of an ensemble cast that formed ABC's Emmy Award-winning show Abbott Elementary, about a public school in Philadelphia. Walter plays the tough but lovable Melissa Schemmenti on the show.

Walter is the host and honorary marshall for the 2023 Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington, D.C.

The comedian, actress and producer talked to Joe Yasharoff, myMCM's Director of Content, in the latest episode of MoCo's Most Famous.

Available now on MyMCMedia, Overcast, Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher, Facebook, Pocketcasts, and Twitter.  Subscribe now.

TCU (Texas Christian University) will be playing for the college football national championship against defending champions Georgia in Los Angeles on Monday, Jan.9. Coming into the season, the Horned Frogs were not considered serious contenders for their conference (Big 12) title much less for the national championship.

As unlikely as TCU's meteoric rise to the championship game is, the story of one its star players, Darnestown native Johnny Hodges' story is arguably more remarkable.

Hodges took a very non-traditional route to get to this point. The three-sport star at Quince Orchard received only two scholarship offers to play football. He ended up at Navy - playing lacrosse. And now, he's 60 minutes of football away from being a college football national champion.

Hodges spoke to MyMCM Director of Content Joe Yasharoff in the latest episode of the MoCo's Most Famous podcast about his amazing journey.

Available now on MyMCMedia, Overcast, Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher, Facebook, Pocketcasts, and Twitter.  Subscribe now.

The Quince Orchard High School football team completed their second straight undefeated season last Thursday beating CH Flowers 32-7 in the Maryland 4A state championship game. It was the Cougars’ 28th  consecutive win, second straight state title and third in the last five years.

Quince Orchard head coach John Kelley earned his 100th career win Thursday. Kelley talked to Joe Yasharoff, MyMCM’s Director of Content, about his team’s sustained dominance in the latest episode of the MoCo’s Most Famous podcast.

Available now on MyMCMedia, Overcast, Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher, Facebook, Pocketcasts, and Twitter.  Subscribe now.

Maryland state senator Cheryl Kagan represents District 17 which covers Rockville and Gaithersburg. The Montgomery County native has earned a  reputation as one of the most passionate and influential politicians in  the county, serving on powerful committees and authoring many important bills.

Kagan recently talked to MCM’s Director of Content Joe Yasharoff for the  latest episode of MoCo’s Most Famous podcast about the importance of  the upcoming election, her support of gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore,  the many bills she has authored and her many and varied interests  outside of politics including music, languages, Scrabble and her own  podcast, Kibbitzing with Kagan.

Available now on MyMCMedia, Overcast, Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher, Facebook, Pocketcasts, and Twitter.  Subscribe now.

The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair in Gaithersburg has been  around for over 70 years and has become one of the county’s can’t miss  events of the summer.

Marty Svrcek is the Executive Director of the fair and fair grounds. He refers to the far as “Disney North.” MyMCM  Director of Content Joe Yasharoff talked to Svrcek about all aspects of  the fair past, present and future in the latest episode of the MoCo’s Most Famous podcast.

Available now on MyMCMedia, Overcast, Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher, Facebook, Pocketcasts, and Twitter.  Subscribe now.

On December 7, 2021, Kurkjian received a call to inform him that he  had been named the recipient of the prestigious Baseball Writers’  Association of America (BBWAA) Career Excellence Award. He was  dumbstruck.

In the seven plus months since the award was announced, Kurkjian has  had time to reflect back on a career that took him from Walter Johnson  High School in Bethesda to the University of Maryland to the Dallas  Morning News, the Baltimore Sun, Sports Illustrated and ESPN for the  last 24 years where he has become one of the best and most trusted  baseball analysts on television..

On the eve of receiving the award. Kurkjian talked to Joe Yasharoff  about his career, what the award means to him and growing up in  Montgomery County in the latest episode of MoCo’s Most Famous.

Available now on MyMCMedia, Overcast, Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher, Facebook, Pocketcasts, and Twitter.  Subscribe now.