Athletes of the Meet - Concorde Invitational

Congratulations to Heather Tuft and Brayden Philpott on being named athletes of the meet from the Concorde Invitational.

Heather earned recognition on the strength of her 100 butterfly. In that race Heather set a new personal-best time by dropping nearly three full seconds. Her hard work over the past several weeks, including consistent attendance over winter break, is paying off. Her positive attitude and willingness to make sacrifices makes Heather a valuable member of our team.

Brayden was named athlete of the meet for his strong performance in the 100 breaststroke. His time was nearly two full seconds faster than his previous best time in a high school meet. Brayden may only be a freshman but he is quickly establishing himself as a key contributor to the team.

There were a number of other athletes that deserve honorable mention for their performances:

1. Men's 200 freestyle relay - The team consisting of Joseph Clayton, Christopher Card, Reece de Kramer, and Will Noel posted the third fastest time all season in this event. They also just missed making a region cut, which would have been the second relay group to do so this season. 
2. Joseph Clayton - Joseph continued his impressive freshman year with another strong performance in the 200 freestyle and 200 freestyle relay. He represents the latest generation of freestyle sprinters at Madison. 
3. Sam Duncan - Not only is Sam one of the best divers in Virginia, he is also a positive role model and leader. Sam successfully completed a new dive at the meet tonight, which helped lead his team to a first place finish. He is also helping support and encourage a number of his teammates that are brand-new to the sport. 
4. Nick Ruszkowski - While Nick may be new to the sport of diving he is quickly learning his trade. He continues to improve week after week and it showed again tonight. Every one of his dives earned at least 20 points, which is a major accomplishment for someone that began diving in the past year.
5. Lilly Jacobs - Lilly is another swimmer who set a new personal best in a high school meet. Her time in the 200 IM was nearly 2 seconds faster than her previous high school-best time. Lilly's hard work and dedication help maker her one of the most invaluable members of our team.
6. Caitlin Blankenship - Caitlin set a personal best in the 100 freestyle tonight by dropping a full second off her time. Despite missing more than a week at the beginning of the month, Caitlin worked hard all break to get back into shape. Her dedication is paying off as she continues to improve her times.