States Results

The VA Class 6 State Championships were this weekend. And with them came the conclusion of a tremendously successful season. The Warhawks closed out the season with a great showing on Friday, with the women finishing 4th in the state and the men finishing 17th.

The team had 9 top-8 individual finishes along with 3 relays. Top-8 performers included Owen Dyson, Regan Hau, Charlotte Dixon, Sophia Brown, Hannah Carmen, Anabel Huffstutler and Emma Wainwright. The men's 200 medley relay (Owen Dyson, Matthew Schlueter, Benham Cobb and James Rushforth) and women's 200 medley (Emma Wainwright, Regan Hau, Maggie Shi and Vera Korff) and 400 free (Sophia Brown, Charlotte Dixon, Hannah Carmen and Emma Wainwright) relays were also top-8 finalists this season. 

Charlotte and Regan also earned All-State honors by finishing in the top-3 in their events. Charlotte was third in both the 200 free and 100 back, while Regan finished in the top-3 in the 100 breast.

Several swimmers set new personal-best times, including:

• Kevin Rice (200 IM and 100 breast)
• Hannah Carmen (100 breast)
• Regan Hau (100 breast)
• Charlotte Dixon (100 back)

Congratulations to our senior class on a memorable four years. You helped bring our team to the heights of Virginia swimming and diving and provided invaluable leadership. Your hard work and dedication to excellence are living examples of what it means to be a Warhawk. We are forever thankful for our time together. And we wish you all the best in all you do in the future!

Next opponent: The 2021-22 season is now concluded. Madison Swim & Dive will return to the pool in November for another exciting season! 

Region Results and Athletes of the Meet

What an incredible weekend of competition for both the men's and women's teams! Both teams exceeded any reasonable expectations on their way to very successful meets. The women finished second to Yorktown, while the men finished 9th in the region. The most impressive part of this weekend was the sheer number of personal-best swims. Virtually every time a Warhawk dove into the pool they either broke their previous best time or was just a hair off. Everyone was loose and having a good time during the meet and it showed!

The men's team finished the weekend with all three relays qualified for states, along with individual qualifiers in Owen Dyson and Kevin Rice. The women's team qualified all three of their relays as well as seven individual qualifiers, including Charlotte Dixon, Sophia Brown, Hannah Carmen, Emma Wainwright, Anabel Huffstutler, Regan Hau, and Celia Bredehoeft. Charlotte Dixon was also the Northern Region champion in the 100 back.

The following athletes earned All-Region honors by finishing in the top-3 in at least one individual event:

• Owen Dyson
• Sophia Brown
• Hannah Carmen
• Charlotte Dixon
• Regan Hau
• Anabel Huffstutler
• Emma Wainwright

When you have a meet as successful as this one it is impossible to choose one athlete who stood out among the rest. Instead, here are some of the key highlights from this weekend:

• Owen Dyson - Owen was instrumental in helping lead both the 200 free and 400 relays to state cuts over the weekend. He was also an standout in his individual events as well, finishing in the top 3 for both the 50 free and 100 free.
• Kevin Rice - Kevin set new personal-best times in both the 200 IM and 100 breast this weekend. He was also a key contributor to the 200 medley relay and the state-qualifying 400 free relay. He also qualified for States in both of his events.
• Benham Cobb - Benham was lightning fast all weekend long, both in his individual events as well relays. He dropped 1 second in the 100 fly and 2 seconds in the 100 breast this weekend. He also posted his fastest-ever splits in both the 200 free and 400 free relays.
• James Rushforth - James also had a great meet in the sprint events. He set new standards for himself in both the 50 free and 100 free, as well as personal-best splits in both the 200 free and 400 free relays.
• Aidan Jones - Aidan attacked the 200 free and 500 free from the very beginning, treating both more like a sprint than middle- and long-distance events. The result: time drops in both events! Aidan has big goals and he continues to make progress toward achieving them every week.
• Matthew Schlueter - Matthew had a very successful meet, finishing with a personal best in both the 100 fly and 100 back. He was also a key contributor on both the 200 medley and 200 free relays.
• Charlotte Dixon - Charlotte's weekend included a region title in the 100 back and a second-place finish in the 200 free. Her time in the 200 free is the fastest she's ever swum and very nearly resulted in her second Region title of the night. She was a key contributor to both the 200 free and 400 free relays as well.
• Sophia Brown - Sophia had a strong weekend in both her individual and relay events. She set a personal-best with her lead-off leg in the 400 free relay as well as a new fastest time in the 100 fly. Sophia finished in the top-4 in both her individual events and will be competing in both at States.
• Hannah Carmen - Hannah continued to show great heart and grit this week as she competes through an injury. She finished second in the 200 IM and fourth in the 100 breast. Her splits in the 200 free and 400 free relays were faster than anything she's done before as well. She's qualified for States in two events and will be an important contributor to our continued success.
• Emma Wainwright - Emma is another key leader and contributor to our team who is fighting through injury. She overcame the pain to finish in the top-4 in both the 100 free and 100 back. She set a new personal-best in the 100 back and swam her fastest-ever split as the anchor leg of the 400 free relay.
• Regan Hau - Regan had a standout meet as well, earning State-qualifying times in both the 100 fly and 100 breast. She dropped near a second in the 100 fly, while her breaststroke time was just off her previous best. She helped lead the 200 medley relay to a strong second-place finish as well.
• Anabel Huffstutler - Anabel had a breakout weekend in the 500, dropping 5 seconds from her previous-best time. She finished second in the event and is qualified to swim at States in two weeks.
• Celia Bredehoeft - Celia's swim in the 500 on Saturday night set a new personal best. More importantly, though, it qualified Celia for States for the first time in her career! She will look to improve on her swim in two weeks at States.
• Elsa Marsden - Elsa closed out her Madison career with an 8th place finish in the dive event. Her score of 319.5 is the highest she's ever earned in an 11-dive competition and is a fitting exclamation mark to her Warhawk career.
• Vera Korff - Vera set a personal-best in the 50 free, earning a spot in the finals on Saturday night. She had consistently strong splits in the 200 medley and 200 free as well. She will be competing at States in both relays for the first time in her career.

District Results and Athletes of the Meet

Congratulations to both the men's and women's teams for their impressive performances tonight at the Concorde District Championships. The meet featured a number of tremendous performances, including several personal-best times. 

The women's team finished in second place, falling to Oakton by a score of 441 to 425. The team demonstrated it's top-end talent by winning 7 events, including all three relays. Individual winners included Charlotte Dixon (200 free and 100 back), Hannah Carmen (200 IM) and Regan Hau (100 breast). The men's team finished in fourth place, led by Owen Dyson who won both the 200 IM and 100 free.

The following athletes earned first-team All Concorde District Honors for either winning an individual event or finishing second in two individual events: 

• Owen Dyson 
• Charlotte Dixon
• Sophia Brown
• Hannah Carmen
• Regan Hau
• Emma Wainwright

There were so many strong performances that it is impossible to choose any single person as athlete of the meet. Instead, the coaching staff would like to recognize the following people as co-athletes of the meet for their performances this week:

• Teddy Dinkelacker - Teddy's break-out year continued in both the 200 free and 100 back when he dropped time in both events. He dropped nearly 2 seconds in the 200 and 1.5 in the 100 back. 
• Enoch Zimmerman - Enoch first swam the 500 earlier this season and has consistently dropped time since. Tonight he took a giant step forward, dropping more than 6 seconds in the event. He also dropped nearly 3 seconds in the 200 free.
• Aidan Jones - Aidan continued his strong season in both the 200 and 500 free by posting times that were just off his personal-bests in both events. He attacked both distance events from the beginning on his way to qualifying for regions.
• Charlotte Dixon - Charlotte established herself as one of the fastest swimmers in the district by winning both of her events. She also posted a blazing split in the 200 free relay to lead her team to a come-from-behind victory in one of the most exciting races of the night.
• Sophia Brown - Sophia earned distinction as a first-team All District member for the first time in her career by finishing second in both the 200 free and 100 fly. She also posted a strong lead-off leg in the 200 free relay to help lead her team to victory.
• Elsa Marsden - Elsa had a strong district meet, earning an automatic region-qualifying score and finishing fourth in the event. 
• Lucia Gonyea - Lucia had a breakout season this year, consistently earning opportunities to swim in individual events. Tonight she capped her strong season by dropping nearly 3.5 seconds in the 200 IM.
• Aaron Diehl - Aaron posted his best-ever times in the 50 free and 100 back. He also earned a spot at regions in the 100 back, finishing in the top-10 for the event.
• James Rushforth - James had a break-out night, setting new personal-best times in both the 50 and 100 free. His time in the 100 free was nearly 1.5 seconds faster than his previous best.
• Ethan de Kramer - Ethan continued his strong season by dropping time in the 50 free and establishing a new personal-best in the event.
• Adam Hammoud - Adam set a personal best in the 50 free tonight, dropping nearly a 0.5 seconds from his previous-best time.
• Benham Cobb - Benham was just 0.07 seconds off his personal best in the 100 breast. He also had a strong split in the 200 free relay to help his team to a third-place finish. He was also part of the state-qualifying 200 medley relay.
• Regan Hau - Regan won the 100 breast with a state-qualifying time. She also finished a strong fourth in the 100 fly. Her performance tonight earned her All-District honors and establishes her as one of the best in the state in breast.
• Ryan Johnson - Ryan had a strong night that got better as the meet went on. He set a personal-best in the 100 free, dropping nearly a second from his time. He then dropped nearly three seconds off his 100 breast at the end of the night.
• Will Manousos - Will closed out his high school career in fine fashion tonight by swimming his fastest-ever times in both the 100 free and 100 back.
• Owen Dyson - Owen was a double-winner tonight, taking the Concorde District crown in both the 200 IM and 100 free. His time in the 200 IM set a new personal-best. He also helped lead the 200 medley relay to a state-qualifying time with a blazing 21.02 split.
• Lydia Mikhin - Lydia's positive attitude and hard work continued to pay off as she continued to improve throughout the season. All of her hard work culminated into personal-best times in both the 50 and 100 free.
• Megan Mikell - Megan had a strong swim in the 100 free tonight, dropping nearly a second from her previous personal-best time. Megan had a tremendous season and has a bright future at Madison!
• Emma Wainwright - Emma finished second in both the 100 back and 100 free tonight to earn first-team All Concorde District honors. She also helped lead both the 200 medley and 400 free relays to state-qualifying times.
• Anabel Huffstutler - Anabel had her best-ever swim in the 500 free tonight, dropping 5 seconds from her previous best. She also swam a strong 100 breast to round out a successful night.
• Hannah Carmen - Hannah earned first-team All Concorde District honors by winning the 200 IM. She also provided a strong split in the 200 free relay only moments after finishing the 500. Her grit and determination helped her 200 free relay team nip Oakton at the wall to win the event.
• Matthew Schlueter - Matthew set personal-bests in both the 100 fly and 100 back. He earned spots at regions in both events and will look to continue dropping time next week.
• Will Simpson - Will made the most of his opportunity at districts, dropping more than 3 seconds off his 100 breast time.
• Kevin Rice - Kevin was solid in both his individual and relay events. His times in the 200 IM and 100 breast were just off his personal-bests. His split in the 200 medley relay helped the team earn a state-qualifying time. 
• Becca Berg - Becca celebrated her birthday in fine fashion, dropping time in the 100 breast. She won her heat in the event and moved into a scoring position. 

Next opponent: The team moves on to the Northern Region meet next weekend at Oak Marr. Dive will be on Thursday night, while swim will hold prelims on Friday and finals on Saturday night.

Athletes of the Meet - Westfield

There are a number of recognitions and congratulations this week. First, congratulations go out to our seniors for all their hard work and dedication to Madison Swim and Dive. Each of our seniors has left their mark on the program and we are very thankful for the time we've spent together. We wish the very best to Lilly Allred, Hannah Carmen, Benham Cobb, Colin Crowley, Aaron Diehl, Owen Dyson, Collin Guo, Regan Hau, Megan Huffstutler, Will Manousos, Elsa Marsden, Ella Paci, Alex Roman, Adam Roth, Rachel Schlueter, Maggie Shi, Emma Wainwright and Ian Wisnewski.

Congratulations also go out to Benham Cobb and Hannah Carmen on being named athletes of the week for their performances against Westfield.

Benham's week included winning the 50 free and finishing second in the 100 breast. He was also involved in one of the most exciting races of the night, as he held off a strong challenge by Westfield in the 400 free relay to help lead his team to victory. Benham provides invaluable leadership by supporting his teammates and encouraging them to be the best they can be.

Hannah is another exceptional leader of our team. She is a tireless worker who helps organize and lead her teammates every day. During tonight's meet, Hannah won the 500 free and posted one of her best-ever times in the 100 breast. She was also a key contributor to both the winning 200 free and 400 free relay teams.

There were several other athletes who had noteworthy performances this evening:

• Lydia Mikhin - Lydia continued her strong freshman year with her best-ever 100 fly, dropping nearly 2 seconds from her previous best. Lydia also had strong splits in each of her relays. She worked hard during winter break and it is paying dividends as the season comes to an end.
• Anabel Huffstutler - Anabel's 200 IM was just a hair off of her personal best while her 500 free was strong throughout. She also had an impressive anchor leg in the 400 free relay to close out the meet.
• Bibi Ventura - Bibi followed up last week's strong performance with another great night tonight. She had a blazing fly split in the medley, followed by the second-fastest 100 fly of her life. Bibi's split in the 200 free relay was also right on her best. 
• Megan Mikell - Megan made her presence known with an exciting tie for second place in the 50 free. Her time in the 100 free was just off her personal-best as well. Megan is quickly emerging as one of the fastest young members of our team.
• Elsa Marsden - Elsa put together her best performance of the season on the boards tonight, narrowly missing a region-qualifying score fewer than 2 points. Elsa missed significant time this season due to injury but is quickly making up for lost time!
• Rachel Schlueter - Rachel posted a best-ever time in the 50 free tonight. She is an established leader on the team who is respected by athletes and coaches. Her positive attitude and hard work make her an invaluable member of the team.
• Regan Hau - Regan flashed her versatility tonight by winning the 100 breast and finishing second in the 100 fly. She was a also a key contributor on the region-qualifying 200 medley relay team.
• Owen Dyson - Owen's performance in the 200 IM was the most exciting race of the night. He battled head-to-head with one of the state's best in the event and emerged victorious by less than 0.5 seconds! 
• Ethan de Kramer - Ethan had two of the best swims of his career tonight, posting best-ever 50 free splits in both of his relays. In both cases, his split times were nearly a full second faster than his best-ever individual times
• Adam Roth - Adam Roth had an opportunity to compete in the 100 breast and took full advantage, posting his best-ever high school time. His time tonight was a mere 0.05 seconds off his best-ever time.
• Enoch Zimmerman - Enoch Zimmerman first starting swimming the 500 free earlier this season and he continues to get better every race. He dropped nearly 5 full seconds tonight on his way to a strong third-place finish in the event. His 200 free time was also strong, finishing just off his best-ever time. 
• Aidan Jones - Aidan had another strong night in the 200 free and 500 free. He attacked both races from the outset and won both going away. He continues to develop into one of the team's best distance swimmers.

Athletes of the Meet - Colgan

Congratulations to Ethan Morrow and Bibi Ventura on earning recognition as athletes of the week for their performances against the Colgan Sharks on Friday night.

Ethan had an outstanding night, setting new personal bests in both the 50 free and 100 free. Ethan continues to work hard each day at practice and it shows in his times. Ethan's 100 free time is now nearly 7 seconds faster than during tryouts in November. His 50 free time continues to get faster each week as well. 

Bibi had an excellent night in the pool as well. In tonight's meet, Bibi was just off her personal best time in the 100 fly. Her 50 free times in both the individual event and the 200 free relay were also very strong. While Bibi is new to the team, so is rapidly becoming an important part of our team's success and a beloved member of the team!

There were several other athletes who had performances worthy of honorable mention:

• Elsa Marsden - Elsa returned to the pool for the first time this season with an individual victory in diving. It's been a long road to recovery from a broken foot but the wait was certainly worth it!
• Abby Siddon - Abby's times in the 200 free and 500 free were just off her personal best. Abby fought through the pain and discomfort to earn valuable points for the team. She looked strong throughout each event and will certainly continue to improve through districts.
• Anabel Huffstutler - Anabel's never-say-die attitude was in full effect again this week. She had strong performances in both the 200 IM and the 500 free. Anabel was so strong in the 500 that she negative split the back half! She's also developing into an important leader on the team who helps lift up her teammates.
• Celia Bredehoeft - Celia looked strong throughout her 200 free and 500 free as well. Her most exciting race, though, was her swim as the anchor leg in the 400 free relay. In that race, Celia left even with Colgan's A and B relays. By the end of the race, though, Celia had opened up a lead of nearly 3 seconds on Colgan's nearest relay and secured second place for her relay.
• Neva Dogan - Neva took advantage of the opportunity compete in this week's meet by dropping nearly 4 seconds from her fastest split in the 200 free relay. Her time in the 50 free was more than 1 second faster than during tryouts.
• Hannah Carmen - Hannah demonstrated her versatility once again this week. She saw a terrific fly leg in the 200 medley relay, swimming fly for the first time since her freshman year. She won the 50 free while finishing second in the 100 breast.
• Kennedy O'Neail - Kennedy posted personal-best times in both the 50 free and 100 free tonight. She not only improved her times in both events, but she won her heat in both events as well.
• Sophia Brown - Sophia had another great night in the pool. Sophia had strong times in both of her events and was an important part of two winning relays. Sophia's teammates recognized her strong efforts by naming her performance in the 200 IM as being worth of a "shout out" at the end of the meet.
• Benham Cobb - Benham had one of his best meets of the season. His 100 fly was just off his personal best and he posted a very strong time in the 100 breast. Benham continues to lead by example, demonstrating the kind of work ethic that leads to success in the pool.
• Robert Eachus - Robert continued his strong freshman year by setting a new personal best in the 500 free. Robert looked fresh throughout the race and is positioning himself for a very successful district meet.
• Aidan Jones - Aidan came into the meet determined to win both his events. By the end of the night he not only accomplished his goals, but did it looking ready for a breakout meet at districts. Aidan is also an emerging leader who is supportive of his teammates.
• Daniel Lauretti - Daniel joined the parade of athletes who were right on their personal bests. His split in the 200 free relay was among the fastest times of his career.
• Collin Guo - Collin was a late addition to the 100 fly, but he quickly proved that he belonged in the event by posting one of the fastest times in his career. Collin continues to look for opportunities to challenge himself and demonstrate his skills.
• Kevin Rice - Kevin continued his strong season with two more individual wins. His 200 IM was especially fun to watch as he turned a significant deficit after backstroke into a comfortable victory. His split in the 400 free relay was also exemplary.

Athletes of the Meet - Oakton

Madison continued its impressive season of personal growth and improvement this Friday against Oakton. The team set 15 new personal-best times in individual events tonight, which is nearly 25% of all swims! These results prove once again that hard work pays off with improved performances. It also bodes well as we head into January and championship season.

Special congratulations go out to Anabel Huffstutler and Kevin Rice on being named athletes of the meet for their performances against Oakton. 

Anabel did a tremendous job tonight in both the 500 free and 100 breast. Her time in the 500 was only a few seconds off her best-ever time. Considering that Anabel negative-split the last half of her race it is reasonable to expect that she will be setting new standards for herself in the near future! Her race in the 100 breast was also exciting to watch. Anabel has a great mental approach to her races and she provides valuable leadership for the younger swimmers on the team.

Kevin is another quiet leader who's competitive nature makes him a role model for other members of the team. Kevin won both the 200 IM and 100 breast tonight. He also did a fantastic job in the 200 medley and 400 free relays, posting strong splits in both events. Kevin's hard work in practice and focused approach to races make him a successful athlete and provide an example for others to look toward.

There were several other athletes that were worthy of honorable mention, including:

• Becca Berg - Becca continued her success from last weekend, setting a new personal-best in the 100 breast. She also had a strong split in the 200 medley relay. She may only be a freshman, but Becca is quickly establishing herself as one of our best breaststrokers on the team.
• Hannah Carmen - Hannah provides invaluable leadership both in and out of the pool. She works tirelessly to make the team better and is willing to do whatever is best for the team. This weekend was no different. She volunteered to swim the 100 back rather than one of her signature events in order to help maximize the team's potential score. Her strategy paid off when she won both of her events!
• Vera Korff - Vera set a personal-best in the 50 free on her way to tying for first in the event. She was also an important contributor on the first-place 200 free relay. Vera maintains a positive attitude and remains committed to improving each day at practice.
• Bibi Ventura - Bibi continued her strong season for Madison with a personal-best time in the 50 free. Bibi is new to the team but is already establishing herself as a beloved member of the team, and an important part of our success.
• Alex Roman - Alex also gave everything he had on behalf of the team. When a teammate was unable to compete in the 100 fly, Alex stepped in with only a few moments' notice. He took the change in plans in stride and gave all he had in the event. His willingness to do what it takes for the team exemplifies the kind of leader Alex is and why we are fortunate to have him.
• Aaron Diehl - Aaron had one of his best-ever nights in the 50 free against Oakton. He set a personal-best time in the 50 free and then followed it up with an even faster time in his leg of the 200 free relay. Aaron continues to look for ways to improve his time and is working hard in practice each day. His efforts are paying off in the pool over the past few weeks.
• Michael Reed - Michael set two personal-best times tonight. He dropped a second in the 100 breast and 2 seconds in the 100 fly. His time in the fly was especially exciting since it was the first time he broke the one-minute barrier in the event. Michael was tantalizingly close to breaking the one-minute barrier last week. After his success tonight, Michael can now safely remove the minute hand from every clock in his house. He doesn't need it anymore!
• Robert Eachus - Robert is another athlete who dropped time in both of his individual events. He set new personal-best times in the 200 IM and 500 free tonight. While Robert is small in stature he is big in heart, demonstrating a fighting spirit in each of his events. He has a very bright future on this team indeed!
• Megan Mikell - Megan had strong performances in both the 100 back and 100 fly again tonight. She followed up by giving us everything she had in the 400 free relay. Her hard work and efforts certainly sent a message to her team about what it means to give your all. Megan is enjoying a strong freshman year and will be a key contributor to our success over the next several years.
• Owen Dyson - Owen continues to have a spectacular senior season. He established new benchmarks for himself in the 50 and 100 free again tonight. He continues to drop time each week as he establishes himself as one of the premier sprinters in the state. Owen also continues to provide the kind of steady leadership you would expect from a team captain.

Athletes of the Week - Marshall and Centreville

The weekend's meets were remarkable not only because both teams came away with two victories each, but also because of the many strong performances throughout the line-up. There were at least 25 new personal-best times set over the weekend (that I'm aware of) along with several exciting finishes that stole points for our team!

Among all these impressive performances, two athletes really stood out among the crowd. That is why it is such a pleasure to announce that Owen Dyson and Adira Asner are the athletes of the week!

Owen earned this designation for both his dominance in the pool and his leadership on deck. Owen won each of his four individual races this week to help lead the team to victory. He posted state-cut times in three events (200 IM, 50 free and 100 free) and set a personal-best time in the 100 free. Owen's hard work and dedication to the team are exemplary and provide younger members with a role model toward.

Adira also had a terrific weekend, earning her first-ever individual victory in the 200 free on Friday night. She was a true warrior on Saturday, competing in the 100 fly and then turning around and swimming the 500 free less than 10 minutes later. She also set a personal-best time in the 200 free. Adira's versatility makes her a valuable asset to the team. She continues to improve each week and is an important part of our team's success.

Honorable mention goes to the following athletes for their performances this past weekend:

• Becca Berg - Becca set the tone on Friday night with an impressive breaststroke leg in the 200 medley relay. She followed that up with her first-ever individual victory, taking the 100 breast in a time of 1:16.66. Becca is a fierce competitor whose determination helped her edge out her closest competitor in the 200 IM by 0.32 seconds.
• Vera Korff - Vera had a strong weekend in the sprint events, winning three out of her four individual events. She also played an important role on her relays, helping lead to four relay victories over the weekend. Her split in the 200 free on Friday was one of the fastest she's had as a Warhawk.
• Sydney Guthrie - Sydney joined the group of first-ever individual winners on Friday night, taking the 500 freestyle. She was also a member of the winning 200 medley relay. Sydney works hard every day at practice with an eye toward improving. Her positive work ethic encourages others to push themselves every day.
• Anabel Huffstutler - Anabel had a strong night on Saturday, winning both of her individual events. Even more impressive, she cut nearly 2 full seconds off her previous-best 200 IM time. Anabel is a becoming a more vocal leader on the team whose positive presences encourage those around.
• Abby Siddon - Abby's strong freshman campaign continued over the weekend as she posted personal-best times in the 200 free and 500 free. Her backstroke splits in the 200 medley were also very strong. She continues to improve each week and will be a key contributor now and in the future. 
• Lara Hans - Lara quietly had one of the best weekends of her career. She set personal-best times in the 200 free and 500 free, building on last week's equally impressive performance. She shined when given the opportunity and earned more chances to compete in the future. 
• Caitlynn Hastings - Caitlynn set personal-best times in both the 200 free and 100 back over the weekend, dropping nearly 2 full seconds in both events. She is always smiling and is a positive influence on her teammates during practices and at meets.
• Lucia Gonyea - Lucia is enjoying a breakout year on the team. She also set two new personal-best times during the weekend. In Lucia's case, she set new standards in the 500 free and 200 IM. Lucia is also contributing on her relays, helping to earn points on the 200 free and 400 free relays.
• Teddy Dinkelacker - Teddy had a strong weekend both individually and as part of his relays. He set a strong time in his first-ever 500 along with a new personal-best 100 free split in the 400 free relay. Teddy's split was nearly 2 seconds faster than he's ever gone before!  
• Matthew Schlueter - Matthew was consistently strong all weekend long. He won the 50 free on Friday while setting a personal-best time. He followed that performance up with the fastest leg in the 400 free relay on Saturday night. 
• Aidan Jones - Aidan had a strong weekend, finishing no worse than second in each of his four individual events. Aidan is continually looking for ways to improve and drop his time. He work ethic and dedication to excellence is extraordinary.
• Alex Roman - Alex had an impressive weekend, setting a personal-best time in the 50 free on Friday night. He posted a best-ever split as the anchor of the 200 medley relay on Saturday, and was strong in the fly leg on Friday night.
• Kevin Rice - Kevin's season debut started off with a bang with three individual victories this weekend. He set a personal-best in the 500 free and was just 0.01 off his fastest 50 free. Kevin was also a key contributor on three different winning relays.
• Ryan Johnson - Ryan joined the parade of personal-best times over the weekend, posting new standards in the 100 free and 100 breast. He has dropped nearly 2 full seconds off both events in the past two weeks and has an eye toward even more time drops in the coming weeks!
• Enoch Zimmerman - Enoch competed in his first-ever 500 free on Saturday night and quickly established himself as our newest distance swimmer. His time of 5:30.04 looked almost effortless as he touched out a Centreville swimmer by 0.12 seconds to take third place.
• Ian Wisnewski - Ian had a fantastic meet on Saturday night. He dropped nearly 5 seconds off his pervious-best 200 IM time and then followed it up with a split in the 400 free relay that was nearly 3 seconds faster than any 100 free he's ever swum! Ian is an important leader on the team who is quietly coming into his own both in the pool and on the deck.
• Robert Eachus - Robert provided consistently strong swims throughout the weekend. He set new personal-best times in the 200 free, 200 IM and 500 free during the weekend. Robert was just 0.25 seconds off his best in the 100 back as well. 
• Ethan Morrow - Ethan's split in the 400 free relay on Saturday night was a personal-best by nearly 5 seconds, breaking the one-minute barrier for the first time in his career.
• Tommy Bush - Tommy demonstrated an improved 100 free, dropping nearly 2 seconds from his previous-best time. He also showed real grit in the 200 medley, coming from behind to out-touch his closest competitor by 0.16 seconds.

Athletes of the Week - Chantilly Meet

Congratulations to Sophia Brown and Aidan Jones on being named athletes of the week for their performances against Chantilly Friday night. Both Aidan and Sophia had phenomenal meets, posting strong times and providing steady leadership throughout the meet.

Sophia earned her distinction based on her performances in the 200 free and 100 fly. Her time in the 200 qualifies Sophia for Regions, while her time in the fly marks her first state-qualifying time of the year. Sophia is also a leader outside the pool, taking a key role welcoming and mentoring new members of the team.

Aidan's never-say-die attitude and commitment to excellence came through in his anchor legs to the 200 free and 400 free relays. In both cases, Aidan posted strong splits that helped his team edge out Chantilly for second place. His charge to the finish in the 200 free helped him out-touch his Chantilly opponent for second place by less than 0.5 seconds.

There were several other athletes whose performances are worthy of honorable mention, including:

• Hannah Carmen - Hannah was a double-winner in her individual events tonight. Just as impressive, though, was her ability to turn-around from the 500 and post a strong split in the 200 free relay. She continues to work hard and willingly faces challenges with grit and determination.
• Celia Bredehoeft - Celia overcame an injured foot to post strong strong performances in the 200 free and 100 free. Her teammates appreciated her willingness to overcome her discomfort to do what she can for her team. 
• Regan Hau - Regan took full advantage of the opportunity to compete in the 50 free for the first time in her high school career. She set a personal-best time in the event. She followed that up with a state-qualifying time in the 100 breast.  
• Anabel Huffstutler - Anabel was second in both her events (500 free and 100 breast), demonstrating the speed and strength of a top athlete. She appeared almost effortless throughout all her events. 
• Rachel Schlueter - Rachael returned to high school swimming tonight after a two-year hiatus and picked up right where she left off. Her time was just off her best-ever time in the 100 fly. A few more weeks in the water and she is sure to be faster than she's ever been! 
• Emma Wainwright - Emma won both the 100 free and 100 back tonight. She also posted a strong lead-off leg for the region-qualifying 200 medley relay. More importantly, she provided strong leadership throughout the night by leading cheers and encouraging her teammates.
• Bibi Ventura - Bibi's first meet with Madison Swim and Dive was marked by strong legs in the 200 medley and 200 free relays. She's only been a Warhawk for a few weeks but has already earned the respect of her teammates.
• Lucy Silverstein - Lucy won diving for the first time in her young career. Lucy joins a storied list of Madison divers who were individual event winners. 
• Lydia Mikhin - Lydia's teammates chose to recognize Lydia for her strong performances on the 200 medley and 200 free relays. She also competed in the 100 fly for the first time in her life. She looks to grow from her experience and improve on her times throughout the season. 
• Teddy Dinkelacker - Teddy had a breakout meet tonight, dropping time in both the 200 free and 100 back. In the 200 free, Teddy dropped nearly 7 seconds from his previous-best time. In the 100 back he dropped an additional 2 seconds.
• Benham Cobb - Benham was consistently strong throughout the night, winning both the 200 IM and 100 breast. He also helped lead his 200 medley relay to a win, and his 400 free relay to a strong second-place finish.
• Aaron Diehl - Aaron returned to high school swimming after missing last season and picked up right where he left off. His times in the 100 back and 50 free were just off his personal-bests. Aaron will continue to improve as he continues to settle back into high school swimming.
• James Rushforth - James is quickly establishing himself as one of our top sprint freestylers. He was just off his personal-best times in both the 50 free and 100 free. He was also an important contributor to the first-place 200 medley relay.
• Michael Reed - Michael set a personal-best in the 100 fly, coming tantalizingly close to breaking the one-minute mark. Michael continues his habit of dropping time each week in the 100 fly. He also set a personal-best in the 50 free.
• Colin Crowley - Colin finished second in the dive event. He is establishing himself our best male diver. He also is providing strong leadership among the divers.
• Will Simpson - Will successfully completed his first-ever 500 tonight and is already looking toward future opportunities to improve his time. Will continues to work hard in practice, and it shows with his times. 
• Robert Eachus - Robert caught the attention of his teammates by posting a personal-best time in the 200 IM along with a strong showing in the 500. He has a positive attitude and is already establishing himself as an important contributor to his team.
• Ryan Johnson -  Ryan had a strong performance in the 100 free, posting his best-ever time. He also had a good time in the 100 breast in what was only the second time in his career competing in the event.

Regions Results and Athletes of the Meet

It was another great weekend for Madison Swim and Dive at this year's Northern Region championship meet. Both teams had strong performances throughout the line-up, with multiple best times along the way! 

The men's team finished 8th in this year's meet with a score of 159.5. Owen Dyson and Brayden Philpott earned spots in next weekend's state meet by finishing in the top-4 in their events. Owen will be competing in the 100 freestyle and Brayden will be in the 100 fly. Owen finished just out of the top-4 in the 200 free by 0.24 seconds while the 200 freestyle relay (Owen Dyson, Brayden Philpott, John Klein and Joey Eisen) finished 5th, just 0.26 seconds out of fourth place and a trip to states! 

The women's team continued their half-decade of dominance by winning their 5th straight Northern Region title with a score of 420.5. The ladies finished the night with 13 state qualifiers, including Alexandra Dicks (50 free and 100 free), Darby Galbraith (100 fly and 100 back), Erica Rice (100 back), Hannah Carmen (500 free), Sophia Brown (200 IM), Emma Wainwright (100 back), Regan Hau (100 breast), and Charlotte Dixon (100 free). All three relays will also advance, including the Northern Region champion 200 medley relay. Unfortunately, due to entry limitations in this year's state meet, we had several young women who swam great but just missed qualifying for states, including 5th-places finishes by Erica Rice (200 IM), Maggie Shi (100 fly), and Charlotte Dixon (100 free).

The women also posted a number of All-American-level performances this weekend. Alexandra Dicks earned Automatic All-American status in the 50 freestyle and consideration status in the 100 free. All three of the relays also earned All-American consideration status.

Special shout-outs go to the following athletes for setting new personal-bests this weekend:

• Owen Dyson (200 free)
• Benham Cobb (200 IM)
• Kevin Rice (100 breast)
• Joey Eisen (50 free)
• Elsa Marsden (dive)
• Charlotte Dixon (200 free and 100 free)
• Hannah Carmen (500 free)
• Emma Wainwright (100 back)
• Regan Hau (200 IM)
• Sophia Brown (200 IM and 100 fly)
• Maggie Shi (200 IM)
• Anabel Huffstutler (500 free)

Next opponent: States will be held next Saturday at Oak Marr. Keep on the lookout for information on live stream.

Districts Results and Athletes of the Meet

Congratulations both the men's and women's teams on some of the most extraordinary performances we've ever seen at a district championship meet. Despite the challenging circumstances surrounding this year's meet, we witnessed a steady stream of personal-best performances from across our entire roster.

While this year's meet did not count official scores, we do have "unofficial" team results to share. The men's team finished 4th this year while the women won their 5th consecutive District title by 95 points over second-place Oakton. Both the men's and women's teams are sending 12 athletes to the Northern Region championship meet next week.

The women's team won 9 of 12 events during their meet, including all three relays. The team's depth was on full display as the women took the top 4 spots in the 200 IM, the top 3 places in the 100 back, and the top 2 places in the 100 free and 50 free. The Warhawks also took places 3 of the top 4 spots in the 100 fly. Individual winners included Charlotte Dixon (200 free), Erica Rice (200 IM and 100 back), Alexandra Dicks (50 free and 100 free), and Hannah Carmen (500 free).

Other top-6 finishers for the women's team include: Morgan Howat (50 free and 100 free), Maggie Shi (200 IM and 100 fly), Sophia Brown (200 IM and 100 fly), Darby Galbraith (100 fly and 100 back), Emma Wainwright (100 back), Anabel Huffstutler (500 free), Regan Hau (200 IM and 100 breast), and Elsa Marsden (diving). Lucy Silverstein will also be competing at regions after finishing 9th in dive.

Owen Dyson had the men's top finish (2nd place in the 100 freestyle). He was joined by Brayden Philpott (100 fly and 100 breast), Benham Cobb (200 IM), Kevin Rice (200 IM), John Klein (50 free), Joey Eisen (50 free), Aidan Jones (500 free) and Matthew Schlueter (100 fly) with top-6 finishes. Each of these young men will compete in the Northern Region championship meet along with Colin Crowley, who earned his stop by finishing 10th in diving.  

While placing in the top-6 and qualifying for regions is exciting, so too are times when athletes exceed even their own expectations. This weekend featured an astonishingly high number of personal-best times among our athletes, which points to a very bright future for both the men's and women's teams. On the men's team, 14 out of 18 swimmers set at least one new personal-best time (78% of the team!). the women's team had 11 out of 19 swimmers who established a new baseline for themselves (with several other swimmers only tenths of a second off their bests). The following athletes each set new lifetime-bests this weekend:

• James Rushforth (200 free and 100 free)
• Aidan Jones (500 free)
• Will Bush (200 IM and 100 breast)
• Kevin Rice (200 IM and 100 breast)
• Ian Wisnewski (50 free and 500 free)
• John Klein (50 free and 100 free)
• Joey Eisen (50 free)
• Michael Reed (100 fly and 500 free)
• Matthew Schlueter (100 fly and 100 back)
• Brayden Philpott (100 fly)
• Teddy Dinkelacker (100 back)
• Enoch Zimmerman (100 back)
• Will Manousos (100 back)
• Adam Hammoud (500 back)
• Celia Bredehoeft (200 free and 500 free)
• Charlotte Dixon (200 free)
• Hannah Carmen (200 free and 500 free)
• Regan Hau (200 IM)
• Sophia Brown (200 IM)
• Erica Rice (200 IM and 100 back)
• Morgan Howat (100 free)
• Adira Asner (500 free)
• Anabel Huffstutler (500 free)
• Sydney Guthrie (100 breast)
• Maddie Corry (100 breast)

Athletes of the Week - Chantilly and Hayfield

This weekend was filled with several standout performances throughout our team. It takes an entire team effort to have the level of success we enjoyed. Winning so many events and scoring so many points only happens when athletes are performing at the top of their games. The coaching staff would like to recognize the following athletes for their stellar performances this weekend:

• Sean McCormack - Sean had a breakout night on Friday, posting personal-best times in both the 50 free and 100 breast. His time in the breast was more than 11 seconds faster than the time he posted in tryouts. Sean is one of our team's hardest workers and his success this weekend shows what comes of it!
• Kevin Rice - Kevin continued his strong season with another stead performance this weekend. His split in the 200 medley relay was strong and his time in the 100 breast was just off his personal-best from last season.
• Sam Deege - Sam's 100 free on Friday night set a new standard for what he can accomplish. His time in that event represented a drop of more than 4 seconds from tryouts. Sam started his Madison career by establishing himself as a solid distance swimmer. This season he is showing he can be a sprinter, too!
• Men's 200 Freestyle Relay - The men's relay on Friday put up their fastest time of the season, with impressive splits by John Klein, Benham Cobb, Brayden Philpott and Owen Dyson.  
• Maggie Shi - Maggie continues to look invigorated as she enjoys a real break-out season. She won the 200 IM and 100 fly on Friday with times that were just off her personal bests. Her split in the 400 free relay was also one of the best swims she's enjoyed during her time at Madison.
• Regan Hau - Regan is establishing herself as an elite breaststroker with her performances each week. Her times on Friday in the 200 IM and 100 breast were right off her best times from last season. It will be exciting to see what she can accomplish when we get to the post-season!
• Sophia Brown - Sophia is another of our young leaders who is continuing to grow and improve in each of her events. Her 200 IM and her split in the 400 free relays were especially encouraging. She looked as strong as ever and is also readying for championship season.
• Caitlynn Hastings - Like so many of our teammates, Caitlynn also set a personal best over the weekend. In her case, it was in the 100 backstroke where she improved by more than 2 seconds from her time in tryouts.
• Lucy Silverstein - Lucy may be a freshman, but she dives with the skill and confidence of a more seasoned athlete. Her performances on both Friday and Saturday night were steady and strong. She is consistently finishing in the top 3 and will be an important part of our future success.
• Camille Jacobs - Camille works hard every week to grow and improve as a diver. She has a can-do attitude and is willing to try new dives each week. Her hard work is paying off as she continues to improve her scores from week to week.
• Michael Reed - Michael continues to impress the coaches with his versatility and willingness to try new events. His positive attitude and humble, hard work are also refreshing. This past weekend he set new personal-bests in three different events: the 200 free, the 500 free and the 100 fly.
• Adam Hammoud - Adam posted a very strong and encouraging 200 free this past weekend during our meet against Hayfield. Despite suffering through shoulder pain and discomfort, Adam persevered and won the first event of his Madison career.
• Will Bush - Will is another young man who willingly faces any challenge put before him. This weekend he took on the 200 free and 200 IM and set new personal-best times in the process. Will's smile and positivity light up the deck and help explain why he is such a respected member of our team.
• PJ Pearson - PJ joined the parade of athletes setting personal-bests this weekend. In this case it was in the 50 free, where he dropped another second from his previous best-ever swim.
• Owen Dyson - Owen is already known as one of the premier sprinters in the area. His time in the 100 free on Friday certainly validated that reputation. But he added a new element on Saturday by winning the 500 free with a time of 4:56.62. That time was a 46 second drop from his previous-best time (though, admittedly, that was back when he was 14!).
• Ian Wisnewski - Like many of his teammates, Ian is a hard worker who continues to improve his times from week to week. On Friday he set a new personal-best in the 100 free. And then on Saturday, he established a new standard for himself in the 100 fly by more than 3 seconds.
• Sydney Guthrie - Sydney was consistently strong throughout the meet on Saturday night. Her times in the 200 IM and 100 free were just off her personal-bests. More importantly, her swims looked strong and fluid.
• Hannah Carmen - Hannah competed for the first time this season and wasted no time in leaving her mark. She won the 500 free and looked strong in the 200 free as well. Then she posted one of best 100 fly swims on Saturday night. She's a leader who demands the best of herself at all times.
• Anabel Huffstutler - Anabel also had the opportunity to compete for the first time this season. She looked especially strong in both the 100 breast and 500 free on Saturday night. She is moving in the right direction as we begin preparing for the post season.
• Vera Korff - Vera did a tremendous job stepping into the 100 back at a moment's notice and posting a time that was 2 seconds faster than tryouts. She maintained a positive attitude while stepping into an unexpected event. She handled the situation well and did a great job of supporting her teammates.
• Adira Asner - Adira is quietly having a very strong season. She started the weekend setting a personal-best time in the 200 free. Then she finished the weekend with a blistering split in the 400 free relay. 
• Meera Doran - Meera swam in her first meets of the season this weekend and showed great improvement from one night to the next. She dropped 10 seconds in her 500 free on Saturday night as compared to Friday.  
• Lilly Allred - Lilly had a strong night on Saturday, continuing to improve her times in the 50 free and 100 free from last week. She continues to bring a positive attitude to the pool each day, and it shows each week.

Athletes of the Week - Westfield and Centreville

The first weekend featured a number of strong team and individual performances. After a long wait for the season to start, several athletes wasted no time in making their mark this season! Congratulations go out to the following young men and women on their performances this week:

• Hunter Moss - Hunter won the dive event for the first time in his career on Saturday night. Hunter has been a consistently strong performer his entire career. He continues a long tradition of diving success at Madison with his victory against Centreville.
• Owen Dyson - Owen picked up right where he left off last season as one of the top sprinters in the state. He also demonstrated his versatility to winning 3 different individual events over the weekend (50 free, 100 free and 100 back). 
• Aidan Jones - Aidan continued on his success from last season in the 500 on both Friday and Saturday nights. His time on Saturday was just off his personal-best from last season. Aidan is well on his way to meeting his goals for the 200 and 500 free events.
• Benham Cobb - Benham demonstrated his versatility this weekend by finishing 1st or 2nd in 3 different individual events this weekend. Benham is a quiet leader who works hard during the week and is supportive of his teammates.
• Matthew Schlueter - Matthew showed true grit and leadership on Friday night, competing in three of the final four events of the meet. It is a grueling task that not many athletes can successfully complete. Matthew not only completed the task, but did so with a positive attitude.
• Will Bush - Will looked strong all weekend in both his individual and relay performances. Will was just off of his personal best in the 100 breaststroke.
• John Klein - John Klein began his senior season with a win in the 50 free on Friday. He was also just off his personal-best time in the 100 free despite only being back in the water for a few weeks. John works hard during practice and provides valuable leadership as a team captain.
• Kevin Rice - Kevin looked very good throughout the weekend. He was just off his best times from last season in the 200 IM and 100 breast. His time in the 500 free on Saturday night was 15 seconds faster than his previous best!
• James Rushforth - James was also tasked with the unenviable assignment of competing in three out of the last four events of a meet. He gave everything he had in his races without complaint or question. he demonstrated real character in doing what he could to support his team.
• Celia Bredehoeft - Celia started off her high school career in grand fashion on Friday night by not only winning the 500 free but setting a personal-best time in the process. She is quickly establishing herself as a leader in practice and a key part of our team's success in distance freestyle.
• Regan Hau - Regan had a strong night Friday, winning the 100 breast and finishing a strong second in the 200 IM. She followed that up with a positive attitude when asked to compete in the 500 free on Saturday night. While the 500 is not one of her usual events, Regan took the event in stride and posted a strong time. 
• Sophia Brown - Sophia had a very strong performance in the 200 IM, winning the event on Friday night. She also posted a strong split in the 400 free relay. Sophia is swimming well and brings a needed smile and positive outlook to her teammates when it's needed most.
• Charlotte Dixon - Charlotte quickly established herself as one the strongest members of an already strong team by winning 3 individual events over the weekend. She also played a pivotal role in helping her relay teams win each event she swim in. She will be a mainstay on our team for years to come. 
• Lana Huang - Lana's first high school meet was a huge success. She dropped nearly 3 seconds in the 50 free and 6 seconds in the 100 free. She works hard every day at practice and is continuing to get stronger (and faster).
• Darby Galbraith - Darby helped lead all 3 of her relays to victory on Friday night. She returned on Saturday night to win the 500 free and finish second in the 100 fly. Despite having only a few minutes between events, Darby showed true grit in holding off the second-place finisher from Centreville by 0.03 seconds. 
• Maggie Shi - Maggie looked smooth and strong throughout the weekend. She won 2 events on Saturday and posted a strong time in the 500 on Friday night. Just as important as her times is the fact that she's having fun and enjoying swimming.
• Madalyn O'Harren - Madalyn also experienced great success in her first high school meet. She dropped more than 2 seconds in the 50 free and 5 seconds in the 100 free. She missed last season due to injury so it is fun to see her improve so much in such a short amount of time!

Athletes of the Meet - Districts

This week's meet was so successful for so many athletes that choosing a single athlete of the meet is nearly impossible. There were so many best times and strong performances that the coaching staff chose to recognize both teams as a whole this week. The number of spectacular performances included:

• Sam Duncan -- Sam won the dive championship for the third straight year. His score was nearly 70 points higher than his next-closest competitor. He also earned All-American consideration based on his score this week.
• Anna Keating -- Anna continued her storied career by winning both the 200 IM and 100 breast. Her time in the 200 IM earned her All-American consideration, while she won the 100 breast with an automatic All-American time.
• Aidan Jones -- Aidan set personal-bests in both the 200 free and 500 free. His time in the 200 free broke the 2-minute mark for the first time in his career. He earned a spot at regions in the 500 by winning the consolation heat.
• Adam Hammoud -- Adam will join Aidan in the region meet after setting a new personal-best in the 500 free. He dropped nearly 14 seconds off his previous best  and is poised to get even faster at Regions.
• James Rushforth -- James also set personal-bests in each of his events (100 free and  200 free. He dropped more than 3 seconds in the 200 and more than 1 in the 100 free. While he missed out on regions this year he will almost certainly be competing in the meet next year.
• Emma Wainwright -- Emma broke the 2-minute mark in her 200 free for the first time in her career on Saturday night. Her 500 time was just off of her personal-best and was good enough to qualify for Regions. 
• Lilly Jacobs -- Lilly had a breakout meet in both of her events. Her 200 freestyle shaved nearly 5 full seconds off her previous best. And her 100 breast was just off of the state cut.
• Hannah Carmen -- Hannah showed real grit competing in both the 200 and 500 free. She joined the parade of swimmers who broke the 2-minute barrier in the 500. Her times were just off her personal bests in both events.
• Kevin Rice -- Kevin dropped more than 2 seconds from his 200 IM time while also dropping a second in the 100 breast. He earned the opportunity to compete in both events by finishing in the top-10 on Saturday night.
• Joey Eisen -- Joey dropped 2 seconds from his 200 IM time, breaking 2-minutes for the first time ever. He also posted a strong cut in the 400 free relay, helping lead the team to its best time all season.
• Regan Hau -- Regan established herself as one of the strongest all-around swimmers in the district with her times in both the 200 IM and 100 breast. She set a personal-best in the 200 IM and just missed the state cut in the 100 breast.
• John Klein -- John Klein broke the 23-second mark in the 50 free consistently throughout the weekend. He also dropped more than a second in the 100 fly. John qualified for Regions for the first time in his career with his performance in the 50 free.
• Lucas Diehl -- Lucas dropped nearly 1.5 seconds in the 50 free and nearly 3 seconds in the 100 free. He also played an important role in helping the 200 free relay earn its first state cut this season.
• Owen Dyson -- Owen Dyson was simply spectacular all night long. He won both the 50 free and 100 free with personal-best times. His split in the 200 free broke the 21-second barrier as well.
• Alexandra Dicks -- Alexandra set a meet record in the 50 free in an Automatic All-American time. She followed that up with an All-American consideration time in the 100 back and a state-qualifying time leading-off the 400 free relay.
• Morgan Howat -- Morgan set personal-best times in both the 50 free and 100 free. She is headed to Regions in both events for the first time in her career. She also helped lead the 200 medley relay to an Automatic All-American time.
• Benham Cobb -- Benham set personal-bests in the 200 IM and 100 fly this weekend. He will also be competing at Regions for the first time in his career.
• Jackson Miller -- Jackson Miller's 200 free time was nearly 4 seconds faster than his previous best, while he dropped his fly time by nearly a second. He also helped pace the 200 medley relay to a state-qualifying time.
• Natalie Lauer -- Natalie continued her tremendous freshman season by obliterating her previous high-water marks in both the 100 fly and 100 back. She dropped 5 seconds in the 100 back and 7 seconds in the 100 fly. She is also qualified for the Region meet in the 100 back after finishing 7th in that event.
• Darby Galbraith -- Darby demonstrated her grit and determination in winning the 100 fly. She was locked in a tight race but pulled away at the end to take the Concorde District title. She also had a state-qualifying time in the 100 back.
• Maggie Shi -- Maggie had another strong meet this weekend, posting another state-qualifying time in the 100 fly. She also finished in the top-3 in both the 200 IM and 100 fly.
• Elizabeth Kuhlkin -- Elizabeth was tremendous all night long in sprint freestyle. She finished second in the 50 free and was the Concorde District champion in the 100 free. She also helped lead the 200 free relay to a thrilling victory over a strong Oakton team in an All-American consideration time.
• Matthew Schlueter -- Matthew had one of the biggest time drops all weekend, breaking his previous best in the 200 IM by nearly 6 seconds. He was also just off of his personal best in the 100 back.
• Aaron Diehl -- Aaron Diehl returned to form in the 100 back this weekend after working hard all season to overcome an ACL injury. His time of 57.43 is not only his personal best, but qualified him for the Region meet for the first time in his career.
• Will Manousos -- Will Manousos set a personal best in the 100 back, earning a spot as first alternate in the event.
• Erica Rice -- Erica showed her versatility by qualifying for Regions in the 100 back with a time 58.89. She was only 0.2 seconds off of a state cut, which she hopes to earn in two weeks at Regions.
• Brayden Philpott -- Braydon had a strong meet in both of his individual events. Brayden finished second in both the 500 free and 100 breast. He also earned a state cut in the 100 breast.
• Anabel Huffstutler -- Anabel dropped 9 seconds in the 500 free during prelims on Friday night. She also posted a time that was less than 0.2 seconds off of her previous best in the 100 breast. She will compete at Regions in both events.
• Will Bush -- Will finished his strong season with yet another personal-best time in the 100 breast.
• Sophia Brown -- Sophia dropped more than a second from her best time in the 200 IM. She also helped lead the 200 free relay to victory in an All-American consideration time. 

Athletes of the Meet - Westfield

Congratulations to Sam Duncan and Sophia Brown on being named the athletes of the meet for this week's contest against Westfield.

Sam earned distinction this week after breaking Grayson Campbell's team record in the 6-dive competition. To give some perspective on the magnitude of Sam's accomplishment, it is important to note that Grayson was twice the national high school diver of the year and is currently an All-American diver at the University of Texas. Sam has officially taken his place among some of the very best divers in Virginia history!

Sophia had a break-out performance tonight in the 100 fly. She broke 1:00 for the first time all season and is headed in the right direction as we enter championship season. She also posted one of her strongest splits in the 200 free relay, helping lead the team to a state cut. Sophia also earned a region cut in her 200 IM for the first time this season. She is one of many underclassmen making her mark this season, giving hope for the team's continued success for many years to come.

Congratulations also go out to a number of athletes who earned honorable mention for their performances this week:

• Reagan Duvall -- Regan had the best meet of his career tonight. He was "on" for nearly all of his dives, finishing fourth. Reagan has worked very hard the past 2 years to improve his dives and tonight's performance showed the results.
• Michael Reed -- Michael Reed continued to cut down his time in the 100 fly, setting a new personal best second week in a row!
• Matthew Schlueter -- Matthew set a new personal-best in the 200 IM tonight, as well as swimming the fastest 100 free of his short high school career.
• Joey Eisen -- Joey posted a sub-23 split in the 200 freestyle relay. Despite reporting that the swim "hurt," he helped lead his time to a narrow victory in the event.
• James Rushforth -- James knocked more than 2 seconds off his previous-best 200 free time tonight, swimming a time of 1:57.63. 
• Jackson Miller -- Jackson had a strong showing in the fly-leg of the 200 medley relay. He also handled a very trying meet program with a positive attitude, giving his best to support the team.
• PJ Pearson -- PJ set a personal goal this year of swimming the 100 free in under one minute. Tonight he met that goal, posting a 58 second leg in the 400 free relay!
• Natalie Lauer -- Natalie continued her strong freshman season, showing just how talented and versatile she is. In tonight's meet she set a personal best in the 100 back and 100 fly, to go along with her previous best mark in the 100 breast.
• Anabel Huffstutler -- Anabel continues to improve each meet as well. Tonight she set a personal-best in the 100 free, and a high school-best in the 100 breast. Her times will continue to improve as she grows in confidence!
• Mariam Abdelaziz -- Mariam set a personal-best in the 100 fly tonight. She works hard every day in practice to improve her times and is a positive member of the team. Swimmers like her help to strengthen our team by making those around her better.
• Lilly Allred -- Lilly continued her streak of impressive meets with another strong performance tonight. Her 50 free time was the fastest she's done all year. She also fought hard in the 200 free to finish a strong fourth place.
• Ela Miralao -- Ela had a terrific night tonight in the 100 back, where she dropped nearly 3 seconds from her time just two weeks ago. She also had a season-best time in the 50 free as well. 
• Morgan Howat -- Morgan had a sub 0:25 split in the 200 medley relay for the second week in a row. She is returning to the form she had at the end of last season, which bodes well for her and the team.

Athletes of the Meet - Oakton

Congratulations to Elizabeth Kuhlkin, Maddy Grosz, and Owen Dyson on being named athletes of the meet this week for their performances against Oakton.

Elizabeth had her strongest meet of the season, winning both of her events in state-qualifying times. She also had strong splits in both the 200 free and 400 free relays, leading her team to victory in the 200. Elizabeth is poised to accomplish great things for the team as championship season starts.

Maddy Grosz had another dominant performance in dive tonight. She was "on" throughout the night, earning one of the highest dual meet scores of her storied career. Her final score of 246.50 was less than 10 points off of her own school record. She will look to set the 11-dive record later this season, which is certainly within her grasp!

Owen had the strongest single meet of his young career tonight. He had state-qualifying times in the 50 and 100 free, winning both events. He also nearly completes an improbable comeback in the 400 free relay, pulling to within a fraction of a second against Oakton after starting several body lengths behind.

Competing against Oakton usually brings out the best in our team, and tonight's meet certainly fit that expectation. There many athletes who posted best times or otherwise distinguished themselves in a meaningful way, including:

• Maggie Shi -- Maggie continued her break-out season with yet another strong performance tonight. She dropped more than a second off her previous-best 200 IM time, and was just off her time in the fly from last week. The sky is certainly the limit for what she can accomplish this year!
• Regan Hau -- Regan also continued her strong season by setting a new personal-best in the 200 IM. Regan also posted the fastest 100 breast of her high school career. She will certainly be a force to be reckoned with when districts, regions and states come around!
• Hannah Carmen -- Hannah took her 500 free out fast in the hopes of earning a state cut in the event. While she fell short of that goal, she did earn a region-qualifying time in the event for the first time. She will have plenty of opportunities over the next few weeks to make that state cut. 
• Anabel Huffstutler -- Anabel also had a strong 500 free tonight, posting a time nearly four seconds faster than her previous best. Annabel is an incredibly versatile swimmer who provides depth in a number of different events. 
• Lilly Jacobs -- Lilly swam the fastest regular-season 100 breaststroke in her career tonight. She was aggressive and strong throughout the race, finishing a very strong fourth place.
• Erica Rice -- Erica continued her return to swimming after an early-season injury by posting a strong lead-off leg in the 200 medley. Her 100 back time was also very strong. She continues to work hard every day to get back to where she was prior to her injury.
• Lilly Allred -- Lilly is also returning from an early-season injury. Her hard work continues to pay off as she dropped nearly four seconds from last week's 200 free time. Lilly is beginning to approach top form at the right time, with districts just a few weeks away.
• Camille Jacobs -- Camille competed in her very first high school meet tonight, successfully completing a full six-dive program. Camille is new to the sport but works hard every day is improving significantly from week to week. She has a can-do attitude that helps her grow in her abilities. 
• Women's 200 Medley Relays -- Both the "A" and "B" medley relays earned cut times this week. The "A" relay of Alexandra Dicks, Anna Keating, Darby Galbraith, and Morgan Howat earned a state cut and were only 0.6 seconds from the All-American Consideration  cut. The "B" relay of Erica Rice, Natalie Lauer, Maggie Shi and Ela Miralao posted a region-qualifying time as well. While we are only allowed one medley relay at regions, it is impressive to have so much depth!
• Benham Cobb -- Benham had a terrific time in the 100 freestyle, posting a time less than 0.5 seconds off of his personal best. He was also a key contributor to the 400 free relay, which just missed winning the event.
• John Klein -- John followed up a very strong week at practice by shaving nearly three full seconds off of his previous personal-best 100 fly. He also posted a strong leg in the 200 medley relay, helping his team post the best time in that event all season. 
• Ethan Asner -- Ethan was another key contributor to the 200 medley relay's success. His split was the first time he broke the 23-second barrier in his career.
• Michael Reed -- Michael followed up last week's athlete-of-the meet performance with another impressive performance. Tonight's 100 fly time set a new personal-best for Michael who continues to grow throughout the season.
• Aidan Jones -- Aidan joined the parade of athletes setting personal-best times with his performance in the 500. Aidan also swam the second-fastest 200 of his career to start the meet.
• Jackson Miller -- Jackson had an impressive performance in the 200 freestyle tonight, missing out on first place by 0.5 seconds. The second-half of his swim was impressive as he came from behind to very nearly win the event in the last few yards!
• Brayden Philpott -- Brayden posted strong times in both the 500 freestyle and 100 breast. While he fell short of his goal of a state cut in the 500, he did post his fastest regular-season swim in that event. 
• Collin Guo -- Collin was yet another young swimmer who set a personal-best in his event tonight. Collin's time of 1:02.63 was faster than any other time in his career.
• Will Bush -- Will Bush is quietly emerging as one of the most improved athletes on the team. He continues to set new standards for himself each week.He dropped time in the 200 IM for the third-consecutive week. 

Athletes of the Meet - Marshall/Mt. Vernon

Congratulations to Morgan Howat, Sam Duncan and Michael Reed on being named athletes of the meet for this week's contests against Marshall and Mt. Vernon.

Morgan earned her recognition on the strength of her 100 freestyle time, as well as her splits in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. Morgan's 100 free time set a new personal best, while her split in the 200 freestyle was the fastest she's posted since last year's state meet. Morgan's hard work over break is showing as she continues to improve from week to week.

Sam is one of this week's athletes of the meet after defeating one of state's divers at his own pool. Sam continues his run this season of defeating some of the top talent in the state in convincing fashion. Not only is Sam a strong competitor, but he is one of our most important leaders.

Michael caught the coaches' attention with his performance in the 100 fly. His time was just off of his personal best and was easily the fastest time he's posted as a Warhawk. Michael also swam a solid leg in the 200 medley relay. Michael is one of the quieter members of the team, but his actions each day in practice speak loudly. He is committed to working hard and improving himself every day.

There were a number of other team members who also had strong performances, which were worthy of honorable mention:

1. Regan Hau and Hannah Carmen-- Regan and Hannah both had strong nights in the 200 IM. Their race was one of the most exciting races all night, coming down to the very end with only 0.1 seconds separating the two.
2. Lilly Allred -- Lilly continued to re-establish herself as an important part of our success. In her second meet of the season, Lilly posted one of the team's top fly splits in the 200 medley relay. 
3. Anabel Huffstutler --  Anabel impressed every time she entered the pool. She came from behind in the 200 medley relay to chase down her competition to lead her team to victory. She then posted a personal-best in the 500 free, and a season-best swim in the 200 free relay.
4. Justina Lu -- Justina set a new personal-best in the 200 IM tonight, by shaving nearly 3 seconds off her previous best time. She also had a best-ever split in the 400 freestyle relay.
5. Kennedy O'Neail -- Kennedy shined throughout the night in each of her events. Her 50 free time was her best ever by nearly a half-second. She followed that time up with an even faster split in the 200 free relay, while dropping more than 2 seconds off her best-ever 400 free relay split.
6. Anna Sullivan -- Anna had a strong night in some of her "off" events, including the 100 fly where she posted a time that was just off of her personal best. Anna works hard every day and is a vital part of our success.
7. Lauren Brown -- Lauren had a break-out meet tonight, with personal-best times in the 100 fly, 200 free relay and 400 free relay. In the 400 free relay, she shaved a full second off her previous best time as a Warhawk.
8. Alexandra Dicks and Maggie Shi -- Alexandra and Maggie earned their state cuts in the 100 fly tonight. Their race was one of the closest and most exciting of the night, with only 0.04 seconds separating the two.
9. Joey Eisen -- Joey demonstrated great heart and determination in his 200 IM tonight. His race was nip and tuck throughout. But in the end, Joey showed his grit by grinding out a close victory over his closest competition by 0.6 seconds.
10. Jackson Miller -- Jackson also showed off his metal by finishing strong in his 100 fly. He was neck-and-neck with a Marshall swimmer through the first three lengths. But in the final 25 Jackson pulled slightly ahead and held on for a victory of less than 0.5 seconds.
11. Ethan de Kramer -- Ethan had the strongest meet of his young career as a Warhawk tonight. His time in the 100 free was a personal-best, dropping nearly 4 full seconds from his previous best.
12. Ethan Asner -- Ethan bounced back from a difficult leg in the 200 medley to post his fastest-ever 100 free time. Ethan continues to also be an important part of his relays' success, posting some of the fastest splits in the 200 free relay.
13. Will Manousos -- Will works hard every day and sets an example with his work ethic and positive attitude. His commitment to excellence was clearly evident in his 100 back tonight, as he posted a time that was just off of his personal-best. 
14. Sean McCormick -- Sean was another in a long-line of swimmers who posted personal-best splits in his relays. In Sean's case, he dropped nearly a full second off of his 100 freestyle.

Athletes of the Meet - Marshall/Edison

There were a number of strong performances during our tri-meet tonight against Marshall and Edison. That's why it is such an honor to recognize Benham Cobb and Regan Hau as athletes of the meet.

Regan earned recognition as athlete of the meet for the second-consecutive week. The first meet after break is historically a challenge for most athletes. But for Regan it was an opportunity to demonstrate how much she has grown as an athlete. Her performances in the 200 IM and 100 back were right on her personal-best times.

Benham is a quiet young man who lets his times do the talking. He was strong throughout the meet, including winning the 100 fly and finishing second in the 100 back. He also turned in one of the strongest splits in the 400 freestyle relay.

There were many other team members who also set themselves apart by their times and actions in supporting their teammates. The coaching staff would like to recognize the following athletes who earned honorable mention:

1. Lilly Allred -- Lilly returned to competition for the first time this season after injuring her ankle in November. She not only posted strong times in her return, but graciously offering to swim fly in the medley relay despite not knowing how her ankle would react. 
2. Erica Rice -- Erica also made her season debut tonight after recovering from injury. While she still is not cleared to compete in her strongest events, Erica demonstrated her versatility by posting strong times in her off events. Her recovery is making progress and we are excited to see what she can accomplish the rest of this season. 
3. Morgan Howat -- Morgan's 50 free and split in the 200 free relay were reminiscent of her breakout performances last season. She won the 50 free and posted of her strongest splits in the relay.
4. Maggie Shi -- Maggie looked strong again tonight, including in the 200 IM where she posted a region-qualifying time. 
5. Sophia Brown -- Sophia took on the 500 for the first time in 2 years. Despite being nervous about the event, she handled herself very well. Sophia's time set a new personal-best that she will almost certainly eclipse now that she's more comfortable in the event.
6. Ela Miralao -- Ela earned recognition because of her willingness to do whatever it takes to make her team successful. Ela volunteered to take on the 500 free when a teammate fell ill and was not able to compete.
7. Natalie Lauer -- Natalie continued her strong freshman season by setting a new personal-best in the 100 breaststroke and 100 fly. Natalie continues to excel in each new event she's entered in, demonstrating a rare versatility that makes her such an important asset to the team.
8. Elsa Marsden -- Elsa had a great meet tonight, earning a region-qualifying score for the first time this season. Elsa became the second female diver to earn that distinction. And we hope that she continues her success through regions and onto states this season!
9. Adam Hammoud -- Adam's performance in the 200 free represents his best-ever time in a high school meet for that event. He also posted a near-best time in the 500 free.
10. Owen Dyson -- Owen had another strong meet, posting region- and state-qualifying times in his events. His 50 free time fell just short of the state-cut by 0.16 seconds. He also posted a blazing time in the 400 free relay.
11. Ethan Asner -- Ethan had a strong night in both the 50 and 100 free events. His times in the 50 and 100 free were his fastest all season. And as he works on his turns and breakouts he will only get faster!
12. Will Bush -- Will is beginning to make a habit of setting new personal bests each week. This week he established a new standard for himself in the 200 IM by dropping a full 4 seconds. Will works hard every day and is a great example of what is possible when athletes devote themselves to excellence each day in practice.