The Saturday morning rains on July 10 did not stop the NVSL (thanks to no thunder and lightning). The rain helped the lawns of Northern Virginia and made the spectators and officials at dozens of NVSL meets almost as wet as the swimmers. In spite of muddy team areas, wet decks, towels and sweatshirts, the Overlee Flying Fish found a way to post 36-percent best times and swim past the Gators of Vienna Aquatic Club by a 299-103 final score in a dual meet held at VAC. Overlee’s dual meet record improved to 3-0 and it remains tied with Chesterbrook for the Division 1 lead.
Once again, Overlee used balance and depth to defeat the Gators. Overlee won 40 of the 50 events with the boys and girls each winning 20 events. The depth was demonstrated by eight sweeps. The Flying Fish stormed to a commanding lead of 69-21 after the freestyle events, capped by four consecutive sweeps in the 13-14 and 15-18 events. The sweeps continued to rain down in the backstroke events with the 13-14 boys and 15-18 girls adding 1-2-3 finishes and lead the charge to a 135-45 advantage. The 13-14 girls picked up their second sweep of the morning in the breaststroke events as the lead grew to 196-74. The rain from the sky lessened, but the Overlee rain continued as the flyers took 58 of 72 points, led by the 13-14 boys with their third sweep, and the Overlee advantage grew to an insurmountable 254-88 going into the relays. Victories in nine of 12 relays resulted in the final 299-103 score.
For the second straight week, eight age groups outscored their opposition. Both the 13-14 girls and the 15-18 girls won 37 of 42 points, closely followed by the 13-14 boys with 35 of 42 points. The other age groups outscoring their VAC opponents were the 9-10 boys (33 of 41), the 8&under girls (25 of 32), the 11-12 boys (32 of 41), the 11-12 girls (31 of 41), and the 8&under boys (20 of 32). Overlee had seven double winners: Ryan Baker (11-12 boys free and back), Suzanne Dolan (11-12 girls free and back), Andrew Loranger (13-14 boys back and fly), Izzy Pasternak (13-14 girls free and fly), Nick Pasternak (9-10 boys free and fly), Rachel Robertson (13-14 girls back and breast), and Kaitlin Wolla (15-18 girls back and fly). The 17 single event winners for Overlee included John Aldinger (9-10 boys breast), Brady Almand (11-12 boys breast), Nicholas Brooks (15-18 boys back), Neil Carroll (8U boys breast), Emma Day (9-10 girls fly), Jonathan Day (9-10 boys back), Beth Gentsch (11-12 girls fly), Claire McNamara (8&under girls breast), Molly Merkel (15-18 girls free), Nick Morales (11-12 boys fly), Michaela Morrison (11-12 girls breast), John Murphy (13-14 boys breast), Abigail Ortmayer (15-18 girls breast), Torey Ortmayer (15-18 boys free), Maria Polise (8&under girls free), Robert Ridgeway (8U boys back), and Jack Schrider (13-14 boys free).
The Division 1 Relay Carnival is on July 14 at Chesterbrook. Overlee hosts Hamlet Swim Club on June 17 for the fourth dual meet of the summer.
<b>WGCC Remains Undefeated</b>
On July 6, the Washington Golf and Country Club Lightning Bolts defeated Edgemoor, 305.5-170.5, in their third Division A dual-meet, improving the team’s record to 3-0. Continuing his dominance in competition this season, 12U swimmer Ryan Baker won three events. Posting wins in two events were Faith Palmer, Amanda Didawick, Jillian Johnson, Angus Ricks, Annabel Ricks, Olivia Shipley, and Amanda Didawick. Single winners were Carson Wood, Petie Nassetta, Drew Wallace, Alston Offutt, George Cranwell, Richard Gentry, Grayson Offutt, Daniel O’Berry, G.G. Richmond, Meredyth von Seelen, and Grant Welch.
The Lightning Bolts traveled to Kenwood on July 8 for the Divisional Relays. Although the team finished in the top three in 21 out of 22 events (and broke a few records along the way), it was defeated by Kenwood. Kenwood posted 240 points, WGCC had 218 points, Columbia and Congressional both posted 144 points, and Edgemoor had 128 points. WGCC’s 10U boys and 18U girls dominated their respective age groups. The 10U boys won both the 100-meter medley (Richard Gentry, Duncan Green, Carson Wood, and Grant Welch) and the 100-meter freestyle (Welch, David DiMeglio, Wood, and Gentry) relays. The 18U girls team of Mason Nassetta, Olivia Shipley, Amanda Didawick, and Ellen Carey set a new meet record by swimming the 200-meter medley relay in 2 minutes, 14.63 seconds. The same group won the 18Ugirls 200-meter freestyle relay in a new meet record of 1:57.78. Another meet record was broken by the 18U boys (Drew Wallace, Nick Knise, Daniel O’Berry, and Ian Stuver), who swam the 200-meter freestyle relay in a time of 1:43.01.
In their next meet, WGCC takes on Kenwood in their last divisional dual meet of the season.
<b>DRRA falls to Fairfax</b>
The Donaldson Run Recreation Association swim team lost to Fairfax 217-185 on July 10.
DRRA swept the 9-10 girls backstroke (Emily Brooks, Julia Fayer, Claire Griffen) and the 13-14 boys breast (Jack Storrs, Michael Poppalardo and Quinn Cox).
Double winners for DRRA were: Huck Browne (9-10 boys free, fly), Christian Tiernan (13-14 boys free, fly), Ann Carpenter (15-18 girls back, breast) and Margaret Saunders (11-12 girls free, fly).
Single winners were: Fayer (9-10 girls free), Brooks (9-10 girls back), Kerry Meade (9-10 girls fly), Daniel Brooks (8U boys free), Bryan Meade (13-14 boys back), Storrs (13-14 boys breast), Gregory Crosswell (15-18 boys breast).
DRRA won six relay races: 9-10 boys 100M medley (Woody English, Nico Galdiz, Huck Browne, Theodor Nichols), boys 13-14 100M medley (Meade, Storrs, Tiernan, Andrew Fleckenstein), 9-10 girls 100M medley (Brooks, Meade, Emma Farley, Fayer), 11-12 girls 100M medley (Sarah Brooks, Olivia Cox, Suanders, Kate Rita), 15-18 boys 200M medley (William Tarkenton, Gregory Crosswell, Billy Codwen, Peter Ballen) and 8U boys 100M free (Christopher Rita, John Hodges, John Sloan, Daniel Brooks).
<b>Baseball Tryouts</b>
The Northern Virginia Seminoles, a rising 13-and-younger travel baseball team, will be holding open tryouts July 26-27 for committed players for the upcoming 2010-11 season. Players must not turn 14 years of age prior to May 1, 2011. For more information contact: seminolesbaseball15@yahoo.com
<b>5K Race To Benefit Gulf Efforts</b>
Clean Water Network is partnering with Pacers and the Gulf Restoration Network to hold the Run for the Gulf 5K at Bluemont Park in Arlington at 7:30 p.m. on July 16. The race will benefit clean-up work in the Gulf region.
Participants may register online at runpacers.com through noon of July 16. On-site registration (cash or check only) will be accepted from 6-7:30 p.m. on July 16. Registration cost before noon of July 16 is $25. On-site registration (race day after 6 p.m.) is $30. D-tag disposable timing tags will be used.
<b>Summer Pool Hours</b>
The summer schedule for Arlington Aquatics Centers (Yorktown, Washington-Lee and Wakefield) is in effect.
The Yorktown pool is open from noon-6 p.m. Sundays, 5:30-8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 5:30-8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Fridays and 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturdays. Sept. 7 holiday hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
The Washington-Lee pool is open from noon-6 p.m. Sundays, 5:30-10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:30-10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. on Fridays and 6 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturdays. Sept. 7 holiday hours are from 6 a.m.-6 p.m.
The Wakefield pool is open from noon-6 p.m. on Sundays, 5:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 5:30-8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturdays. Sept. 7 holiday hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m.