Improvement has not been seen in the win-loss record for the Centreville High girls’ and boys’ swim and dive teams this season. Nevertheless, the Wildcats, even if team record is not an indicator, have progressed and gotten better and better as the winter season has moved on.
“We have not won any meets,” said Centreville head coach Jennifer McFeely. “However, we have been very successful in dropping times this season.”
McFeely has been impressed with her team’s positive attitude, good work ethic and enjoyment of the sport.
“My measure of success is if the kids are improving and having fun,” she said. “Our swimmers individually have dropped a lot of time in each of their events.”
There have been lots of bright spots for Centreville, and more to come. Numerous swimmers are putting together terrific seasons.
Johnny Germanis, a senior and team captain, has qualified for next month’s Virginia State Championships in both the boys’ 50 and 100-free events.
On the girls’ side, freshman Rachel Anderson has earned a seeding for the upcoming Northern Region Championships in both the 200 IM and 100-butterfly events.
<b>CENTREVILLE’S</b> team captains this season, on the boys’ side, are Germanis, Mitchell Cole and Nick Cole. For the girls, team captains are Taylor Avery, Gina Masters, and Erin Hessler.
The dive team captains are Chance Roman (boys) and Mary Pat Colandro (girls). Dive team members are under the leadership of head coach Edie Rutz.
Other key members of the Centreville swim team include sophomore Abby McCranie (50-free, 100-back); Rachel Anderson (100-fly, 200-IM); Taylor Avery (sprinter, 100-fly); sophomore Johnathan Clarke (sprint free); junior Connor Culleiton (sprint free and back); senior Nick Cole (200 and 500-free); and junior Michael Helme (sprint free, fly).
“We have a very spirited team and they swim with a lot of heart,” said Coach McFeely. “They are really doing a great job in the water.”
Centreville has two more regular season meets remaining – versus Herndon High this Friday night at 7 at Herndon Country Club, and the following Friday, Jan. 21, versus Westfield at Oak Marr Recreation Center at 6. The Concorde District Championships will be held the following week at Cub Run - the dive championships will be held Thursday, Jan. 27, the swim preliminaries will take place Friday, Jan. 28 and the swim finals will be on Saturday night, Jan. 29.
The Northern Region Championships will take place at Oak Marr the first week of February (Feb. 1-5). And the state finals are scheduled for Feb. 18-19 in Virginia Beach.
At upcoming districts, Centreville will certainly be an underdog in both the boys’ and girls’ meets. But the Wildcats will definitely give it their all at the championship meet.
“I am predicting that by the end of the season at districts we will see more improvement from each swimmer,” said McFeely. “It is fun to watch them get excited as they drop time and improve. We have extremely hard practices which are and will be paying off for them especially as the season comes to an end.”