<b>WGCC Continues Winning Ways</b>
The Washington Golf and Country Club Lightning Bolts, the defending champions of the Country Club Swimming and Diving Association (CCSDA), defeated Bethesda Country Club in their first Division A dual meet of the season. The final score was 343-137, highlighted my numerous sweeps by WGCC’s swimmers.
Several swimmers were triple winners at this meet. Ellison Soobert won the Boys 8U free, back and fly. Petie Nassetta won the girls 10U free, breast and fly. Richard Gentry won the boys 10U breast, back and fly. Will Soobert won the boys 12U breast, fly, and IM.
Amanda Didawick won the girls 18U back, fly and IM. Nick Knise won the Boys 18U free, fly and IM.
Double winners were Avery Nassetta (girls 8U free and fly); Amanda DiMeglio (girls 8U back and breast) and Ryan Baker (boys 14U back and fly). Single winners included: Rahan Bhargava (boys 8U breast); Cate Barrett (girls 10U back); Zach Tripodi (boys 10U free); David DiMeglio (boys 12U free); Olivia Tripodi (girls 12U fly); Mason Nassetta (girls 18U free); and Daniel O’Berry (boys 18U back).
The relay teams were also very successful and won almost every event. Winning relay teams included: Petie Nassetta, Avery Nassetta, Kirby Nassetta, and Faith Palmer (girls 14U medley); Richard Gentry, Will Soobert, Ryan Baker, and Ellison Soobert (boys 14U medley); David DiMeglio, George Cranwell, Daniel O’Berry, and Zach Tripodi (boys 18U medley); Avery Nassetta, Cate Barrett, Olivia Tripodi, Annabel Ricks, and Mason Nassetta (girls graduated free relay); and Ellison Soobert, Zach Tripodi, Carson Wood, Ryan Baker, and Nick Knise (boys graduated free relay).
With upcoming meets against Division A rivals Congressional, Columbia, and Kenwood, the Lightning Bolts hope to continue their winning streak. The team won all of its dual meets last summer as it took home the CCSDA Championship for the second year in a row.
<b>Flying Fish Soar Over Marlins</b>
The 2011 NVSL season kicked off with the "Battle of the Fish." Overlee’s Flying Fish traveled to McLean Swim and Tennis Club to compete against the first-time Division I Marlins. After a strong start by the McLean Marlins 8 & under boys and girls, Overlee’s first sweep of the day came from the girls 9-and-10-year-old swimmers. The final score was 251-151 with Overlee winning 32 of 50 events.
Overlee’s 13-14 girls scored the greatest amount of overall points, with the 9-10 girls a close second, followed by 9-10 boys in third. Overlee had five double winners: Katie Bennett (15-18 free & back), Suzanne Dolan (13-14 free & back), Sam Ellison (9-10 free & fly), Katherine Lundy (13-14 breast & fly), and Maggie Shipley (9-10 50 free & 25 fly). The 12 single-event winners were: Timothy Aldinger (13-14 breast), Ryan Baker (13-14 fly), Lindsey Bowers (9-10 back), Nicholas Brooks (15-18 fly), Jonathan Day (11-12 back), John Thomas Dolan (9-10 back), Paul Kinsella (9-10 breast), Jimmy Linek (15-18 back), Michaela Morrison (11-12 breaststroke), Torey Ortmayer (15-18 free), Kayle Park (9-10 breaststroke), and Nick Pasternak (11-12 fly). Notable finishes were: 11-12 boys backstroke with Jonathan Day out reaching Timothy Wu, and Ryan Baker 13-14 boys fly touching out Justin Nguyen.
Overlee won a total of 10 out of 12 relays. The 18 & under 200 SC meter freestyle mixed age relay was exciting with Overlee senior Torey Ortmayer racing down the lane to beat out formidable opponent Danny Mittel of the McLean Marlins on the finish. The mixed age combination of Nick Pasternak, Sam Ellison, Andrew Loranger, and Torey Ortmayer had the crowd cheering wildly.
On July 2, Overlee will head back to McLean to take on the Green Feet of Hamlet.
<b>Donaldson Run Opener Ends in Tie</b>
The Donaldson Run Thunderbolts started out their Division III swim season with a tie against visiting Crosspointe. The Thunderbolts started out strong and were ahead after the freestyle events.
Down 20 points after backstroke and breaststroke, they came back strong in butterfly winning six out of eight races to tie the meet heading into the relays. The relays seesawed back and forth with each team winning a relay in each age group. After the DR boys won the mixed age relay, it was up to the girls, but it was Crosspointe’s turn to win a relay and the meet ended in a tie.
The DR boys dominated, winning 20 out of 25 events, including two sweeps by the 15-18 boys and two team records.
Double winners were all boys: John Sloan, 8&U free & back, Sean Conley, 9-10 free & breast, Huck Browne, 11-12 free & fly, Bryan Meade, 13-14 back & fly, and Billy Cowden, 15-18 free & fly.
Single winners were John Ford, 8&U breast; Chris Rita, 9-10 fly; Emma Hutchison, 9-10 fly; Kate Rita, 11-12 fly; Olivia Cox, 11-12 Breast; Andrew Fleckenstein, 13-14 free; Jack Storrs, 13-14 Breast; Will Tarkenton, 15-18 back and Lydia Carpenter, 15-18 free.
John Sloan broke a 26-year old team record in the 8&U 25M backstroke with a time of 21.09 seconds.
The 13-14 Boys 100M medley relay team of Bryan Meade, Jack Storrs, Andrew Fleckenstein and Mike Poppalardo set a new team record with a time of 56.72 seconds.
<b>Dominion Hills Wins</b>
Dominion Hills beat Brandywine 208.5-193.5. DH double winners were: Matthew Ellis, Mia Landeck, Jacob Larsen, Eric Weiner and Abby Young. Single Winners were: Gwen Bobst, Nathan Hughes, Cassie Konick, KJ Morris-Larkin, Sophia Moses, Haley Sanner and Henry Uz.