The Langley High girls’ swim and dive team captured first place at the recent Northern Region swim and dive championships, held at Oak Marr Recreation Center Feb. 1-5.
The Saxons, coached by Ryan Jackson, finished the postseason event with 241 team points, ahead of second place Yorktown (218), third place Lake Braddock (167), fourth place West Potomac (152) and fifth place Westfield (149).
Finishing sixth through 10th place at the 23-team girls’ meet were: South County (145), Robinson (143), Chantilly (138), Oakton (130) and Madison (119).
Other local teams of note included 11th place McLean (116 points), 14th place Herndon (68), and 19th place South Lakes (30).
The champion Saxons had first place finishes from senior Jayme Katis (200-yard freestyle) and sophomore Abi Speers (100-freestyle).
Both were also a part of Langley’s first place 200-yard free relay team, consisting of senior Meghan Overend, Katis, senior Megan Howard, and Spears.
Other top six place finishers by Langley girls’ swimmers came from: Spears (second place in 50-free); Meghan Overend (fifth in 100-butterfly); Megan Howard (sixth in 100-fly); and Katis (second in 100-free).
The Saxons’ 400-free relay team of junior Allie Zeidan, Katis, Speers and Overend finished second overall.
Oakton High’s Janet Hu won two events – the 50-free and 100-back. She was also a part of the Cougars’ winning 400-free relay team. Oakton’s team members on that relay were: Hu, Stephanie Hallock, Kendall Lawhorn and Kaitlin Pawlowizc.
Individual girls’ champions from area schools included Oakton’s Pawlowicz (200-IM) and Madison’s Kelly Corish (dive). Pawlowwicz was also a second place finisher in the 100-fly.
Top six place finishers from the area included: Madison’s Laura Kellan (fourth in 200-free); Marshall’s Kather VanWinkle (third in dive); South Lakes’ Emily Sennett (third in 100-fly); McLean High’s Eva Greene (third in 100-back, fourth in 100-free); Herndon High’s Ryan Murphy (sixth in 100-back); and Herndon’s Jenna Van Camp (second in 100-breaststroke).
<b>THE BOYS’ TEAM CHAMPION</b> was Westfield High, which finished with 271 points, ahead of second place Woodson (188), third place Robinson (186), fourth place Madison (179), fifth place Lake Braddock (163), and sixth place Fairfax (145). Rounding out the top 10 team scores, were: seventh place West Springfield (137), eighth place Langley (135), ninth place Oakton (128) and 10th place Chantilly (127). Other teams of note included: Marshall and Jefferson, which tied for eleventh place with 87 points; 15th place McLean (55); and Herndon and South Lakes, which tied for 18th place with 42 points.
Langley High’s Chuck Katis finished first place in two events – the 200-IM and the 100-breaststroke. He was also a part of the Saxons’ third place 200-free relay team, which included: Katis, Ryan Natal, Alex Brumas, and Chris Barnard.
Other local individual first place boys’ champions included: Marshall’s Cyrus Hashemi (200-free); Madison’s Ryan Fox (dive); and Oakton’s Philip Hu (100-back). Hashemi of the Statesmen from Marshall was also a second place finisher in the 500-free.
Top six boys’ place finishers from the area included: McLean’s Charlie Putnam (second place in 200-free, third in 100-back); Langley’s Ryan Natal (second in 100-fly, third in 200-free); Marshall’s Andrew Nyce (fourth in 200-IM); Madison’s Evan Owens (fifth in 200-IM); Oakton’s Joseph LeBerre (third in dive); Oakton’s Hu (sixth in 100-fly);and Herndon’s Conor Cudahy (sixth in 500-free).