Jamestown boys and girls look to repeat as 4A swimming champions – Virginia Gazette

On Friday in Richmond, the Jamestown girls swimming team will try to win its fourth consecutive state championship.

No doubt, the target will be squarely on the Eagles' backs, while Jamestown's boys will also enter the meet as reigning champion.

Both Jamestown teams won 4A East Region championships on Friday as the Eagles boys narrowly held off Hanover thanks in part to a dramatic victory by the 400 free relay team featuring freshmen Austin Smith and Matt Williams and seniors Corey Shideler and Taylor Watson.

"Literally the whole building was roaring," Jamestown coach Molly Sandling said. "Everyone I could see was jumping up and down trying to give our boys that extra bit of fight and energy to out-touch Hanover."

The same group won the 200 free relay and Sandling said Smith. Williams and freshman Jacob Vereb have been vital in filling a void that last year's talented group of seniors left.

Jamestown returned its top two girls swimmers this season in senior Joelle Vereb and junior Abby Larson, but also benefitted from a new crop of swimmers.

Freshmen Kailey Carvajal, Kylie Johnson, Kaitlyn Pegram, Shea Buirski, and Katrina Early each will swim in individual events Friday and Carvajal, Johnson and Pegram on relays.

The 200 medley group featuring Vereb, Larson, Ashley Adams, and Carter Roehrle smashed a school record last week by 3 seconds with a mark of 1:49.12 to edge Lafayette's Grace Olsen, Colby Hurt, Sofia Long, and Olivia Nice (1:49.62), who set a school record of their own.

The performance of those freshmen, mixed with underclassmen like Kathryn Burrows and the upperclassmen veterans led by Vereb and Larson should make Jamestown tough to top again.

"I would say the Jamestown girls are probably the heavy favorites on the girls side," Lafayette coach Harold Baker said. "The guys side is probably going to be much more up in the air. There will be some teams out west and Hanover almost beat Jamestown at the regional. So the guys meet will be more up in the air."

Lafayette's boys and girls both finished third in the regional and Baker expects a top-five finish at states for both, at least. "Hopefully at states, who knows, maybe we can even go higher," he said, "because states kind of washes away some of the teams' depth."

Lafayette sophomore Chris Kostelni was the only local individual boys winner on Friday, taking the 500 free.

Kostelni and his fellow underclassmen have been the stars for the Rams this season on both the boys and girls sides.

Kostelni was fourth in the 200 free at states last year and eighth in the 500 free.

"Looking at last year's times compared to what I've done," Kostelni said. "I have a good shot at maybe getting close to (first). But if I don't, fine, I still have two more years."

Vereb, a Virginia Tech recruit, was the top individual girls performer on Friday, winning the 100 backstroke and the 100 breaststroke while Larson took the 50 free and finished second in the 100 free.

Vereb and Larson each took four gold medals back from the state meet a season ago.

"Joelle and Abby continue to be leaders for this team," Sandling said. "Joelle has really stepped into the role of captain, looking out for the other girls, always on deck by my side during meets, watching what everyone is doing, and supporting the younger girls."

A pair of freshmen girls won region titles for Lafayette as Long took the 100 fly title and Hurt set a school record in the 200 IM at 2:05.72.

A virus making the rounds across town has impacted multiple local swimmers. One of them is Lafayette freshman Sam Long, who swam the region meet with a short recovery from a 103-degree fever. He will be one of many underclassmen to keep an eye on Friday as Jamestown and Lafayette each figure prominently in the race for overall, individual and relay state titles.

Whaley wins twice at region meet

Warhill's girls finished third Friday in the 3A East Region girls meet and the Lions' boys were fifth.

The 200 medley girls relay team featuring Faith Tyranski, Shelby Watson, Morgan Whaley, and Kate Watkins (1:52.20) ultimately finished second to Riverside High, but still set a school record.

Whaley is the only Lion that will enter Saturday's 3A meet in Richmond as a reigning champion, having won last year's 100 fly as a sophomore. She claimed region titles this season in the 100 fly and 100 backstroke.

Warhill's individual boys state qualifiers are Noah Frerichs, Garret Niemerski, Julian Ruiz, Ari Semper and Tyler Tobler. Frerichs and Semper, both freshmen, have been key additions for the Lions.

Joining Whaley, Tyranski, Watkins and Watson at states for the girls will be Gwyneth Martin, Zoe Rippel, Megan Welch and Lucy Wiatrowski.

An injury will keep Megan Watkins, who swam on relay teams last year at states, out of commission on Saturday.

Lynch leads Bruton boys in 2A East

Bruton's girls finished third in the 2A East Region meet and the Panthers' boys were fourth.

A total of eight boys and seven girls swimmers will represent Bruton in the 2A championships, scheduled for Wednesday in Christiansburg.

The highlights for the Bruton boys in regionals were Evan Lynch's titles in the 200 and 500 free races while John Morrow took second in the 100 free.

For the girls, Jenny Schuster posted second-place finishes in both the 200 and 500 free.

Schuster also swam the 200 and 400 free relays that each finished second and also included Caroline Helwig, Gina Lynch and Mallory Downey.

Select results, 4A East Region meet

Boys

200-yard medley relay: 4. Jamestown (Zach Clevinger, Nicky Zhang, Julian Montes Martinez, Brett Harlow) 1:44.33; 5. Lafayette (Chris Kostelni, Flynn Crisci, Sam Long, Henry Gaston) 1:44.39

200 free: 3. Chris Kostelni, Lafayette 1:47.53; 4. Corey Shideler, Jamestown 1:51.29; 7. Finn Sensiba, Lafayette 1:56.18

200 IM: 3. Flynn Crisci, Lafayette 2:03.60; 5. Taylor Watson, Jamestown 2:05.08; 7. Jacob Vereb, Jamestown 2:09.28

50 free: 3. Austin Smith, Jamestown 22.59; 4. Henry Gaston, Lafayette 23.10; 6. Matt Williams 23.37; 7. Aiden Francis, Jamestown 23.50

100 fly: 4. Taylor Watson, Jamestown 55.42; 7. Nicky Zhang, Jamestown 56.49; 8. Julian Montes Martinez, Jamestown 56.77

100 free: 3. Corey Shideler, Jamestown 49.92; 4. Austin Smith, Jamestown 50.05; 8. Matt Williams, Jamestown 52.00

500 free: 1. Chris Kostelni, Lafayette 4:44.11; 6. Drummond Poole, Lafayette 5:24.11; 8. Finn Sensiba, Lafayette 5:25.43

200 free relay: 1. Jamestown (Austin Smith, Matt Williams, Corey Shideler, Taylor Watson); 5. Lafayette (Henry Gaston, Matthew Rice, Ethan Detweiler, Finn Sensiba) 1:35.30

100 back: 5. Zach Clevinger, Jamestown 58.73; 7. Julian Montes Martinez, Jamestown 1:00.27; 8. Sam Long, Lafayette 1:00.98

100 breaststroke: 4. Flynn Crisci, Lafayette 1:02.32; 5. Nicky Zhang, Jamestown 1:02.74; 7. Henry Gaston, Lafayette 1:04.35

400 free relay: 1. Jamestown (Austin Smith, Matt Williams, Corey Shideler, Taylor Watson) 3:17.91; 3. Lafayette (Chris Kostelni, Sam Long, Flynn Crisci, Finn Sensiba).

Girls

200 medley relay: 1. Jamestown (Joelle Vereb, Ashley Adams, Carter Roehrle, Abby Larson) 1:49.12; 2. Lafayette (Grace Olsen, Colby Hurt, Sofia Long, Olivia Nice) 1:49.62.

200 free: 4. Kylie Johnson, Jamestown 1:58.86; 5. Kathryn Burrows, Jamestown 1:59.70; 6. Kailey Carvajal 1:59.99

200 IM: 1. Colby Hurt, Lafayette 2:05.72; 5. Carter Catherine Roehrle, Jamestown 2:16.32; 7. Shea Buirski, Jamestown 2:20.72

50 free: 1. Abby Larson, Jamestown 24.26; 6. Kelly Schisa, Lafayette 25.81; 7. Olivia Nice, Lafayette 26.01

100 butterfly: 1. Sofia Long, Lafayette 58.12; 2. Carter Roehrle, Jamestown 1:00.86; 4. Kaitlyn Pegram, Jamestown 1:02.38; 6. Ashley King, Lafayette 1:03.99

100 free: 2. Abby Larson, Jamestown 52.67; 3. Grace Olsen, Lafayette 53.78; 6. Kailey Carvajal 55.64; 8. Kelly Schisa, Lafayette 56.63

500 free: 1. Colby Hurt, Lafayette 5:05.28; 4. Kathryn Burrows, Jamestown 5:16.12; 5. Kylie Johnson, Jamestown 5:19.06; 8. Carissa Hardy, Jamestown 5:34.16

200 free relay: 1. Jamestown (Joelle Vereb, Kaitlyn Pegram, Carter Roehrle, Abby Larson); 3. Lafayette (1. Emma Freiling, Olivia Nice, Ashley King, Kelly Schisa) 1:45.87

100 backstroke: 1. Joelle Vereb, Jamestown 57.55; 4. Grace Olsen, Lafayette 1:00.45; 5. Sofia Long, Lafayette 1:01.61; 8. Nikki Tyler, Jamestown 1:04.53.

100 breaststroke: 1. Joelle Vereb, Jamestown 1:07.20; 3. Emma Freiling, Lafayette 1:10.23; 6. Katrina Early, Jamestown 1:13.04; 8. Ashley Adams, Jamestown 1:13.16.

400 free relay: 1. Lafayette (Grace Olsen, Emma Freiling, Colby Hurt, Sofia Long) 3:41.20; 3. Jamestown (Kaitlyn Pegram, Kylie Johnson, Kathryn Burrows, Kailey Carvajal) 3:46.83.

Holtzman can be reached by phone at 757-298-5830.

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Jamestown boys and girls look to repeat as 4A swimming champions - Virginia Gazette