The girls of the Maggie Walker Governor’s School won 7 of 12 events en route to a Virginia 2A state title, while the George Mason boys took home a title of their own.
Girls Meet
The Maggie Walker Gov girls won 7 of 12 events including two relays to roll to a 2A state title.
Junior Olivia Ratliff led the way with two individual titles in a brutal double. Ratliff went 59.70 to win the 100 fly, then just two events later topped the 500 free in 5:26.37.
Maggie Walker started off red-hot, winnign the first three events in a row. First was the 200 medley relay, where Ratliff’s 26.71 fly split powered her team to the title in 1:55.52. Also on the team were Gabriela Monasterio, Quinn Keatley and Lauren Parker, with Monasterio putting up the field’s second-best back split and Parker its second-best freestyle leg.
One event later, Isabella Dula won the 200 free in 2:02.48, and Parker returned to win the 200 IM in 2:13.86 after that.
Sophomore Allie Bekenstein also won for Maggie Walker, breaking the class 2A 1-meter diving record with a score of 404.00.
Finally, Dula, Kaylie Lundgren, Olivia Willis and Ratliff combined to win the 400 free relay in 3:52.42, getting a 56.73 from Ratliff on the anchor leg.
Bruton High won a pair of events late in the meet, with one of them establishing a new Class 2A state record. Caroline Helwig took the 100 back in 1:01.04, breaking a two-year-old state record, and one event later, her teammate Caroline DeJager went 1:08.35 to win the 100 breast.
Other event winners:
- Central Woodstock’s Ashley Funkhouser took the 50 freestyle in 25.50, just touching out Grace Wohlford of Radford (25.54).
- Wohlford got her revenge in the 100 free, winning that title in 55.28.
- George Mason High won the 200 free relay, getting a 25.86 leg from anchor Julianne Kelly to go 1:45.32. Erin McFall, Sigrid Edson and Hannah Rollins joined her on that relay.
Top 5 Teams:
- Maggie Walker Gov – 394
- George Mason – 315
- Bruton – 169.5
- Glenvar – 155
- Clarke County – 146
Boys Meet
George Mason won the boys title on double individual wins from junior Justin Britton and senior Miller Surette.
Britton took the 50 free early in the meet in 22.43, then returned to win the 100 back with a 54.59. Surette, meanwhile, paced the 200 IM by 13 full seconds, going 1:55.53, then topped the 500 free by 24 seconds in 4:46.93.
The two combined to win the first and last relays on the day. Britton led off the 200 medley relay with Surette handling breaststroke. Christopher Markus and Sam Updike closed out the relay, which won in 1:41.92.
Then in the 400 free relay, TJ Roche, Surette, Daniel Reinfurt and Britton combined to break the 2A state record in 3:18.42, getting under George Mason’s 2014 mark.
Also winning twice was East Rockingham senior Kyle Nickel. He set a new 2A state record in the 200 free at 1:46.20, then added a 53.65 title in the 100 fly.
Other event winners:
- Radford High broke the 2A state record in the 200 free relay, getting a 22.15 anchor leg from Jack Flora to go 1:33.09. Mark Johnston, Will Denny and Will Mann manned the other three legs.
- Bruton sophomore John Morrow went 49.77 to win the 100 free.
- Maggie Walker went 1-2 in the 100 breast, with Jake Holweger winning in 1:03.05.
- Virginia High’s Ivan Moore won the 1-meter diving, setting a new 2A record with 378.05 points.
Top 5 Teams:
- George Mason – 383
- Maggie Walker Gov – 265
- Bruton – 237
- Clarke County – 208
- Virginia High – 160
