There were many fast swims at the 2024 East Coast WinterFest, as Occoquan swimmers alone broke 41 meet records over three days in Richmond, Virginia.
Tennessee commit Gabe Nunziata highlighted the meet for Old Dominion Aquatic Club. In his first meet after successfully defending his Winter Juniors — East 200 breaststroke title with a lifetime best 1:54.36 that ranks 30th in the boys’ 17-18 age group, Nunziata mostly raced secondary events. He hit a lifetime best 45.96 in the 100 freestyle prelims, qualifying second before opting out of the final.
One of the most exciting races of the meet came in the boys’ 200 IM final, as Nunziata faced off against Alex Grocholski. The 16-year-old Grocholski, a 2026 “BOTR” recruit and Virginia Tech commit, had the edge over Nunziatia at the halfway mark after splitting 24.12/27.14 on the butterfly/backstroke legs. Nunziatia was just two-tenths behind, though, and used a strong back half (29.98/25.92) to power ahead of Grocholski and take the win in 1:47.32, while Grocholski took second in a lifetime best 1:48.47. Nunziato’s time was just two-hundredths off the lifetime best he swam earlier this month for a 13th-place finish at Winter Juniors — East.
The boys’ 200 IM was the only individual event Occoquan Swimming’s Grocholski swam that he didn’t win. He won every freestyle event but the sprints, swimming lifetime bests of 1:38.51/4:23.11 as he won the 200/500 freestyle and clocked a season-best in the 1000 freestyle (9:15.17). He also saw improvements in his stroke events, winning the 200 breaststroke (2:01.51), 200 butterfly (1:49.27), and 400 IM (3:54.63) in lifetime bests.
Grocholski racked up 137 points, winning the boys’ 15-16 high point award at the meet. Though, in a display of how dominant Occoquan was at the meet as it came out on top in the combined, girls, and boys’ standings, Grocholski’s 137 points ranks fifth on the team. Julian Francisco, 12, scored 194 points to lead the team—and the boys’ 11-12 high point—while Aubrey Rossi’s 174 points earned her the girls’ 11-12 high point award. 8-year-old Katherine Payne tallied 155 points, and Nicholas Wall, 10, scored 148 points to round out Occoquan’s top four scorers.
Andy Wen, 11, also turned in a notable performance at the meet. He won five events with five lifetime bests, taking first in the 500 freestyle (5:25.69), 50 breaststroke (32.11), 100 breaststroke (1:08.15), 200 breaststroke (2:32.92), and 200 IM (2:18.64). Meanwhile, Tommy Watson swept the 13&Over 100/200 breaststroke, hitting his Futures cut in the 100 breaststroke (55.94).
In the girls’ 13&O 100/200 breaststroke, Watson’s Williamsburg Aquatics teammate Jenny Hofer had two close races with Upper Main Line YMCA’s Paige Fisher. Fisher, 17, won both races, hitting 1:03.02/2:17.28. However, Hofer, 15, earned her Futures cuts in both events, swimming 1:04.85/2:17.87. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Gregory grabbed a Futures cut in the 100 fly, as she won the 13&O race with a season-best 55.41. She also won the 200 fly (2:03.78), 500 freestyle (4:55.36), and 1000 freestyle (10:12.62) in Futures cut times.
Let’s go Occouquan!