Kyle Peck Breaks Virginia HS Record in 100 Back (46.48) During VHSL Class 4 Three-Peat

VHSL Class 4 Championships

• Feb. 15-16, 2024
• Richmond, Virginia
• SCY (25 yards)
• PDF results
• Class 5 recap

Boys Team Standings

1. Blacksburg – 284
2. Jefferson Forest – 275
3. Patrick Henry – 183
4. Monacan – 154
5. Jamestown – 138.5

Trailing Blacksburg by 15 points heading into the final relay, Jefferson Forest pulled off a comeback win in the final race of the meet — the 400 freestyle relay — but Blacksburg still escaped with a single-digit victory in the VHSL Class 4 team standings last month thanks to a runner-up finish.

The Blacksburg boys didn’t boast any 1st-place finishes in the pool, but senior Sam Reilly impressed with a 3rd-place showing in the 50 free (21.55), a runner-up effort in the 100 free (45.58), and splits of 20.93 and 45.88 anchoring their 200 free and 400 free relay teams. They also got a diving win out of senior Theo Villanueva on the 1-meter with a score of 341.15.

Reilly couldn’t quite hold off a ferocious 44.65 anchor from Jefferson Forest senior Jack Mills at the end of the 400 free relay, the fastest split in the field. Mills, a Virginia Military Institute commit, swept the 200 free (1:37.59) and 100 fly (48.79) after placing 2nd in both events last year. During his 200 free victory, he lowered his lifetime best by almost two seconds (previous-best 1:39.48 from last year’s runner-up finish) and broke Ryan Hufford’s Class 4 record from last year (1:38.60) in the process. Mills’ Jefferson Forest squad ultimately fell short of the overall crown by just nine points in the team standings.

Chancellor senior Kyle Peck notched a pair of dominant performances in the 50 free (20.04) and 100 back (46.48), making it a Class 4 three-peat in the latter event. The Texas commit lowered his own Class 4 record in the 100 back from prelims (46.82) on his way to the win while coming within a tenth of his lifetime best in the 50 free (19.96 from Winter Juniors in December).

Before Peck’s record-breaking performance in prelims, the Virginia high school record stood at 47.08 by Anthony Grimm from 2019. A couple weeks later, Peck registered personal bests in both the 50 free (19.74) and 100 back (45.98) at the VSI Senior Champs in Richmond, Virginia.

James Wood junior Joe Warnagiris was the other double winner on the boys’ side, securing Class 4 titles in the 200 IM (1:50.55) and 100 breast (56.43) — both in best times. He dropped about two seconds in the 200 IM and half a second in the 100 breast.

Hanover senior Nathaniel Eliason dropped almost a second off his best 100 free time en route to the win in 45.58. The BYU commit previously owned a lifetime best of 46.50 from his 3rd-place finish in this event last year.

Monacan junior Cooper Dillman narrowly missed his best 500 free time during his victory in 4:31.50. He also placed 2nd in the 200 IM behind Warnagiris with a personal-best 1:51.99, lowering his lifetime best from December by more than a second.

Girls Recap

Team Standings

1. Monacan – 424
2. Jamestown – 326
3. Blacksburg – 299
4. Patrick Henry – 153
5. King George – 147

The team standings weren’t quite as close on the girls’ side as a trio of individual champions carried Monacan to a 98-point victory over Jamestown.

Monacan kicked off the meet by crushing its own Class 4 record in the 200 medley relay (1:44.44) courtesy of senior Cassandra Bauer (27.65 back), junior Piper Price (29.27 breast), and sophomore Emerson Callis (23.42 fly), and junior Raegan Canada (23.42 free). The old standard stood at 1:45.64 from last year.

Canada went on to capture the 100 free crown in 50.85, breaking the meet record (51.02) posted last year by Jamestown’s Addy Heyward. Canada also clocked a personal-best 1:49.73 in the 200 free prelims before ultimately placing 2nd in the final behind Patrick Henry senior Amanda Barnard (1:49.65), a Virginia Tech commit. She added another key contribution on Monacan’s triumphant 400 free relay (3:28.25), putting the finishing touches on the victory with a 51.56 split.

Callis came away with a new Class 4 record in the 200 IM (1:59.55), sneaking under the previous standard of 1:59.63 set by Barnard last year. Callis shaved .15 seconds off her previous-best 1:59.70 that earned her 2nd place in this event last year. She collected another individual win in the 500 free (4:48.62), beating Barnard (4:52.38) by about three seconds and slicing a couple tenths off her best time from December. Callis capped the meet with a blistering 49.50 relay split on Monacan’s 400 free relay, the fastest in the field and more than a second faster than her best flat-start 100 free (50.61).

Price picked up another individual win for Monacan in the 100 breast (1:04.05), dropping a few tenths off her previous-best 1:04.37 from December.

A pair of freshmen established themselves as names to watch over the next few years. King George freshman Ava Eddy had never been under a minute in the 100 back before December, but now she’s the Class 4 champion in the event with a winning time of 56.12. She annihilated her lifetime best from a week prior (57.88) by more than a second. Eddy also dipped under 24 seconds in the 50 free for the first time (23.97) on her way to a runner-up finish behind EC Glass junior Emory Hill (personal-best 23.51).

Jamestown freshman Emma Liebler emerged victorious in the 100 fly (54.76), taking a few tenths off her previous-best 55.13 from last March. She also led off Jamestown’s triumphant 200 free relay (1:37.22) in 24.29, followed by senior Louisa Lamerdin (24.42), freshman Brooke Quinn (23.64), and junior Addy Heyward (23.64).

On the boards, Blacksburg senior Peyton Sigtryggsson secured the 1-meter victory in 332.35.