Noah Dyer, Rian Graham Lower Meet Records At VHSL Liberty District Championships

2023 VHSL Liberty District Championships

• January 25-28, 2023
• Arlington, VA
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results

A trio of future ACC opponents led the way at the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Liberty District Championships last weekend, as Noah Dyer, Rian Graham and Nolan Dunkel swept their individual events on the boys’ side.

Dyer, a Herndon High School senior who is committed to swim at Virginia next season, swept the 100 free (45.68) and 200 free (1:39.71) for the third straight year, breaking his own District Records of 45.73 and 1:39.97 set last year.

Dyer owns personal best times of 44.38 and 1:36.59 in the 100 and 200 free, respectively, both set at the Winter Junior Championships – East in December.

Graham, Dyer’s junior teammate at Herndon who recently committed to Louisville, doubled up with wins and new meet records in the 100 fly (48.67) and 500 free (4:37.89), with his showing in the 500 a new personal best time. In the 100 fly, Graham’s best sits at 48.15 from Winter Juniors – East.

Dunkel, a junior out of Yorktown High School, won the 100 back for the third straight year in 49.31, just shy of his meet record of 49.23 set last year (his best time in 46.85). The NC State commit also won the 50 free in 21.00, .04 shy of the District Record set in 2016.

There was another new meet record set on the boys’ side in the 200 medley relay, as Herndon had Kim-Long Nguyen (23.83), Dyer (25.54), Graham (21.39) and Liam Rayson (22.16) combine for a time of 1:32.92 to smash the mark of 1:35.15 established by Yorktown last year.

On the girls’ side, Langley senior Victoria Valko and Mclean junior Catherine Hughes were the top performers with two wins apiece.

Valko, who will swim at Florida State next season, won the girls’ 50 free (23.79) and 100 free (51.54), with her time in the 50 narrowly missing her PB set at last year’s Region Championships. In the 100 free, her best stands at 50.43, set at NCSAs in March 2022.

Valko also anchored Langley’s victorious 400 free relay to a new District Record of 3:29.52, as the team of Marina Watson (53.24), Gloria Kuang (52.14), Alyssa Webb (52.36) and Valko (51.78) lowered the previous record of 3:29.79 set by Yorktown in 2020.

Hughes, a junior at Mclean who is committed to Wisconsin, won the 100 breast (1:03.63) and 200 IM (2:05.79), with her best times sitting at 1:01.61 and 2:01.55, respectively.

TEAM SCORES – TOP 5

Girls

1. Yorktown, 450
2. Langley, 415
3. Mclean, 290
4. George Marshall, 223
5. Washington Liberty

Boys

1. Langley, 398
2. Yorktown, 397
3. Herndon, 321
4. Mclean, 273
5. Wakefield, 210