Takoma Park D.C. faced off against MVP on Saturday in a meet between D.C.'s only two teams. (Ishita Singh, The Washington Post)
Takoma Park D.C. 321.5, MVP Dolphins 256.5 (PMSL)
The Takoma Park D.C. All-Stars can now claim supremacy in the Nation’s Capital, after winning the battle between the only two summer league swim teams in Washington D.C. These teams are also at the top of the PMSL’s A division, so Takoma’s win was crucial as the summer swim season nears its end.
Despite the high stakes, the All-Stars and Dolphins kept it fun at the pool. Swimmers, coaches and parents alike labeled the rivalry a “friendly rivalry,” and swimmers shook hands after every race and huddled together, regardless of team.
Takoma Park swim parent Melanie Williams said, “We’re undefeated up to this point, but if we had to lose, we would certainly respect coming second to a good team like MVP.”
But Takoma Park did not lose, thanks to the efforts of Jon Bendana, 9, and Amina Wilson, 15, who each won three races. Bendana won the 10-and-under 25-yard butterfly, 9-10 50-yard freestyle and 9-10 25-yard backstroke. Wilson won all of her races in the girls’ 15-18 age group: the 50-yard breaststroke, 50-yard backstroke and 100-yard individual medley.
MVP swimmers had a strong meet as well. Aurora Meyer, 8, won the girls’ 8-and-under 25-yard freestyle, 8-and-under 25-yard breaststroke and 8-and-under 25-yard backstroke. Rory Lewis won the boys’ 11-12 50-yard butterfly, 11-12 50-yard freestyle and the 12-and-under 100-yard individual medley. Brigid Burke, 12, won two races in the girls’ 11-12 age group: the 50-yard freestyle and the 50-yard breaststroke. She also won the girls’ 12-and-under 100-yard individual medley.
Takoma Park is the only undefeated team in the Prince Mont’s A division.
Potomac Glen 396, Potomac 396 (MCSL)
Nathan Meadows has been coaching for 16 summers and said he’s never before seen a meet end in a tie.
“That’s almost impossible,” he said.
But his team, Potomac Glen, managed to pull off the “almost impossible” in a meet Saturday against rival Potomac.
Meadows credited his swimmers in the 11-12 boys age group for keeping Potomac Glen in contention. “Their whole age group performed stupendously,” Meadows said, singling out Kevin Gu, Calvin Tran and Brennan Novak.
On the girls’ side Alicia Tiberino won four events for Potomac Glen and Amy Zhou won three.
Dorothy Yu, 17, was a quad-winner for Potomac. She finished first in the 100-meter breastroke (1:22.09), 50-meter fly (33.01), 100-meter backstroke (1:11.50) and the 100-meter IM (1:12.63).
Like many meets, the Potomac and Potomac Glen nail-biter came down to the relays. But the teams essentially traded points, with Potomac winning the boys side and Potomac Glen winning the girls.
The tie result, while unique, wasn’t totally out of line for a meet between the rivals. Last year Potomac edged its rival by a mere six points.
“I can’t remember a meet that we’ve ever swam against them that wasn’t a real nailbiter all the way to the end of the meet,” Meadows said. “It’s always an exciting, hard-fought meet.
Owen Brown 343, Oakland Mills 269 (CNSL)
The Owen Brown Barracudas beat the Oakland Mills Tiger Sharks at home on Saturday, 343-269. It was the second straight win for Owen Brown.
Barracudas’ coach Lauren Branch said that the pivotal races were the boys’ 15-18 50-yard butterfly, won by David Owen, and the boys’ 15-18 50-yard backstroke won by Michael Camesi, both of Owen Brown.
Branch also said that the freestyle relays were crucial to her team’s win. “We had a lot of best times throughout the age groups, but the relays were very important for our team.”
Next week, Owen Brown faces the CHS Sundevils. Branch said she was looking for more best times, and “some good races from everyone.”
Dale City 2,843, Urbanna 2,129 (PWSL)
Four swimmers for the Urbanna Otters won two or more events Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Dale City Swim Team from remaining undefeated this season.
Dale City Coach Missy Hayden said, “It was a big meet,” after her team won 44 of the 67 events in the Prince William Swim League Meet.
The biggest highlight for Dale City came when 15-year-old Alicia Cheripka broke a long-standing team record. She swam the 50-meter backstroke in 32.53, eclipsing the previous mark of 33.13 that was set in 1990.
“That was a really cool thing there,” Hayden said.
Among other first place finishers for Dale City was Michael Cheripka in the 9-10 50-meter free, Kiernan Jordan in the 11-12 50-meter free and Maysa Kendall in the girls’ 11-12 50 free. Kendall and her 11-12 girl teammates swept the events for that age group.
Reilly Cuccinelli earned three first for the Otters in the 50-meter freestyle, the 100-meter individual medley and the 25-meter fly. Eight-year-old Justin Basinger was a triple winner in IM, breastroke and butterfly.
“We kind of get that every week from them,” Urbanna Coach Evan Chartrand said. “They’re just natural swimmers I guess, they’ve really taken to the sport.”
Hugh Campbell and Gregory Stoffa each won two events for Urbanna.
Washington Post Staff Writer Bill Oram contributed to this report.
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