Swim: Loudoun County Swim Add Three More State Qualifying Times as Boys Defeat GM

(Jan. 12, 2010) - After taking off a few weeks due to the blizzard and Winter Break, the Raiders were well rested and ready to take on a team that they had never faced before in the history of the team; the George Mason High School Mustangs. The meet took place this past Friday, January 8, at Claude Moore Recreation Center, in Sterling, Va.

The LC boys won the meet, 148-137 while the girls lost, 150-136.

The Raider Boys earned their first state qualifying time for the season in the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay with a time of 1:37.99. The relay was made up of Raiders Captains Nick Cechak (Sr.) and Will Shoemaker (Sr.) and Jake Koenig (So.) and Nick McCord (Fr.).

Sophomore Cort Clark came up big for the Raiders getting first in the 200 Yard Freestyle in a 1:59.08, and later in the evening coming in an extremely close second place in the 100 Yard Breaststroke with a 1:10.89, missing first place by 43 hundredths of a second.

Sophomore Jake Koenig also had a pair of great individual swims for the Raiders taking first in the 200 Yard Individual Medley in 2:14.81 and second in the 100 Yard Butterfly with a 1:02.95.

“I am pleased to see how Courtner [Clark] and Jake [Koenig] contribute to the team and to themselves each week”, said Coach Nick Grzeda. “They are so driven to succeed in every event they swim. Not only for themselves, but for the Raiders – you simply can’t ask for better student athletes.”

Captain Nick Cechak (Sr.) took second place in the 50 Yard Freestyle with a 24.93, while juniors Jay Wareham and Chris Stowell took third in the first individual events for the evening; Jay in the 200 Yard Freestyle with a 2:14.27 and Chris with a 1:10.71 in the 100 Yard Butterfly. Nick would later take third place in the 100 Yard Breaststroke in 1:13.06 and Chris took third place in the 500 Yard Freestyle with a 6:03.09, both best times for them this season.

Freshman Nick McCord took on George Mason High School’s top swimmer in the 100 Yard Freestyle and took second place by 65 hundredths of a second in 54.45. Captain Will Shoemaker (Sr.) took third in 57.05 for the Raiders.

Joe Gibson (Jr.) took third place for the Raiders in the 100 Yard Backstroke with a 1:06.14.

The Lady Raiders earned their third and fourth state qualifying times tonight. The first was a team effort in the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay with a time of 1:49.67; the relay was made up of Captain Julie Strange (Sr.), Elise Rivera (Sr.) and Sophomores Sophie Newton and Katie Russell. The other state qualifying time came from Sophie Newton in the 200 Yard Freestyle in 2:06.68 – Sophie came in first place in the 100 Yard Butterfly with a 1:05.54 and had earned a state qualifying time in this event earlier in the season. The other three Lady Raiders in this relay came up with big individual wins for the Raiders for the evening.

Julie Strange (Sr.) took first place in the 200 Yard IM with a time of
2:36.44 and second place in the 100 Yard Backstroke in 1:12.93. Senior Elise Rivera took third place in the 100 Yard Freestyle in 1:03.87 and Katie Russell (So.) took third in both the 50 Yard Freestyle (27.23) and 100 Yard Breaststroke (1:23.36).

Kelly McGrath took third in the 100 Yard Butterfly in 1:16.37, while Abby Gribbin (Jr.) took second place in the 500 Yard Freestyle in
7:01.62 and Freshman Adrienne Rivera took second place in the 100 Yard Breaststroke in 1:22.23).

“I’m content that we currently hold a 2-1 record for the boys and the same for the girls right now, said Grzeda about the results of the meet. “I think thatrolling in now and that my swimmers are focused more than ever now”.