Young talent has been the key this year in the Liberty District, and it will be no different this Friday and Saturday night, Jan. 27-28, at the Liberty District Championship meet, featuring a star-studded cast, at Audrey Moore RECenter in Annandale.
Reigning state champion Langley girls are expected to defend their district title, while the boys' meet promises to be a thriller. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison seem to be the favorites, but Langley could make things interesting if they can steal some points in the relays.
The Saxon girls are led by junior Abi Speers. She was last year's runner up in the 50 freestyle at the Va. State Championship meet, and third in the 100 freestyle. She is seeded first in the 50 free with a 23.98 and second in the 100 free (53.16), behind freshman star Andi Mack (Stone Bridge), seeded with a 53.10. Mack is the top seed in the 200 freestyle (1:56.00) as well.
Liberty District teams were inundated with freshmen talent this year. Along with Mack, Sydney Owens and Cassidy Humphrey have shined for Madison this season, as has Carrie Heilbrun for Jefferson and Natalie Obando for South Lakes.
Owens is the top seed in the 200 IM (2:13.77). She'll be challenged by senior Katie Bennett (Jefferson), seeded a half-second back with a 2:14.22.
Humphrey, Heilbrun, and South Lakes senior Emily Sennett will jockey for first in the 100 butterfly. Sennett holds first position in 59.60, quickly followed by Humphrey (1:00.20) and Heilbrun (1:00.86). Sennett is also seeded third in the 100 freestyle (54.74).
Her South Lakes teammate, Obando, is favored to win the 100 backstroke (59.88), although with a good race, the second-seeded Bennett (1:01.19) could move up and steal the event for Jefferson.
Obando also has a chance to move up from her seventh seed in the 200 freestyle (2:03.48), but she will have to go through fellow freshmen Humphrey, seeded fourth (2:00.65), and Langley's Amy Owens, seeded fifth (2:01.12).
The race of the night on the girls' side may come in the 500 freestyle. The field is all bunched up at the top, with Laura Kellan (Madison), Maria McGuire (McLean), Owens, and Laura Sullivan (Madison) all seeded within .6 seconds of each. Fifth-seeded Mary Elliott (Langley) is just 2.5 seconds outside of first place.
Top-seeded Kellan is listed with a 5:20.20, but any one of these girls has the ability to move up in the mid-distance event. Expect Kellan to use her seed to maintain control in the end.
Also wide open is the girls' 100 breaststroke, which will be a fight between Fairfax's Matty Ferguson (1:09.15), McLean's MJ Ulrich (1:09.37), Jefferson's Sarah Liu (1:09.40), and Langley's Gretchen Roesel (1:09.56).
Langley is the top seed in both freestyle relays, and could move up from third to win the medley relay as well. Their depth at the top should propel them to win the district again this year, leaving Jefferson, McLean, and Madison fighting each other for third.
The boys' meet will be much closer, with Madison, Jefferson, and Langley contending for the title. Also look for Marshall's talented boys to spoil one of the top teams chances by stealing points at finals.
Jefferson's boy's team is much improved this year with the addition of freshmen Andrew Seliskar and Luke Thorsell. But the more important pair for the Colonials are the one-two punch of brothers Andrew and senior Stephen Seliskar. Andrew is the top seed in the 200 IM (1:55.02) and 100 butterfly (51.06).
His brother Stephen is the top seed in the 100 backstroke (51.64), and will battle top-seed Evan Owens (Madison), Syndey Owens older brother, in the 50 freestyle, seeded 22.07 and 21.85, respectively. Owens is also the top seed in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.46).
“The real wild card is diving; swimming is going to be very close,” said Madison coach Andrew Foos.
Langley's top-gun, Ryan Natal holds the top seed in the boy's 200 freestyle with a 1:42.06, but watch out for Marshall's Cyrus Hashemi. He may be seeded with a 1:46.32, but has gone much faster this year outside of high school. Hashemi has plenty of speed, and he is favored to win the 100 freestyle, seeded with a 47.00. Natal will meet A. Seliskar in the 100 butterfly, seeded second with a 51.51.
If Madison wants to repeat as district champions, Howe Wang, along with teammate Owens, must have a big meet for the Warhawks. Wang is the top seed in the 500 freestyle (4:42.08), but will have to stave off junior Ben Southern (McLean) seeded with a 4:43.61. Wang also holds the third position in the 200 IM, sandwiched between second-seed Andrew Nyce (Marshall) and third-seed, Thorsell, listed at 1:57.52 and 2:01.50.
“Taking all three relays [on the boy's side] would be big,” said Jefferson coach Ian Handerhan. “We need our tenth through twelfth place swimmers to make it back in the top heat.”
Last place in the “A” final is guaranteed 11 points, where as first in the “B” final drops off to nine points; seven for second.
“We have a host of guys who we will have to wait and see where they end up [after Friday],” said Foos.
Those Friday night swims will make as much of a difference for Madison and Jefferson as diving and relays.
Other swimmers to watch in the boys meet are South Lakes junior Anthony Barbee, seeded third in the 200 freestyle (1:48.53) and 100 freestyle (49.65). He'll contend with Reese Frerichs (Jefferson) and Grayson Smith (Madison), who will both be gunning for him in the 100 freestyle. Also, McLean freshman Gerry Wan (1:01.36) will challenge Nyce (1:01.40) in the 100 breaststroke, behind Owens.
“This meet is swum on Friday for us, just like everyone else, you can't score points unless you make it to finals,” added Marshall coach Ann Jopke.
Read the Va. AAA National District Preview here.