The Girls Eagle Swim Team combined to score 16 points in this past weekend’s VISAA Swim and Dive Championship Meet….all two of them. The pair of sophomore Lainey Flanagan and freshman Kaitlyn Sullivan scored the schools first ever points in the season-ending Championship meet while placing 20th and outscoring 21 other teams, many with a dozen or more team swimmers. The meet, unlike many other VISAA Championship events, combines all schools from Division 1 and 2 in the state in VISAA membership, where they are broken out by school size or division in other sports, resulting in about 700 swimmers in attendance. Due to the independent nature of the competition, though (except for relays which require four swimmers), smaller teams can make a move up in standings if they have a handful of strong swimmers.

And there is no doubt that WCA’s tandem is strong. Both are already qualified for USA Swimming-sanctioned Virginia State Championships, which are typically far more competitive as they combine the best swimmers from all schools both VHSL and VISAA.  Flanagan has qualified for two events in Virginia Swimming Senior State Championships, while Sullivan, who is just 14, is qualified for ten events in the upcoming Virginia Swimming Age Group Championships, and will compete in the senior meet as well.

Sullivan was first on the board for WCA in the VISAA meet as she clocked a 24.40 in the 50-yard Freestyle to make the Main final (‘A’ Final). She ultimately placed 8th in the final. She also qualified for the 100-yard Breaststroke consolation (‘B’) final on Day 2 of the meet and placed 14th overall. Flanagan scored points with a 15th place finish in the ‘B’ Final after a personal best 1:01.61 in the prelims of the 100-yard Backstroke.

Sound impressive? Wait until next season, asserts Eagle Swim Program Coordinator Jeff Sullivan. “Next season our amazing 7th grader Delaney Gibbons becomes eligible to join our varsity team, and we will promote a few other swimmers as well. With her capabilities, and the ability to swim relays with three state championship level club swimmers in the mix, we should be in the hunt to score the most points of any Division 2 school.” VISAA Swim identifies and recognizes the highest point winners of Division 2 schools, of which WCA is one,  in its list of awards.

Gibbons has had a Junior Varsity season that could best be described as dominant. She has been first or second in every race she has swum this season, many in meets that permitted varsity 9th graders to swim. She also broke a meet record which had stood for six years in the 50-yard backstroke at Seton’s JV Invitational Championship, held at the Warrington Aquatics and Recreation Facility.

Additions of relays will be critical in next year’s competition as well, as the placement points for each finish are doubled. “With the relays in there, we are looking very good. If we manage to add any new swimmers with skills, we could deal some damage,” remarked Sullivan, “and we’d love to get many more WCA students on the team. The meet this weekend was amazing and so much fun, we want to get as many students as we can to be able to experience that.” Eagle Swim is open to swimmers grades 5 and above. The season is now over but will resume again in the beginning of November 2018.