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First Colonial girls primed for another title
A constant theme in the last several years for area swimming and diving is First Colonial’s contention for the Class 5 girls state championship. It’s time for an encore. The Patriots won three titles in a row before “slumping” to second behind Douglas Freeman last season, scoring 294 points to the Richmond-area Mavericks’ 310.5. FC totaled more points than it did in winning the 2024 trophy (263).
Coaches Liz Stroud and Robin Lang bring back considerable senior talent in Dara Duffy (who has committed to swim for LSU), Maggie Wright (West Virginia), Maris Marchione (Richmond), Sydney Whiteman (Salisbury), Norah Everhart and Brenna Fary. They added senior Emma Gallant, a former Landstown swimmer who has committed to the University of Maine.
Also returning for FC is diver Maddie Stroud, who will play Division II volleyball for West Liberty in West Virginia. Juniors coming back for FC are Claire Graham, Alina Masson and Megan Schloss.
More contenders
Among smaller schools, Bruton’s girls could be the envy of many teams. The Panthers, especially good in relays, are coming off two consecutive Class 2 team trophies and have a good chance to make it three. Senior Alyssa White has won seven of a possible eight gold medals at state the last two years, while classmates Peyton Cleary and Maddie Hubbard and junior Dori Veith also have brought back state golds. Sophomores Bailey Walters and Mikayla Bordick and junior Alyna Sosa add high-level experience.
In Class 4, Jamestown juniors Brooke Quinn and Campbell Daniel and Warhill senior Bella Lorack and sophomore Jenny Hofer return as top point-producers to teams that finished second and fifth at state last season.
Norfolk Academy’s boys come off a second-place finish in Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I to St. Christopher’s, though the Bulldogs lost some of their top competitors to graduation. Cape Henry Collegiate’s girls are coming off a third-place finish in VISAA Division II after winning the 2024 championship. The Dolphins were 10th overall in a meet that includes both divisions, while reigning Tidewater Conference champion Norfolk Academy was sixth overall and fifth in Division I.
First Colonial’s boys also were runners-up last season to Douglas Freeman, albeit by 122 points, and they have the 757’s best senior swimmer (according to swimcloud.com) in Austin Temple. Fellow Patriot Chase Wilkerson was third at state in the 100 backstroke (49.33) and fourth in the 50 free (21.04).
Lafayette’s boys bring back standout junior Wyatt Sylvester and senior Tommy Watson, who each grabbed multiple state medals, after placing a distant second (by 265 points) to dominant Western Albemarle in Class 3.
Taking it to the next level
Each year, many Hampton Roads 12th-graders earn spots to swim or dive for college teams. Here’s a glance at where some of the class of 2025 are competing these days.
Girls: Holly Brundage (Jamestown to Emory), Izzie Check (Bruton to Randolph-Macon), Cameron Darnell (Peninsula Catholic to St. Bonaventure), Addy Heyward (Jamestown to James Madison), Sofia Kohler (Norfolk Academy to UNC Wilmington), Lana Macchi (First Colonial to Virginia Wesleyan), Sara Teague (First Colonial to Tampa), Maddie Wolfe (Menchville to VMI), Afsana Rawlins (Ocean Lakes to Kenyon), Sohalya Rawlins (Ocean Lakes to Case Western Reserve) and diver Peyton Worman (Hickory to West Virginia).
Boys: Ryan Griffith (Grafton to Duke), Gabe Nunziata (StoneBridge to Tennessee), Carl Stauffer (Hampton Roads Academy to Johns Hopkins), Spencer Thompson (Norfolk Academy to Tufts), Blaise VanSlyke (Norfolk Academy to William & Mary), Nathan Walker (Warhill to Mary Washington).
Chairmen (and women) of the springboard
Sadie Workman of Cox High School grabs her legs while twisting in the air for a dive while competing in the Class 5 and 6 region A diving championships at the Great Neck Recreation Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Feb 9, 2024. (Billy Schuerman / The Virginian-Pilot)
Fans of diving won’t have to go far to watch most of the VHSL state championships, since Brittingham-Midtown Community Center in Newport News will host much of the action. Class 3 and 4 will be held Feb. 18, and Class 5 will be there Feb. 19. (Class 1 and 2 diving will be Feb. 17, and Class 6 diving will be at the Jeff Rouse Swim and Sport Center in Stafford on Feb. 20.)
Deep Creek senior Sydney Holbach, who has committed to Northeastern, and Cox junior Sadie Workman could be some of the area’s top entries.
Five swimmers you should know
Dara Duffy, First Colonial
Headed next season to compete for LSU, which is ranked 11th nationally in the coaches’ poll, the senior first hopes to gain even more glory with the Patriots and Tide Swimming. Swimcloud.com lists her 12th among 12th-grade swimmers in Virginia, the highest among anyone competing for her school this season. She took two gold medals and two silvers in last year’s Class 5 meet, including a 100 freestyle championship in 51.26 seconds.
Elizabeth Gregory, Lafayette
A senior committed to Miami University in Ohio, she won bronze medals in the 200 and 500 freestyles at last season’s state Class 3 meet with times of 1:52.49 and 5:04.11, respectively. She is ranked 16th in Virginia’s 12th-grade class by swimcloud.com and competes for the Williamsburg Aquatic Club.
Tyler Koepp, Salem
Ranked 19th among male 12th-graders in Virginia, he has committed to swim for the U.S. Naval Academy (as has First Colonial’s Chase Wilkerson) and is especially good in the backstroke and individual medley. Last season in the Class 5 state meet, Koepp was fifth in the 100 backstroke (51.80) and in the 200 freestyle (1:42.51), and he won the Region A title in the 200 IM (2:07.43) and was the region runner-up in the 100 back.
Austin Temple, First Colonial
The Tide Swimming standout sprinter, ranked third among seniors in Virginia by swimcloud.com and atop a deep Patriots roster, has pledged to compete to North Carolina State. He won the Class 5 state championship in the 50 and 100 freestyles in each of the past two seasons, posting times of 20.02 and 43.94 last season.
Alyssa White, Bruton
Ranked 55th among senior girls by swimcloud.com and a competitor for 757 Swim, she sparked the Panthers to last year’s Class 2 team championship by winning the state 100 and 200 freestyles in 53.50 and 1:57.03, as well as being an integral part of gold-medal relays. She would love an encore.
