The First Colonial boys and girls returned to the top of the podium at the Virginia High School League swimming championships, using their depth and some standout performances to sweep the Class 5 titles on Saturday night at SwimRVA in Richmond.
Dara Duffy won two individual events and helped the Patriots swim to a pair of relay victories in the girls competition. Duffy, a senior who has signed with LSU, won the 200-yard freestyle and 100 freestyle, and was part of the 200 medley relay with Margaret Ann Wright, Sydney Whiteman and Maris Marchione.
Duffy, Marchione, Wright and Nora Everhart won the 400 freestyle relay.
The Patriots finished with 349 points to easily outpace second-place Midlothian (229). Douglas Freeman (207), Mills Godwin (194) and Kellam (157) rounded out the top five.
The First Colonial girls have won five state championships in the past seven seasons after winning four consecutive titles from 2020-23.
Deep Creek’s Sydney Holbach won her second consecutive state title in the 1-meter dive.
Congratulations to First Colonial on winning Class 5 Boys Swim and Dive: pic.twitter.com/Ih8FDAX4FZ
— VHSL Athletics (@VHSL_) February 22, 2026
The First Colonial boys had individual victories from Austin Temple (50 freestyle and 100 freestyle) and Parker Knapp (100 butterfly), and that duo also helped the Patriots win two relays.
Temple, Knapp, Chase Wilkerson and Tyler Newton teamed to win the 200 freestyle relay, and Wilkerson, Knapp, Temple and Wilson Wood won the 400 free relay.
Wilkerson was second in the 100 backstroke and third in the 50 free, while Menchville’s Jose McCauley won the 1-meter dive.
The Patriots finished with 296.5 points, followed by Douglas Freeman (258), James River (187) and Mills Godwin (187) and Deep Run (165).
Class 4 swimming and diving
Congratulations to Lafayette on winning Class 4 Boys Swim and Dive: pic.twitter.com/nWjsiZ95N3
— VHSL Athletics (@VHSL_) February 21, 2026
Thomas Watson won the 100-yard breaststroke and was part of a winning relay team as Lafayette edged Blacksburg to win its first boys state swimming championship since 2009 at SwimRVA on Friday night.
Lafayette had back-to-back second-place finishes in Class 3 before this season.
Watson, Jimmy Jacobs, Anson Butler and Cole Brenner won the 200 medley relay, and Brenner, Jacobs, Watson and Wyatt Sylvester finished third in the 200 freestyle relay.
The Rams finished with 245 points, followed by Blacksburg (234), Jamestown (226), Atlee (225) and Hanover (187).
In the Class 4 girls championships, Jamestown’s Campbell Daniel won the 100 butterfly and was part of the first-place 200 medley relay with Lilly Younica, Brooke Quinn and Finley Dameron.
Dameron, Quinn, Brooke Ericsson and Charlotte Basic won the 200 freestyle relay.
Lafayette’s Elizabeth Gregory won the 200 freestyle, while Warhill’s Bella Lorack was first in the 100 freestyle.
Monacan (326) won the girls team title in front of Blacksburg (312), Jamestown (302) Warhill (182) and Jefferson Forest (178).
Class 3 wrestling
Gloucester’s Kenneth Hamilton pinned Woodgrove’s Campbell Frook at the 5:12 mark to win the 215-pound championship at Salem Civic Center on Saturday.
Grafton’s Harrison Kent (144) and Phoebus’s Branden Romero (285) finished in third place.
Woodgrove won the team championship with 153.5 points, followed by Loudoun County (112).
