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Fourpeat: Western Albemarle boys swimming wins fourth-straight state title

 

In recent years, Western Albemarle’s boys and girls swim and dive teams have turned the final relay of the night into a spectacle, with throngs of Western swimmers cheering on the final race in what’s usually a coronation moment for programs that have been stacking up state titles over the last decade.

 

Thursday certainly didn’t have that same feel but for a moment, when just before the 400 freestyle relay Western’s swimmers that weren’t competing dropped their hands and yelled in unison as the Warriors’ first swimmer dove into the pool, it felt just like the last three years when the Warriors’ boys have wrapped up state titles.

 

“That definitely made it more normal and it definitely helped especially when you’re behind the blocks and you know have all the guys up there behind you,” said Western’s Matthew Heilman.

 

The Warriors won that relay and put the icing on another strong state meet performance with the program’s fourth-straight state title in Class 3. The Warriors won with 374 points to outpace runnerup Independence who scored 266 points while Fluvanna County took fifth with 127 points. 

 

Social distancing restrictions forced the Warriors to adapt some of their traditions and interactions, but the Warriors found ways to thrive under those constraints.

 

“We found our ways to emotionally connect when we can’t physically hug and scream in each other’s faces,” said Western’s lone senior Peyton Wray. “We found ways to show our support and the positive of it is that this is going to be the one that I’m never going to forget.”

 

The Warriors’ lone individual event winner was Trevor Donalson who won the state dive title on February 9 while Wade Donalson took third. 

 

In swimming, Sam Johnson had a monster day for the Warriors, piling up runner-up finishes in the 100 butterfly, the 200 freestyle and as part of the 200 free relay before winning an event state title with Western’s 400 free relay team. Matthew Heilman finished second in the 200 IM and fourth in the 100 breaststroke while swimming legs of the title-winning 400 free relay team and the 200 free relay team that took second. Anthony Garono swam legs of the 400 free and 200 free relays and took fourth place in the 200 free and 500 free events. Jack Smith finished third in the 100 breaststroke and took fifth in the 200 IM while swimming a leg of the medley relay that took second. 

 

Wray also picked up some big points with an eighth in the 500 free and a sixth in the 100 back while swimming a leg of the 400 free relay. Getting the senior another state title was important to his younger teammates on the Warriors. 

 

“He’s our only senior guy and we wanted to make sure he had the closest to a normal season as possible and we love him so much,”  Johnson said. “We wanted to give him that same energy, that same vibe as what you’d get at a state championship filled with people.”

 

Jackson Schundler finished seventh in the 100 butterfly and ninth in the 100 breaststroke while also swimming on the medley relay. Noah Johnson took third in the 100 backstroke and 11th in the 100 free while swimming on the 200 medley relay. Freshman Jonathan Alexander took seventh in the 200 free and 500 free events. Simon Wray took ninth in the 50 freestyle and swam legs on the medley and 200 free relays. Henry Addison added a 12th place in the 100 backstroke. 

 

Western’s Matthew Heilman

 

The Warriors pulled off the championship while having to contend with postponements and the constraints of COVID, but that postponement in particular, Western saw as an opportunity. 

 

“I said to the kids ‘I know we’re all aiming for this date with this meet but I see it as a gift that we get another nine days together’,” said Western coach Dan Bledsoe. “With COVID, being around people and being social and exercising? It really was a gift.”

 

Enjoying those kind of moments and making the best of that kind of a situation with a positive mentality? That’s a big reason why the Warriors are celebrating winning a title for a fourth-straight year. 

 

Fluvanna and Monroe’s Ryan Taylor put together strong performances

Fluvanna County’s boys took fifth in the meet led by the 200 freestyle relay squad of Hunter Strickland, Ahmad Woodson, Owen Strickland and Gus Jones finishing tied with Western for the state runner-up spot. Jones also took fourth in the 100 butterfly. 

 

That relay race was particularly special for the Flucos.

 

“It’s a blessing just to be able to swim especially relays because we had two seniors and we sent them off right I think,” Jones said. “We wanted that extra hundredth because we don’t like sharing second place, but I’ve been swimming together with these guys since I was eight, we were seeded fourth and we overachieved there.”

 

Ahmad Woodson took sixth in the 500 free and the Flucos finished fourth in the 200 free relay. Hunter Strickland finished eighth in the 200 IM and 10th in the 100 fly. The Flucos’ 400 free relay took ninth. 

 

William Monroe’s Ryan Taylor wrapped up his career for the Dragons with a pair of top 10 finishes, taking fifth in the 100 breaststroke and sixth in the 200 IM. Taylor has been a fixture at the state meet all four years, and getting a chance to compete one final time at the meet was important for the senior.

 

“I set that goal when I was a freshman, I said I wanted to make the state championship all four years,” Taylor said. “It feels amazing to say I was able to do that — and against all odds, we didn’t even know if we’d even have a meet.”

 

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