In keeping with longstanding tradition, the Bishop O’Connell Knights are enjoying a strong winter season in girls and boys swimming and diving.
In the busy high-school squad’s past three meets, the girls and boys each won a significant championship, with solid finishes in the other two.
The dual titles came at the Northern Virginia Catholic Invitational Championships at the Freedom Center in Manassas. The girls won by 23 points with a 334 team point total, while the boys dominated with 513 points, 203 more than the runner-up.
The Catholic meet championships were the second straight for both teams, which have frequently won the titles in the event’s 16-year history.
In the other two recent meets, the O’Connell girls were third and the boys fourth in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Championships, while the girls placed fifth and the boys seventh at the much larger National Catholic Championships, where each competition had around 20 teams.
“Both teams are very strong again this season,” O’Connell coach Lauren Simonson told ARLnow. “There is a good team atmosphere here on both the girls and boys side.”
Each O’Connell team is led by some top individuals, including senior Paul Mullen on the boys side. He will swim in college at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Mullen and Graham Rowan for the boys and junior Stella Mastroianni for the girls each were double winners at the Northern Virginia Catholic meet. Mullen won the 200 (1:43.45) and 500 (4:33.71) freestyle races and swam on two winning relays. Rowan won the 50 free (22.73) and 100 backstroke (54.09) and swam on two winning relays.
Mastroianni won the girls 100 free (53.9) and 100 butterfly (57.9) and was on the winning 400 free relay.
In all, the boys team won seven individual events and three relays, and the girls team won five individual races.
The other winners for the boys were Keaghan Fahle in the fly (54.73), Colton Masterson in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.8) and diver Rai Detten (275.5 points). James Kinsella was second in the 50 and 100 free races and swam on two relays. Second were Fahle (200 free), Jermaine Worthen (breast), Keagan Murdock (500 free) and diver Kellen Colevas.
Third were Masterson (100 free), Worthen (50 free) and Pete Sheehey (fly). Colevas was fourth in the fly. Masterson, Fahle and Worthen also swam on winning relays.
Other contributors for the boys were Behr Galanes, Max Hambey, Nick Hearne, Phillip Cru Molter, Victor Martinez, Ben Fletcher, Currin Wilson and Ryan Pedone.
In addition to Mastroianni, three other standouts for the girls were Kalyn O’Hara with a first in the 200 individual medley (2:08.25) and second in the 500 free, Ellie Wertzler with a win in the 50 free (25.4) and a third in the 100 free, and Anna Sullivan with a first in the back (1:09.19) and third in the 500 free.
In addition, Elliott Rowan was second in the back and third in the 200 free and in diving. Catherine Ayers was second, Maggie Levi third and Lili Lepore fourth. Wertzler, O’Hara and Rowan also swam on the winning 400 free relay.
The 200 free and 200 medley relays were each second.
Others scoring points for the girls were Isabel McEvoy, Caeli McIntosh, Reagan Cervenak, Kenzie Muller, Katherine Ouimet, Scarlett Mcdade, Anna Lenard and Dylan Crombe.
In the WCAC boys meet, Mullen won the 200 free (142.01) and 500 free (4:32.74) and Detten won diving (251.95).
In the girls WCAC meet, Sullivan won the breast (1:07.37), O’Hara was second in the IM and 500 free, Elliott Rowan was second in the 100 free and fifth in the back, and Wertzler was second in the 50 free and sixth in the 100 free. Levi was second in diving and Lepore third.
Sullivan will swim at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y.
“The WCAC meets are always tough for us, but we still did well,” Simonson said.
The O’Connell teams have two meets remaining on their schedules, including the Division I private-school state meet.
“Last season ended with a bang for us,” Simonson said. “This year, the teams came in ready to compete well again and really push themselves.”
