Girls' Swimmer of the Year: James Wood's Kimberly Warnagiris

WINCHESTER — James Wood's Kimberly Warnagiris always has high standards for herself.

She doesn't let those aspirations define her, though.

"You don't make every goal," the Colonels sophomore said. "You win some, you lose some."

Warnagiris might not have achieved everything she wanted this season, but she once again won plenty. And those "losses" were achievements that any other swimmer in the area would take in a heartbeat.

After another stellar season, Warnagiris is The Winchester Star Girls' Swimmer of the Year for the second time in her career.

Warnagiris posted the area's fastest times in three events (100 free, 100 butterfly, 200 individual medley), more than any other girl in the area. She was also the only local girl in the Class 4 meet to earn all-state honors, doing so in the 200 individual medley. And while Warnagiris did not earn all-state honors in her best event, the 100 butterfly, she won the consolation final with a time that was faster than four of the eight girls in the championship heat.

"I thought she did phenomenal," James Wood coach Alan Cavanagh said of Warnagiris' season. "It's hard to find a fault with her."

Warnagiris said her goal at the beginning of the year was to surpass her finishes from last year's state meet. In 2018, Warnagiris placed fourth in the 100 butterfly and fifth in the 100 breaststroke, making her just the third girl from Frederick County to place as high as fourth in state swimming competition since 2006.

Warnagiris is a year-round swimmer though, and she said her desire to also do well for Winchester Swim Team in USA Swimming sometimes makes it difficult to do as well as she wanted to for James Wood.

"My training got more intense," said Warnagiris, who participated in four events at the NCSA Short Course Junior National Championships in Orlando, Fla., last week (she tied for 84th out of 250 swimmers in the 100-yard butterfly with a 56.65). "My practice schedule was the same, but the intensity of those practices picked up from last year. I wouldn't say I wasn't confident this year [for high school swimming], but I wasn't at the confidence level I had last year.

"I think I did well for how I was feeling. But I didn't do as well as I would have liked to."

In addition to going through harder training, Cavanagh said Warnagiris also dealt with a brief stretch where she was ill in December. Warnagiris said she became ill again about a week before the Class 4 Northwestern District meet with a sinus infection that resulted in headaches and a sore throat.

Warnagiris never felt comfortable with the breaststroke during the regular season (Warnagiris' top time in meters of 1:21.79 was six seconds slower than it was last year) but with state-qualifying times in five events, she provided herself with plenty of options for postseason success.

Ultimately, Warnagiris settled on the 100 butterfly and the 200 IM for the postseason.

In both events, Warnagiris had posted faster times than any other area swimmer. But at the Class 4 Northwestern District meet on Feb. 2 at the Warrenton Aquatic and Recreation Center, the 200 IM did not go the way she expected it to. Sherando sophomore Emma De Jong recorded a time of 2:12.03 to beat Warnagiris, who took second, by 0.29.

"Emma is a really strong competitor," Warnagiris said. "She did really well that meet. I was happy for her. I was a little disappointed I didn't get first, but I was happy with my time. At the time, that was my personal best in that event."

Warnagiris went on to defend her district title in the 100 fly later in the meet with a time of 58.73. But at the Region 4C meet on Feb. 8 at the Claude Moore Recreation Center in Sterling, Warnagiris failed to improve on either of her district times as she took fifth in the 200 IM in 2:14.84 and fifth in the 100 fly in 59.24.

"I was a little concerned," Warnagiris said. "The week before that I was coming off of being sick. I was tired, and I don't think my body was ready. I don't think I was in the best mental and physical shape for that meet."

Warnagiris still had one more opportunity to leave her mark on the 2018-19 season at the Class 4 state meet at SwimRVA in Richmond.

Warnagiris started things off by recording a season-best time of 2:10.44 in the 200 IM to qualify for the eight-girl finals later that day. The prelims for the butterfly did not go as planned, though. Warnagiris recorded a time of 59.58. It was the 11th-best time of the session and slower than both her district and regional times. Warnagiris said she didn't warm down properly and didn't do well on her turns.

Warnagiris didn't improve on her preliminary time in finishing last in the championship finals of the 200 IM and took eighth. (Warnagiris did swim faster than De Jong in both the prelims and finals, though.)

But Warnagiris made sure she ended her high school season on a high note in the 100 fly. Warnagiris didn't surpass her high-school best time 56.65 as a freshman (a school record), but her 57.76 was her best of the year and better than all but four swimmers in the championship heat.

"In my heart, I think I did well [at states]," Warnagiris said. "I'm proud of my time."

Warnagiris said she's motivated to come back stronger as a junior. Another reason why she's looking forward to next year is the anticipation of adding several talented swimmers for both the girls and boys. Warnagiris said she enjoyed the team aspect more this year because of the addition of freshman Paige Simko, a fellow state qualifier who helped raise the level of the Colonels.

"We're going to have really good relay teams for both the girls and the boys," said Warnagiris, who Cavanagh says often helps James Wood's boys' swimmers with their technique. "I'm excited."

— Contact Robert Niedzwiecki at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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