WINCHESTER — Joe Warnagiris and Alex Hua couldn’t have had more fitting headwear on Saturday.
Donning gold crowns for Senior Day, Warnagiris and Hua — the only two seniors on James Wood’s boys’ swimming team — performed like kings and led their team to a first-place finish at Saturday’s four-team meet at Jim Barnett Park.
Wood’s boys’ team finished with 124 points, 19 more points than second-place Sherando (105 points), 38 more than third-place Millbrook (86) and 42 more than fourth-place Handley (82).
Millbrook took first place in the girls’ meet with 182 points, 29 more points than second-place James Wood (153), 56 more than third-place Sherando (126) and 140 more than fourth-place Handley.
Wood’s boys won six events in the Class 4 Northwestern District quad meet.
Hua won the 100-meter freestyle with a 1:00.40 time, just .02 seconds quicker than Sherando’s Jackson Hepner, who placed second at 1:00.42. Michael Thompson also finished second in the 100 backstroke in 1:09.42.
In addition to individual races, the Colonels won three relays. They won the 200 medley relay (Thompson, Warnagiris, Hua, Josh Harty) with a 1:59.23 time, the 200-freestyle relay (Thompson, Houlden Alexander, Eddie Grimes, Harty) in 2:01.05 and the 400-freestyle relay (Grimes, Thompson, Hua, Warnagiris) in 3:48.49. Wood’s 400-freestyle relay time was a state-qualifying performance. Harty also finished second in the 50 freestyle in 28.33.
The Wood boys were without a few swimmers in Zach Harrington and Julian Nardelli, who missed the meet due to other commitments. In light of their absences, James Wood coach Jessica Barr was pleased to see her boys’ team win three relays ahead of regionals on Feb. 11 in Blacksburg.
“To kind of win a handful of events on the boys’ side is a credit to them,” Barr said.
Along with his performance in relays, Warnagiris won the 100 breaststroke and 400 freestyle (4:09.12). His 400 freestyle finish was a state-qualifying time and eight seconds faster than what he was aiming to record going into Saturday’s contest. His time was also nearly a minute quicker than Handley’s Will Thomas, who finished second in 5:00.67.
After winning a state title in the event last year, Warnagiris is aiming to set the Class 4 record for the 100 breaststroke in his final year with the Colonels. But considering how small the margin for error is, every motion needs to be perfect.
“When you get to a certain level, it’s kind of hard to improve,” Warnagiris said. “You really just got to focus on the little things because no big change you’re going to make is going to get you there all at once. I just try to focus on my returns, good tempo [and] just being nice and clean through the water.”
Along with his abilities in the water, Barr appreciates Warnagiris’ leadership.
“He’s very competitive, he’s very driven, but he’s also very team-oriented and just loves hanging out with the team and cheering on his boys, but also our girls,” Barr said.
With just nine swimmers on Wood’s roster, Warnagiris said the boys’ team is a tight-knit group that he’ll miss after graduating later this year.
“We have a pretty small boys team this year, but everyone on our team plays an important role, and we’ve really done good at developing throughout the season,” Warnagiris said. “Our team is looking really good, and I’m proud of how we’ve done so far.”
Warnagiris added that he is taking a gap year after graduation, although he will announce his commitment to swim at the next level in the coming weeks.
On other Frederick County teams, Sherando’s Toby Winston finished first in the boys’ 100 butterfly (1:00.85) ahead of Millbrook’s Nathan Truong, who finished second in 1:04.36.
Winston, who rejoined the team this year after missing last season has loved being able to compete with his teammates again.
“It’s a great team,” Winston said. “It’s a great culture with all the guys on the team. I mean, it’s just like a family. It’s really going to suck to leave after this year. I’m gonna miss them all.”
Truong placed first in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:22.07, slightly quicker than Wood’s Grimes (second in 2:26.05). Other boys’ top finishers included Millbrook’s Rhien Julich in the 200 freestyle (first in 2:20.74); Sherando’s Isaiah McManigle in the 200 freestyle (second in 2:36.74); Millbrook’s Xavier LaFalce in the 50 freestyle (first in 27.17); and Sherando’s Henry Knight in the 100 breaststroke (second in 1:24.86).
Sherando placed second in the 200 medley relay (Hepner, Knight, Winston, McManigle) in 2:04.65. In the 200 freestyle relay, Handley (Joseph Nelson, Noah Meleason, Thomas Nelson, Max Smith) placed second in 2:06.03.
As for Millbrook’s girls, Millbrook coach Will Sigler thought the Senior Day festivities inspired his team, and especially the girls, to compete at a high level.
“The girls definitely performed today,” Sigler said. “They stepped it up, and really the whole team, I think, stepped it up for the seniors. Swimming is a big team atmosphere, and that’s why we always do the senior meet together because the swimming community is so tight.”
Kiera Webster won the 100 backstroke in 1:14.84, beating out Sherando’s Molly Eanes (1:17.05) by just over two seconds. She also won the 100 butterfly in 1:11.02, more than 16 seconds faster than second-place finisher Annie Hua of James Wood.
Webster said she tried out a new breathing technique for the 100 butterfly in which she breathed every other stroke as opposed to every one.
“I think there’s always room for improvements, but I’m happy with it,” Webster said.
Other Millbrook girls who finished in the top two were Aline Truong in the 200 individual medley (first in 2:43.92) and 400 freestyle (first in 5:13.48); Riley Pillo in the 50 freestyle (first in 29.56) and 100 breaststroke (first in 1:24.40); and Haley Butler in the 100 freestyle (first in 1:06.14).
Wood’s Kallie Gyurisin placed second in the 100 freestyle in 1:07.09. Wood (Lois Brian, Sophia Caruso, Julia Rheinberger, Sophia Howard) also placed second in the 400 freestyle relay (5:14.66).
Sherando’s girls’ team (Eanes, Gracie Sims, Gracie Defibaugh, Reese Luong) won the 200 medley relay in 2:17.87 and placed second in the 200 freestyle relay in 2:03.81. Other Sherando girls’ swimmers to place in the top two were Defibaugh in the 400 freestyle (second in 5:33.48); Eanes in the 100 backstroke (second, 1:17.84); and Sims in 100 breaststroke (second, 1:25.19).
Eanes also tied Butler for first place in the 200 freestyle. Both girls swam the event in 2:24.41.
“I think we swam really well today,” Sherando coach Christine Welch said. “We had a lot of seniors do really well, so they picked up the pace for us.”
Handley (Lexi Meleason, Lee Mabe, Kelsye Brown, Shane Kim) placed second in the 200 freestyle relay in 2:18.55
Handley coach Alisha Hilliard thought Saturday’s meet was a good sign of things to come after a rough month.
“Definitely throughout this month of January, I would say, has been a little tough trying to deal with snow days because we can’t be in the pool, or kids are getting sick, or kids are out,” Hillard said. “They were really able to be back in the pool this week and [were] putting in a lot of effort, and so I think some of that showed in different ways today.”
— Contact Justin Robertson at
jrobertson@winchesterstar.com. Follow Justin Robertson on X @j_probertson