Hampton Roads Academy’s boys and girls swimming teams each repeated as Virginia Independent Schools Division 2 state champions for the third year in a row Saturday evening in Manassas — and they made it look easy.
Competing against 28 other Division 1 and Division 2 schools from the around the state, the Navigators’ boys and girls teams placed third overall and first – by a landslide – amongst their fellow Division 2 programs.
HRA’s boys finished third overall and first among its Division 2 foes, outscoring runner-up Covenant School 232-51. The lady Navigators were equally dominant in their rout of fellow Division 2 programs tallying 227 points to Seton School’s 76.
“It takes a special group of swimmers to win a state championship,” HRA coach Jeff Scott said of the three-peat. “These kids push each other to be better swimmers and that’s what makes them such great competitors. They deserve all the credit for accomplishing it three years in a row.”
HRA’s girls left their mark by setting six school records, led by Peyton Baldwin and Nicole Piercy who captured two apiece.
Baldwin set the school’s new all-time mark in the 200 free (1:53.33) and 100 fly (55.55), while Piercy clocked all-time best times in the 100 free (53.38) and 500 free (5:00.29).
Linnea Patterson, Claire Lennarz, Nicole Shuford and Melina Gharbo also helped the Navigators clock records in 200 free (1:40.42) and 400 free (3:35.47) relay events.
HRA’s boys also recorded some of their best times during their final swims of the season.
Will Arcand, who set a personal-best time of 52.22 seconds in the 100 back, and Ari Snyder contributed a pair of top 10 overall finishes while Joey Rento and Jared Norton set PRs in the 100 fly and 200 IM, respectively.
The Navigators also swam season-best times to finish in the top five of both the 200 medley (1:38.53) and 200 free (1:27.22) relay events.
The top three individuals in each event earn all-state distinction (click here for complete individual results). The final team standings are posted below.
VISAA DIVISION 2 STATE SWIM MEET
TEAM RESULTS
BOYS
1 Collegiate School Collegiate School 353
2 Trinity Episcopal School Trinity Episcopal School 346
3 Hampton Roads Academy Hampton Roads Academy 22
4 St. Catherine’s School St. Catherine’s School 218
5 Madeira Varsity Swim Team Madeira Varsity Swim Team 155
6 Bishop O’Connell Bishop O’Connell 141
7 St. Gertrude High School St. Gertrude High School 126
8 Norfolk Academy Norfolk Academy 118
9 Bishop Ireton Swim and Dive Bishop Ireton Swim and Dive 115
10 Seton School Seton School 76
11 Flint Hill School Swim Team Flint Hill School Swim Team 69
11 Paul VI Catholic High School Paul VI Catholic High School 69
13 The Potomac School The Potomac School 40
14 Highland Hawks Highland Hawks 37
15 Nansemond Suffolk Academy Nansemond Suffolk Academy 36
16 St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes 28
17 Fredericksburg Christian Fredericksburg Christian 27
18 Oakcrest School Chargers Oakcrest School Chargers 25
19 Cape Henry Collegiate School Cape Henry Collegiate School 20
20 Norfolk Collegiate School Norfolk Collegiate School 18
20 Pope John Paul the Great HS Pope John Paul the Great HS 18
22 Liberty Christian Academy Liberty Christian Academy 14
22 Walsingham Academy Walsingham Academy 14
24 Bishop Sullivan Catholic High Bishop Sullivan Catholic High 12
25 North Cross School North Cross School 7
25 The Covenant School The Covenant School 7
27 Randolph-Macon Academy Randolph-Macon Academy 5
28 Norfolk Christian Norfolk Christian 4
GIRLS
1 Fork Union Military Academy Fork Union Military Academy 267
2 St. Christopher’s School St. Christopher’s School 266
3 Hampton Roads Academy Hampton Roads Academy 232
4 Woodberry Forest Woodberry Forest 215
5 Norfolk Academy Norfolk Academy 200
6 Trinity Episcopal School Trinity Episcopal School 187
7 Bishop O’Connell Bishop O’Connell 155
8 St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes 130
9 Collegiate School Collegiate School 123
10 Benedictine College Prep Benedictine College Prep 61
11 Hargrave Military Academy Hargrave Military Academy 56
12 The Covenant School The Covenant School 51
13 Nansemond Suffolk Academy Nansemond Suffolk Academy 45
14 Walsingham Academy Walsingham Academy 41
14 Fredericksburg Christian Fredericksburg Christian 41
16 Liberty Christian Academy Liberty Christian Academy 40
17 St. Anne’s-Belfield School St. Anne’s-Belfield School 35
18 St. Michael the Archangel High St. Michael the Archangel High 34
19 Bishop Sullivan Catholic High Bishop Sullivan Catholic High 33
20 Pope John Paul the Great HS Pope John Paul the Great HS 32
21 Paul VI Catholic High School Paul VI Catholic High School 28
22 Bishop Ireton Swim and Dive Bishop Ireton Swim and Dive 25
23 Flint Hill School Swim Team Flint Hill School Swim Team 10
24 North Cross School North Cross School 7
25 Blessed Sacrament Huguenot Blessed Sacrament Huguenot 4
26 Wakefield Country Day School Wakefield Country Day School 3
27 Randolph-Macon Academy Randolph-Macon Academy 2
