Teams have endured five, hard weeks of weekly training and dual meets to prepare for the last team meet of the season: divisionals.
Aside from the relay carnival, divisionals is the only time all six teams in a divisions come together at one time. Each team sends their top two swimmers in each event to compete for the title of division champion.
For teams in first place, it can be a chance to reassert their position, while, for the teams not quite at the top, its a chance to finish the season on a good note. And for the top swimmers in the county, the meet serves as a final chance to confirm their spot in next weekend’s all-star meet.
Regardless of motives, divisionals always provides an intense, spirited atmosphere not comparable to any dual, club or high school meet.
1. Fight to the finish in division F
Wildwood Manor and Regency Estates have been battling all season. In their dual meet in Week 2, Wildwood Manor managed to defeated Regency Estates by just three points. However, at the relay carnival Regency Estates got their revenge by pulling out a 10-point victory over the Wombats. These teams sit at the top of their division and have had two close encounters, so far; divisionals should be no different.
Wildwood Manor has the advantage in the standings heading into the meet by four points, 38 to 34. But if Regency Estates can win tomorrow’s divisional meet, they’d end in a tie with 54 points each.
2. Record alert
The girls 9-10 50-meter free record has stood for fourteen years, but that could all end this weekend. Jillian Berger (10) of Little Falls is just .21 seconds off of the record entering Saturday’s meet. Morgan Ribar currently owns the record with a time of 30.12, set in 2000, and it stands as the second oldest record in the books. Also in jeopardy is the boys 9-10 50 free record. David Fitch (10) of Potomac will attempt to drop .23 to break the three-year-old record of 29.58, which was set by Timmy Ellett of Tilden Woods in 2011.
3. Battle of the backstrokers
Four of the top six 15-18 boys’ 100 backstrokers will be facing off against each other in division A’s championship meet, and will provide a preview to the fierce competition expected at all-stars. John Jeang, 16, of Rockville currently holds the top spot in the county with a 59.02. Not far behind him is Bouke Edskes, 16, of Upper County with a 59.28, Joey Snodderly, 17, of Tilden Woods with a 59.82 and Andrew Gibson, 17, of Rockville with a 1.00.08.
4. Identity crisis
Division L is in need of a leader. Unlike most divisions, their is no undefeated team, but Forest Knolls and Poolsville are separated by just two points in the division standings. Forest Knolls and Poolsville both won four dual meets, but Forest Knolls has the advantage in the standings after beating Poolsville by two points at the relay carnival. These two might be the top two, but East Gate is still in it, winning three of their dual meets and earning a 38-point decisive first place finish at the relay carnival to put them just four points out of first.
5. At it again
Eleven-year-old Brett Feyerick of Tallyho is at the bottom of his age group, but the top of the county by over a second and a half in backstroke. As a ten year old last season, he broke the MCSL record in the 9-10 25 back and went undefeated throughout the whole season. He looks poised to drop the last .17 seconds necessary to break Devin Troung’s three-year-old time of 30.42. If Feyerick does not beat it this year, he still has one more season before he ages up. That’s a lot of opportunities to ink his name to the record book.
6. Distancing themselves
Four MCSL records have already been broken this season by three different swimmers. Katie Ledecky broke both the 100 free and 100 IM records earlier this season in her impromptu record to the league. Last week, Phoebe Bacon, 11, of Tallyho and Eli Fouts, 14, of Manchester Farms both broke their records in the girls 11-12 50 back and boys 13-14 boys back, respectively, and will be looking to lower those marks once again this weekend. Although Bacon has two seconds separating her and her closest competitor, Fouts has a crowd fighting to catch up to him. Michael Wong, 14, of Germantown and Sanjay Wijesekera, 14, of Rockville are each less than half of a second behind Fouts and his record.
7. 8 & under talent
Two of the counties best 8 & unders will be facing off against each other in the 25 breast in division A. Cole Hilton, 8, of Woofcliffe is ranked first in the county with a 21.63, followed closely by Harrison Quach, 8, of Stonegate with a 21.83. These two will provide some of the closest races at divisionals, as they are separated by four one-hundreds of a second in the 25 free as well.
8. Potomac Woods, Mill Creek Towne battle continues
Potomac Woods and Mill Creek Towne have distanced themselves from the rest of division C but not each other. Entering Week 5, they were both undefeated and finished first and second respectively at the relay carnival. After a close, intense meet, Potomac Woods defeated Mill Creek Towne by just six points. This weekend, they will be facing off for the third time this season. Mill Creek Town will have to be spectacular to place first and needs some help from other teams to have any hope of coming out first in the final division standings.
9. Top of the county
Stonegate has had a historic season, winning all five dual meets by wide margins and the division A relay carnival. A victory at divisionals would seal their place as the top team in the county, knocking down Upper County, last years champion. Stonegate has tons of impressive talent, including Brady Ott, 14, Ryan Gruner, 12, Caleb Vu, 8, and the best class of 11-12 girls in the county in Shannon Lamb, Tia Thomas, Jordan Wallace, Taylor Wallace and Brianna Sanidad. They have a total of 100 all-star times, the second highest number in the county.
10. Medley relay mania
Although Manchester Farms team of Grace Elliott, 14, Dylan Gribble, 15, Lindsay Knapp, 17, and Sydney Knapp, 15, won the 18 & under medley relay at the division B relay carnival, Cedarbrook’s team of Grace Goetcheus, 16, Margret Wolfson, 15, Sydney Kirsch, 16, and Hannah Griffin, 16, are just .09 seconds behind them. Even with though Manchester Farms won the event at the relay carnival, they are not guaranteed the spot at all-stars. If Cedarbrook beats their time of 2.09.06, they will get to represent the division at all-stars.