VHSL Class 6 Occoquan Region Championships
- February 8-10, 2024
- Oakton, Virginia
- SCY (25 yards)
- Final Boys Results
- Final Girls Results
- Race Videos
Northern Virginia is a long-time hotbed for high-level high school swimming, having been the training ground for Olympic medalists including Tom Dolan (1996 and 2000) and Torri Huske (2021). On Saturday night, the latest crop of water wonders plowed through the Oak Marr Rec Center pool during the Class 6 Occoquan region championship meet.
Both the boys’ and girls’ team titles went to Robinson of Fairfax, with the boys powered by J.T. Schmid, a senior who will be taking his aquatic talents to the University of North Carolina this fall. He won his two individual events, the 200 IM (1:49.59 – knocking nearly five seconds off his prelims time and breaking the regional record he set last year) and the 100 back (48.29 – lowering his own regional record by .03), while also helping to deliver wins in the 200 medley relay (leading off with a 23.13) and the 200 free relay (delivering an eye-popping 19.92 split on his anchor leg), with the quartet notching a new regional record.
Other Robinson winners were Jack Fulham in the 200 free (1:41.24), Addison Van Baars in the 200 free (1:53.21), Aleena Stukus in the 50 free, tied with Sophie Scadron of Fairfax (23.85), Liam Hickey in the 100 fly (47.15), and Olivia Waugh in the 500 free (5:06.38). The girls’ squad of Van Baars, Kitty Moy-Jacobs, Madison Bedford, and Lilla Wilbur won the 400 free relay by more than two seconds to close out the meet.
The meet’s outstanding girl was Emma Redman, a senior at Justice High School. The future University of Virginia swimming delivered two individual wins, in the 100 breast (1:02.52), with a silky smooth stroke, and the 200 IM (2:00.03). Both times represent new Occoquan region records, with the latter being an improvement on Redman’s time from last year. Redman was also a key cog in Justice’s winning relays, in the 200 medley (1:45.46 – a new regional record), where she rumbled through a 24.84 fly leg, and the 200 free, where she split 23.37. After the meet, Redman caught up with SwimSwam – see the interview here.
Close behind Schmid among the boys was Josh Howat, a lanky 6’5” junior at Lake Braddock and also a future Virginia Cavalier. He showed great versatility in winning both the 50 free (20.94) and the 500 (4:37.61), the latter marking a new Occoquan region record. He and his teammates came up just short to Robinson in the 200 free relay, but they came back in the 400 free relay, with Howat uncorking a 44.17 split to make up a deficit of nearly three seconds and deliver the win. (The Lake Braddock time – 3:07.41 – tied the regional record the team set last year.) Howat and Schmid – who are training partners at NCAP – spoke with SwimSwam poolside after the meet.
Sadie Buckley, a Fairfax freshman, won the 100 back (54.16) by more than four seconds and set a new regional record in the process. She also finished second in the 200 IM (2:00.99), and held the lead after back. Her sterling first-time outing brings to mind Torri Huske’s performance in her first regional meet, when she tied for first in the 200 IM and finished second in the 100 fly. Keep an eye on Buckley for the next three years, and beyond.
Other winners were Beck Hastings in the boys 100 fly (49.79) and Sophie Scadron in the girls 100 fly (54.43), Sienna Schmeck in the 100 free (51.92), and Brady Bauernshub in the 100 breast (56.47).