Robinson Boys Clinch 6th Straight AAA Title

As Robinson senior Tim Wingert pulled ahead in the final 25 yards of the 400-yard freestyle relay last night, his teammates on the side of the pool jumped up and down, many with one finger raised above their head.

Wingert once again had closed a late deficit and turned it into a win, putting an exclamation mark on the Rams boys' sixth consecutive team title in the Virginia AAA Swim and Dive Championships at the Aquatics and Fitness Center at George Mason University.

Robinson finished with a team score of 241 points, 28 points ahead of nearest rival Oakton.

"I saw them on the way back jumping," Wingert said. "It feels great. I was worried about losing [the title] for senior year, that it might hurt a little bit, but we got it done as seniors and it makes it feel even better."

On the girls' side, after two years of finishing second behind Yorktown, Fairfax captured the championship on the strength of its relays, finishing with a score of 268.5. Robinson (224) finished in second place with Lake Braddock (181) in third.

It was the first state championship in any sport for the Rebels.

"Every girl knew they had to play a specific role, starting [Friday], if they were going to win," Fairfax Coach Matt Salerno said. "They did that. It was a total team effort by all the girls."

In all, 18 records were set in the 24-event meet, with Stone Bridge All-Met senior Suzanne Schwee setting individual marks in the 100 butterfly (54.78 seconds) and 100 backstroke (55.37) and Lake Braddock All-Met Ashley Danner smashing marks in the 200 individual medley (2 minutes 1.19 seconds) and 100 breaststroke (1:00.96), as well as guiding a record-setting 400 freestyle relay.

Becca Jones, a junior at First Colonial in Virginia Beach, also set records in the 200 freestyle (1:48.45) and the 500 freestyle (4:53.19).

Danner, who plans to attend George Mason University next fall, also set a pool record in the 200 individual medley, putting her name on the record board months before she swims for the Patriots.

"I noticed the [pool] record and I was like, 'Maybe I can get that,' " Danner said. "It'd be pretty cool to see my name there before I even come here."

Robinson's Amanda Kendall and Madison's Sean Fletcher joined Danner, Jones and Schwee as winners in two individual events.

And on a night when his Rams faced their toughest challenge yet, Robinson Coach Rich Gordon said winning title number six feels just as good as the first one.

"People like to hate us, but they don't know what it's like on the inside, it's like a family," Gordon said. "I feel like a proud papa every time they win like this. This one especially, my goodness, they pulled it out. It never gets old, every time they pull it off it's like, 'Yeah, we did it again.' "

Virginia AAA Swim and Dive Championships Team Effort: The Madison boys' team, comprising just four swimmers, finished in third at the meet with 169 points, a remarkable accomplishment. Junior Sean Fletcher and senior John Schnittker, who combined to win three events and set two records, led the Warhawks. Cavalcade of Marks: Other individual records were set by Schnittker (200 freestyle, 1:40.29), Fletcher (100 butterfly, 48.97), Wingert (100 freestyle, 45.56), Kendall (100 freestyle, 50.76), Chantilly's Mathew Benecki (500 freestyle, 4:30.16), and Robinson's Derek Bui (100 breaststroke, tied at 57.34). Relay records were set by Oakton's boys (200 medley), Robinson's boys (200 freestyle and 400 freestyle), Fairfax's girls (200 medley and 200 freestyle) and Lake Braddock's girls (400 freestyle). Virginia AAA Swim and Dive Championships Team Effort: The Madison boys' team, comprising just four swimmers, finished in third at the meet with 169 points, a remarkable accomplishment. Junior Sean Fletcher and senior John Schnittker, who combined to win three events and set two records, led the Warhawks. Cavalcade of Marks: Other individual records were set by Schnittker (200 freestyle, 1:40.29), Fletcher (100 butterfly, 48.97), Wingert (100 freestyle, 45.56), Kendall (100 freestyle, 50.76), Chantilly's Mathew Benecki (500 freestyle, 4:30.16), and Robinson's Derek Bui (100 breaststroke, tied at 57.34). Relay records were set by Oakton's boys (200 medley), Robinson's boys (200 freestyle and 400 freestyle), Fairfax's girls (200 medley and 200 freestyle) and Lake Braddock's girls (400 freestyle).