Heading down the final stretch toward the holidays, George Mason High School’s varsity boys and girls swim teams fit in two meets this weekend.

Last Friday, the teams traveled to Leesburg to swim against the AA-division Loudoun County High School teams. Saturday, the Mustangs traveled to Manassas Park Community Center to swim against Strasburg High School.

Mason coaches worked hard to balance the meet sheets for the two competitions to cover absences due to illness and the need for the athletes to swim in back-to-back meets. Mason’s depth on both squads was apparent; they were victorious for both outings.

The boys team defeated Loudoun County, 152-134, and Strasburg, 126-36. The girls team beat Loudoun County, 147-139, and Strasburg, 132-36.

It was a very tight and exciting meet against Loudoun where every swimmer’s place, and their points, counted toward Mason’s narrow win. Swimmers in all eight lanes were competing for points. The next day’s victory over Strasburg was decisive, and Mason entered much of its new talent in races/heats as exhibition swimmers, allowing individual athletes to improve their times as well as swim in events new to them. In both meets, records were set and additional qualifying times were earned for events in state competition.

Junior Nick Roberson earned a spot in the boys 200-yard freestyle and beat a record set last season in the process with his time of 1:51.06. The boys 400-yard freestyle relay team’s finish of 3:29.41 bested a record set in 2008 of 3:31.75, and secured its position at state competition. Sophomore Jared Britton and senior Lucas Cherry also earned state-qualifying times, in the boys 100-yard fly and 100-yard backstroke, respectively. George Mason has now qualified to take part in 15 of the 22 events at the state competition.

The teams will compete again the weekend after the winter break against Clarke County and William Monroe high schools in a tri-meet at Manassas Park Community Center on Saturday, Jan. 5.