George Mason High School’s varsity boys and girls swim teams dominated their district competitors in the first two weeks of the season. A Mason swimmer placed first in every event the Mustangs have entered in the two meets they’ve entered.
The Mustangs beat Central High School in a season-opening dual meet against the Central Falcons. The boys team defeated the Falcons 122-46 and the girls team won 133-34.
Six Mason swimmers qualified for the Virginia High School League’s state championships at the meet, which was held at Manassas Park Community Center.
Three Mason boys turned in state-qualifying performances against the Falcons. Senior Jared Britton qualified for states in the 100- and 200-yard freestyle. He came in first place in both events with a time of 50.68 seconds in the 100-yard freestyle and one minute and 56.62 seconds.
Junior Chris Markus (100-yard butterfly) and sophomore Justin Britton (50-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke) are the other two Mustangs rounding out the boys’ strong start to the season.
Markus came in first place in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 59.48 seconds, as did Britton in both the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke, with times of 23.57 and 59.75 seconds, respectively.
The girls were even more dominant against the Falcons. Senior Beth Cashin, Mason’s record-setting swimmer, qualified for states in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard breaststroke, with times of 25.87 seconds and one minute and 13.19 seconds, respectively.
A pair of juniors – Erin McFall and Francesca King – rounded out the Mustang girls swimmers who qualified for states in their first meet of the season.
McFall qualified in the 200 freestyle (2:11.13) with a first place finish and King qualified in the 200 individual medley (2:26.29) and 100 butterfly (1:06.93) with first place finishes in both events.
Freshman Hannah Rollins joined the herd of Mustangs who qualified for states, albeit a week later at a tri-meet against Central and Manassas Park High School. She’ll be joining King in the 100 butterfly after posting a time of one minute and 7.89 seconds in the event.
Rollins’ performance in the tri-meet was part of another dominating team effort for both the girls and the boys.
The girls defeated the Falcons 77-17 and the Manassas Park Cougars 79-15 at their most recent meet, held last Saturday at Manassas Park Community Center. The boys defeated the Falcons 67-27 and beat the Cougars 83-11 at the meet.
Two other Mason swimmers for the boys team qualified for the state meet in the tri-meet last Saturday.
Junior Miller Surette will be joining Britton at states after posting first place finishes in those events against the Falcons and Cougars. Surette clocked in at 49.04 seconds in the 100-yard freestyle and one minute and 47.22 seconds in the 200-yard freestyle.
Senior David Larsen was the other boys’ swimmer to qualify for states at the tri-meet, with a time of one minute and 6.21 seconds in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Four of Mason’s relay teams have also qualified for states in the team’s young season. The boys 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard medley teams and the girls relay teams qualified for states in the same events.
Mason’s swimmers will train more this week and have some time over the holidays before returning to action on Saturday, Jan. 3, against Strasburg High School at Manassas Park Community Center.
