Stingrays Push Hard as Regular Season Winds to a Close

The Sequoia Farms swim team just completed its busiest week of the season. Beginning with the “IM Tough” event last Tuesday, a “Developmental Meet” on Wednesday, a “Dual Meet” on Saturday and the Colonial League “Relay Carnival” on Sunday, the Stingrays are ready for a bit of rest and relaxation. 

However, the final week of the regular season still lies ahead, then it’s on to the “Divisional Meet” and the “All Star” meet. At the “IM Tough” event, Kate Croxton turned in another stellar performance as she landed a first place and a new team record in the 100M, IM.

After a stretch of very close meets, dating back to the last season, this weekend the Stingrays were on the losing end of a 42 point margin.  Sequoia and ManorGate pulled out all the stops in the boys 15-18 age group which had the faint flavor of the and school rivalry. In this showdown the Sequoia Farms boys medley relay team of Carlo Paraggio, Will Steinhilber, John Bounds and Brian Chapman proved too strong as they posted a first place finish and a new Stingrays’ team record. The Marlins cemented their victory in the majority of the relay events as that team’s larger membership and depth proved too much for the Stingrays.

At the league-wide “Relay Carnival” the Sequoia swimmers held their own against some of the fastest swimmers in Northern Virginia.  This experience will come in handy as the “Divisional Meet” and “All Star” meet approach and the Stingrays will again face the league’s best.  By far, the most popular event at the relays was the Coaches Medley Relay. The Sequoia Farms coaches, Mark Loper, Lara Chapman, Amanda Karstetter,

Jennifer Steinhilber and Will Steinhilber would have been the winners of this special event, except for the fact that Head Coach Mark performed a beautiful and perfectly illegal, early, running takeoff at the start of his butterfly leg – or the fact that Coach Amanda executed a beautiful and perfectly illegal second half of Coach Jennifer’s freestyle leg.  It was all in good fun as the Sequoia fans on the deck cheered wildly. 

Congratulations to the Sequoia Farms first place finishers in the ManorGate meet:

Julia Barrett: Girls Free, Breast, Fly, 25M 8&U.

Kate Croxton: Girls Free, Back, Fly, 50M 9-10.

Brice Harris: Boys Free, Fly, 50M 11-12.

Kelsey Hamer: Girls Free, Back, Fly, 50M 11-12.

John Bounds: Boys Free, Back, 50M 15-18.

Sydney Fish: Girls Back, 25M 8&U.

Jesse Heise: Girls Back, 50M 13-14.

Brooke Feichtl: Girls Back, Fly, 50M 15-18.  

Russell Steinhilber: Boys Breast, 50M 11-12.  

Sean Bartro: Boys Breast, Fly, 50M 13-14.

Kristen Blee, Julia Barrett, Sydney Fish, Lucy Blazquez: Girls Medley, 100M Relay 8&U.

Ryan Morris, Russell Steinhilber, Brice Harris, Matthew Bentley: Boys Medley, 200M Relay 11-12.

Jessie Heise, Lauren Chin, Katie O'Brien, Georgia Cerisano: Girls Medley, 200M Relay 13-14.

Carlo Paraggio, Will Steinhilber, John Bounds, Brian Chapman: Boys Medley, 200 Relay 15-18.

Kate Croxton, Jessie Heise, Kelsey Hamer, Brooke Feichtl: Girls Free, 200M Relay Mixed Age.

            First place finishers from the Relay Carnival (yards):

Brooke Feichtl, Kate Croxton, Kelsey Hamer, Jesse Heise: Girls 200 Freestyle Relay Mixed Age.
Jessie Heise, Lauren Chin, Katie O'Brien, Nicole Williams: Girls Medley, 200 Relay 13-14.

Team record breakers from the Relay Carnival (yard records):

Brooke Feichtl, Kate Croxton, Kelsey Hamer, Jesse Heise: Girls 200 Freestyle Relay Mixed Age.

Sydney Loper, Maggie Lark, Kate Croxton, Molly Hamer: Girls 100 Medley Relay 9-10.

Jessie Heise, Will Steinhilber, Kate Croxton, Brice Harris: Mixed Sex 200 Medley Relay Mixed Age.

Kate Croxton, Avery Harris, Sydney Loper, Daniel Morris: Mixed Sex 200 Freestyle Relay 9-10.

—By Gary Chapman