The 2020 Virginia Class 2 Swimming and Diving State Championships took place on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at the SwimRVA Pool in Richmond, Va.
The meet was highlighted by a pair of Class 2 records being broken. Union’s Ashley Cusano broke her own 100 fly mark with a time of 53.92 while Bruton’s Jacob Sprigg set a new record in the 200 free of 1:42.29.
Click HERE for full results and team scores.
BOYS MEET
Top 5 Team Scores:
1. Radford – 277
2. Virginia – 276
3. Bruton – 213
4. Clarke County – 168
4. Strasburg – 168
The meet began as Virginia’s Aaron Van Nostrand (26.94), Cooper Gobble (29.31), John David Moser (24.50), and Braxton White (23.49) won the opening 4×50 medley relay in a combined time of 1:44.24. Gobble (22.63), White (23.47), Moser (23.28), and Nostrand (23.12) also won the 4×50 free relay in 1:32.50.
Sprigg dominated the 200 free, dropping nearly seven seconds off his prelims time to win the event by nine seconds in a final time of 1:42.29 en route to break Evan Lynch’s 2018 Class 2 mark of 1:43.05. Shortly after, the junior was back in the water to earn another gold after clocking in at 50.72 to win the 100 fly by nearly five seconds.
Bruton’s Caleb Hall splashed-and-dashed his way to a win in the 50 free, clocking in at 22.51 to out-touch Gobble (22.54). After finishing second in the 100 free last season, Gobble found himself with the gold medal this year after racing to the wall in a quick 48.78 ahead of Hall (49.57).
Clarke County’s Derek Sprincis cruised to first in the 200 IM, stopping the clock in 2:04.28 to win by over three seconds. Fort Chiswell’s Kolby King was victorious in the 500 free with a final time of 5:01.71 ahead of Sprincis (5:03.45).
Radford’s Nate Cosmato dove to the top spot on the 1-meter board, finishing with a final score of 376.25. Middlesex’s Dayton Liverman powered home to a win in the 100 back, touching in 56.88 as the first of only three swimmers in the race to crack the 60-second barrier.
Madison County’s Luke Wintersgill got his hands to the wall the quickest in the 100 breast with a time of 1:02.72 for the win. Bruton’s Chris Homer (51.84), Alexander Sanders (59.35), Hall (51.42), and Sprigg (47.80) teamed up to win the 4×100 free relay in 3:30.41.
GIRLS MEET
Top 5 Team Scores:
1. Glenvar – 242
2. Bruton – 232
3. Virginia – 167
4. George Wythe – 164
5. Strasburg – 161
The girls’ meet began as Bruton’s Chloe Anderson (30.51), Chloe Check (32.15), Gina Lynch (26.87), and Amari Randall (26.10) won the 4×50 medley relay in 1:55.63. Galax’s Mia Llamas won the 200 free in 1:56.34 as the first of only three swimmers in the field to dip under the two-minute marker, just ahead of Lynch (1:56.67).
George Wythe’s Tatum Robinson raced to gold in the 200 IM for the second-straight year, stopping the clock in 2:10.42 for a seven-second victory. Robinson collected her second individual gold medal of the meet in the 100 breast after she got her hands to the wall the fastest in 1:08.84.
Glenvar’s Claire Griffith sprinted to the top spot in the 50 free, getting her hand to the wall in 25.37 for the gold medal. It was a 1-2 punch for Glenvar as Reese Dunkenberger earned gold with a time of 52.81, followed by Griffith in 55.55 for second.
East Rockingham’s Margo Fox dove to the top spot on the 1-meter board, finishing with a final score of 386.45. George Wythe’s Robinson (26.24), Lauren Puckett (29.73), Gabrianna Gomez (26.55), and Morgan Dalton (25.79) won the 4×50 free relay in 1:48.31.
NC State commit Cusano flew past her own 2017 Class 2 mark of 54.54 in the 100 fly, getting her hands to the wall in 53.92 to defend her state title. Cusano also grabbed another win in the 100 back with a time of 55.58, just off her own Class 2 record of 55.31 she last in 2019.
Clarke County’ Kayla Sprincis dominated the 500 free, finishing the race in 5:12.65 to best the field by 17 seconds. Bruton’s Amari Randall (57.24), Check (59.19), Anderson (56.91), and Lynch (53.92) joined forces to conclude the meet by winning the 4×100 free relay in 3:47.26.
This was a great first year for Middlesex with a team of 2 with both making states and Dayton Liverman placing 3rd and 1st. Way to represent our school!!!