COMPETING — Brooke’s Faith Farrell is one of the local swimmers that will compete in the West Virginia state swimming championships that begin today in Morgantown. – Andrew Grimm
MORGANTOWN — The culmination of the W.Va. swim season is here, with the top competitors from across the state converging on the Peak Health Aquatic Center in Morgantown for the 2025 WVSSAC High School Swim Championships on Thursday and Friday. Multiple local standouts have high hopes for their final outings of the year, or, for some, the final outings of their careers.
JOHN MARSHALL
The Monarchs have 15 competitors set for states, with a lot of focus being paid to their girls team, which has taken home titles in the OVAC and regional competitions this year.
“I think we feel pretty good,” John Marshall head coach Timmi Snyder said. “Everybody’s ready. We’ve got some nerves going on but everybody seems to be ready. We’ve put a lot of time in the pool into this year. We’re hopeful everyone will be able to swim their best race.”
The Monarchs girls begin with senior Maitlyn Miller, who is seeded first in the 50 freestyle and third in the 100 freestyle.
“Maitlyn has put in extra time, she has worked her butt off in practice, putting in extra hours whenever she can, working on stuff to fine-tune her races,” Snyder said. “She’s had a stellar senior year. We’re looking forward to all of her races because I know she’s going to be right there going for the top of the podium.
“She deserves it, she’s a senior, she’s done extremely well since she was a freshman, very happy for her. She went most of the year on her 50 free without being beaten, maybe one time by Linsly but that was it. She carries our relays, she’s our anchor for two relays, and they’ve had a phenomenal year.”
John Marshall’s girls 200 freestyle relay has been undefeated all season, including at OVAC’s and regionals.
The 200 freestyle relay is seeded second, while the girls’ 200 medley relay is seeded fifth. The second-seeded 200 free relay includes Miller, Ella Finley, Adah Aubrey and Zoe Zervos.
Aubrey, a freshman, is also seeded 10th in the 100 backstroke and ninth in the 50 freestyle.
“So exciting to have Adah with us,” Snyder said. “She’s got three more years of swimming for me, and to start out as a freshman as strong as she has- she’s instrumental in our 200 free relay, she leads the team off in our 200 medley relay, which broke the school record this year. I can’t wait to see her progress because she just keeps dropping time.”
Zervos, a junior, is seeded 10th in the 50 freestyle and 11th in the 100 butterfly.
“Zoe’s having a really good year, I think Zoe’s going to just fill in the gaps that Maitlyn leaves next year,” Snyder said. “Zoe’s a really fast freestyler, extremely talented, can swim any stroke. She’s on that 200 free relay and 200 medley relay- I just have a lot of kids that are really good. I could talk about every girl here. They’re really stepping up.”
On the boys’ side, Wyatt Jefferson is one to watch for the Monarchs. He is seeded second in the 100 breaststroke and ninth in the 50 freestyle.
“I think he’s ready,” Snyder said. “He had a really good showing at regionals, winning the 100 breaststroke. I think him making the decision to swim the 50 free and the 100 breaststroke is even better for him, because he was considering a different race. That’s going to give him a little extra for the 100 breast, where he was thinking about doing the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke. I’m really pleased with the choices he made, and I think he’ll give the guys in the 50 free a run for their money also.”
Jefferson has broke the school record in the 100 breaststroke twice this year. Snyder says he is hoping to break his record again at states.
Jefferson is also part of two relay teams, as John Marshall is bringing all of their relay teams to Morgantown.
“All my relays made it- last year they made it, but a lot better seeds this year than last year,” Snyder said. “Very excited about that.”
“We have 28 on the team and 15 of them qualified for state,” Snyder said. “That’s huge, I can’t remember the last time John Marshall had a state team of this quantity, taking 15 kids to states. Usually we were the team who got to pick an alternate because we didn’t have enough kids. It’s a big deal.”
WHEELING PARK
The Patriots have 15 swimmers set to take to the pool in Morgantown, led by a pair of team captains in Levi Parker and Molly George.
Parker is seeded fifth in the 100 backstroke and third in the 200 freestyle.
“He’s done a lot to get to this point,” Wheeling Park head coach Mike Cook said. “He’s a four-year letterman, he’s our captain, he has done everything I could’ve asked him to do. We have tapered and prepped for this meet, and I’m looking for a big time drop. We’re hoping he’ll go top six in both, if not top three.”
Parker is also part of Park’s fourth-seeded 400 freestyle relay and two-seeded 200 medley relay.
George is seeded second in the 100 backstroke and eighth in the 100 butterfly.
“She’s had a great career, it’s hard to believe she’s only a junior. She’s a captain as a junior, she has delivered in every big meet that she has swam for me, and I don’t think tomorrow will be any different.”
George is out to close the deal this year after finishing third in the 100 backstroke last year.
“I expect a top-six final in the 100 backstroke and I’m hoping for a top-six in the 100 fly,” Cook said of George.
The Patriots’ Malachi Washington comes into the state meet as the sixth seed in the 50 freestyle and seventh seed in the 100 freestyle, as well as competing on the 400 freestyle relay and 200 medley relay.
“He’s had a good year, he’s dropped time, and his races are very quick races, races where you can’t make a mistake,” Cook said. “I’m expecting big things from him. Him and Levi are a big part of our relays too. Our medley relay is seeded second, we won the region, we won the OVAC, our guys have worked on that all year, broke the school record, the OVAC record, and the pool record at Brooke twice. I’m hoping these guys go out and light it up.”
Brady Bowie is a member of both relays, while Jacob Walters completes the 400 freestyle relay and Brady Beihl completes the 200 medley relay.
BROOKE
Several members of the Bruins girls swim team are seeded highly heading into state competition. Faith Farrell comes in as the fifth-seed for the 50 freestyle, and the fourth-seed for the 100 freestyle.
She is also a part of Brooke’s fifth-seeded 400 freestyle relay and sixth-seeded 200 freestyle relay, each of which also includes Kiersten Harvath, Lindsey Kettler and Lyla Horvath.
Harvath is the sixth-seed in the 100 backstroke.
WHEELING CENTRAL
The Maroon Knights’ Alex Mihalovich could make waves at the state meet. The sophomore is seeded seventh in the 500 freestyle and 11th in the 200 freestyle.
Central’s 200 freestyle relay team of Ally Jefferson, Rylee Ondrejko, Gracee Humpe and Ellie Manning are seeded just outside of the top-10 in 11th.
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Publish date : 2025-02-19 22:53:00
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