With the completion of the 2018 NVSL regular season, the time has come for announcing our All swim Ninja team. Using best times from this season, we have composed 1st and 2nd Team, as well as Honorable Mention, selections for each age group and gender. While many athletes who made our preseason list performed up to expectation, we were excited to see several new names make the final team selection. Because summer swimming is a true team sport, we thought it was important to make our selections based on how athletes performed during the regular season where they competed to score points to win meets. We want to congratulate all the athletes for working hard and making our job of creating these lists a difficult process!

See which athletes landed on our NVSL All Swim Ninja team and why:

8-Under | 9-10 | 11-12 | 13-14 | 15-18

Boys

First Team

• James Ewing (Tuckahoe): James was nothing short of dominant at the top of the age group for the Tigers–Ewing took the top spot in free, back, and fly and was way in front of the competition. At 26.41 and 26.78, His times in back and fly would have finished 3rd and 9th respectively in the 15-18 age group.
• Nolan Dunkel (Tuckahoe): With the 2nd best back and fly, and 10th best free in the league, Nolan made the Tigers 13-14 boys unbeatable–this was put on display with two winning relays at All Stars.
• Michael Mullen (Old Keene Mill): Mullen dominated D8 for the Ospreys, posting the 2nd best back and breast times in the league, and also put up the 3rd best fly performance of the summer.
• William McClough (Herndon): At 32.18, McClough had the best breaststroke in the league by nine-tenths of a second. See him set the mark in week 1:

Second Team

• Jack Tsuchitani (Donaldson Run): Jack had a great summer with the 4th best 50 free and 8th best 50 fly.
• Simon Bermudez (Great Falls): This 13-year-old has a bright future in front of him–Bermudez finished with the 4th best fly and 7th best breast this summer.
• Noah Dyer (Hiddenbrook): Dyer is one of the most versatile swimmers in the league–his 5th best back and fly are within tenths of first team selection Nolan Dunkel. Dyer also put up the 8th best free and 9th best breast in 2019.
• Luke Bernasek (Chesterbrook): Bernasek was critical for the Tigersharks, giving them a bunch of points with the 4th best backstroke and 7th fastest freestyle.

Honorable Mention

• Kellen Cameron (Walden Glen): Cameron had the 2nd fastest 50 free time at 25.46
• Jackson Blansett (Virginia Run): Jackson had the 7th best fly and 9th best free in 2019
• Stirling Hamilton (Chesterbrook): Hamilton had the 3rd best breaststroke this summer 33.44
• Brady Dasher (Orange Hunt): Dasher had the 3rd fastest 50m free with a 25.77
• Ethan Vollbrecht (South Run): Ethan posted the 4th best breaststroke in the NVSL, only .04s behind Hamilton
• Luke Aslaksen (Overlee): Aslaksen had the 5th fastest 50 free coming in at 26.01
• Jack Renner (Greenbriar): Renner swam the 5th best breaststroke at 33.55

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Girls

First Team

• Courtney Watts (Cardinal Hill): Watts put on a show this summer with the fastest back and fly in the age group. Watts also kept pace with the best freestylers, coming in at 3rd with a 27.95, only .2s behind the league leader.
• Bridget Morris-Larkin (Highlands): Bridget was the fastest breaststroker this summer–her 34.15 was almost a half-second faster than the next fastest swimmer. Morris-Larkin also took 6th in fly, only 6 tenths behind Watts.
• Catherine Hughes (Tuckahoe): Despite only being 13, Hughes led the league in freestyle with a 27.76. Catherine also was 3rd in back and breast this summer.
• Victoria Valko (McLean): Valko finished 2nd in back and fly, and was 3rd in free, with mere tenths separating her and the top performers in those events.

Second Team

• Caroline Burgeson (Chesterbrook): Caroline was the 2nd fastest freestyler in the league, only a tenth behind Hughes. Burgeson also finished 7th in backstroke in 2019.
• Sophia Brown (Vienna Woods): Brown had the 5th fastest backstroke in 2019, and added the 7th best free and 9th fastest fly as well.
• Kathleen Modder (Wakefield Chapel): Modder was a major piece for the Wahoos in D1 this year, bringing the 6th best breast and 7th fastest fly.

Honorable Mention

• Anita Buchanan (Riverside Gardens): Buchanan had the 6th fastest back and 10th fastest free in 2019
• Ellie Leonard (Chesterbrook): Leonard had the 2nd fastest breaststroke this summer
• Cate Sheridan (Chesterbrook): Sheridan swam the 4th fastest backstroke in 2019
• Sophia Cloutier (Lee Graham): Cloutier had the 3rd fastest fly in 2019
• Natalie Lauer (Vienna Woods): Lauer was 4th in 50m breast this summer
• Sophia Scadron (Sideburn Run): Scadron finished 4th in 50 fly, only .05 behind Cloutier