The 15-18 age group is the main event! The athletes on this list have largely been on our radar for 10 years or longer–we have seen a few of these names at the top of NVSL leaderboards since they were 8-unders and others who have emerged as they got older and their commitment to the sport really showed up in the pool. The beauty of the NVSL is the quality of swimming talent that exists in our league right here in Northern Virginia–many of the names on this list are not only some of the best high school swimmers in the DC Metro Region, but are also at the top of several big-time NCAA program’s recruiting boards. We have numerous 2018 All Swim Ninja selections returning this summer, and we are eager to see new names jump into the mix.

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Boys

First Team

• Anthony Grimm (Fair Oaks): The 2019 Washington Post All-Met Swimmer of the Year leads off this list for his herd of Sharks. Grimm still holds 3 NVSL 13-14 records from 2017 and is knocking on the door for all 5 senior records. Anthony was the fastest 50 back and fly swimmer in the NVSL in 2018, and he returns in 2019 with the best returning 50 breast time and 2nd best 50 free. Check out Grimm’s 50 breast against Villa Aquatic from 2018 below:

• Sam Ellison (Overlee): Sam brings back the fastest 50 free from 2018 with his 24.0 he swam against Chesterbrook in week 5 (see below). Ellison also has the 6th fastest returning 50 fly.

• Paul Kinsella (Overlee): Paul finished 2018 with the third fastest 50 breast behind Grimm by less than .40s, putting him in the 2nd spot for 2019. Kinsella also has the 8th fastest 50 free coming back into the summer. Kinsella was the premier breaststroker in the DC area this past year and is headed to the United States Naval Academy to swim–he will only have week 1 to make his mark on the 2019 season, but we aren’t counting him out for posting one of the top times this summer.
• Thomas Outlaw (Chesterbrook): Outlaw had the 2nd fastest 50 fly of 2018 by .08s behind Grimm. Thomas also brings back the 3rd fastest 50 free and the 9th fastest 50 back. Thomas leads a strong group of Tiger Sharks in their 2019 bid to 4-peat as NVSL champions. Thomas was narrowly touched out at All Stars last year to take 2nd–see below:

Second Team

• Kai Green (Dowden Terrace): Green has the 4th fastest 50 free returning in 2019 and the 9th fastest 50 breast. He is only tenths of a second behind the league leaders in both of these events and will certainly challenge for the top spot.
• Kent Codding (Fairfax): Codding has the 3rd fastest returning 50 fly time and 7th best 50 back. Codding was only 16 last summer, so it will be interesting to see if a year of work has gotten him closer to earning the top spot for 2019.
• Aiken Do (Rutherford): The 2018 First Team All Swim Ninja selection broke the NVSL 13-14 50 breast record last year and begins his 2019 campaign with the 3rd fastest time in the event despite being only 15. He also had the fastest 50 free time for the 13-14s, which puts him at 7th amongst returners this year.
• Jack Galbraith (Vienna Aquatic): Galbraith returns from his first year in college with the 2nd fastest 50 back time to start the summer. He also swims a very strong 50 fly–it would not be surprising if he can move up and challenge for the top spots in both events this summer. Watch him dominate this 50 back against Little Rocky Run last summer below:

Honorable Mention

• Ben Charles (Highlands): Charles has the 5th fastest fly and 6th fastest breast of all returning athletes in the age group.
• Peter Makin (Fairfax): Makin joins his fellow Frog, Kent Codding, on the preseason list with his 5th fastest returning back and 10th fastest 50 free.
• Aleksander Tarczynski (Hunt Valley): Aleksander will be a critical piece for the Stingrays in D2 with lots of good competition around him–he will start 2019 with the 9th fastest 50 free and 4th fastest 50 fly amongst returners in the age group.
• Ryan Soh (Chesterbrook): Soh has the 3rd fastest returning 50 back after finishing 6th in 2018.

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Girls

First Team

• Katie Mack (Hamlet): Katie is one of the premier sprinters in the area and will continue her career at ACC powerhouse NC State in the fall. Mack had the fastest 50 free in 2018 and returns to the top spot in the preseason. Katie is also the fastest returning backstroker for 2019. Look at this dominant freestyle swim from week 1 in 2018 below

• Kayle Park (Overlee): Park had the 2nd fastest 50 breast in 2018 and will start the summer with the fastest time in the event. Kayle is also the 2nd fastest 50 freestyle swimmer coming back this summer. Park will compete with Mack this summer and then again for the next 4 years when she moves to Durham to swim for Duke in the fall. See Kayle crush her breaststroke at Chesterbrook in 2018 below

• Sarah Boyle (Virginia Run): Sarah is the 2nd fastest 50 backstroke swimmer by only .04s to fellow preseason selection Katie Mack. Boyle also has a solid butterfly which will start the summer as the 6th fastest time. Watch Sarah blow away the field with her backstroke against Vienna Woods from week 2 last summer.

• Kate Bailey (Overlee): Bailey was one of the top performing 13-14s last summer and her times were some of the best in the league regardless of age. She was the fastest flyer in her age group and moves into the number 2 spot for the seniors to start 2019. Kate also has a very strong 50 free, which will be the 6th fastest time to start the summer.
• Jordan Buechler (Walden Glen): Buechler had a great 2018 season, finishing with the 2nd fastest 50 fly time–she will start the summer in the top spot for her Wahoos in D5. See her win a critical fly race against Waynewood last summer below

Second Team

• Anna Keating (Vienna Aquatic): Despite a busy summer of swimming for Keating at several major club meets in 2018, Keating still posted the 2nd fastest 50 breast in the league. Depending on her availability, few fans of local swimming would be surprised to see Anna finish at the top in breast and potentially another stroke as well. Keating is already committed to swim for UVA and has another year left at 3-time consecutive 6A state champion Madison High School.
• Anna Landon (Camelot): Landon finished in the top-10 in both free and breast in 2018. Anna is now the 3rd fastest freestyler and 5th fastest returning breaststroke swimmer this summer.
• Brynn Curtis (Cardinal Hill): The Auburn commit, Curtis, anchored the league record-breaking girls mixed age relay last summer, and also put up the 4th fastest 50 breast.  Brynn will be the 3rd fastest to start 2019 and 7th fastest 50 freestyle swimmer as well.

Honorable Mention

• Megan Jungers (Great Falls): Jungers gives the Rapids a great backstroke and butterfly, starting the summer as the 5th fastest returner in both events.
• Jillian Johnson (Chesterbrook): Jillian has the 4th fastest 50 fly and 9th fastest 50 back amongst returners to begin the 2019 season.
• Alexandra Dicks (Hunter Mill): Dicks tied Janet Hu’s 13-14 50 back record from 2010 at All Stars last summer (see below). Hu went on to be a huge player for Stanford in their multi-NCAA D1 National championship run, so Dicks is in good company with that impressive mark. Alexandra has the 3rd fastest time to start 2019.

• Paige Hall (Great Falls): Hall gives Jungers another great piece to build a relay with after aging up over the winter. Paige will be the 6th fastest 50 backstroke and 8th fastest 50 free to begin the season.
• Natalie Champagne (Dunn Loring): Natalie is the 3rd fastest 50 fly to start 2019, but by only .04s behind top seed Jordan Buechler.

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