The Ninjas have gotten together to create our preseason All-Swim Ninja team, comprised of the top returning athletes in each age group. Using solely 2017 times as our predictor, we created the 1st team, 2nd team, and honorable mention lists. We are excited to see great competition this coming summer, and expect to see a few names left off the preseason list make our postseason All-Swim Ninja team–so go out and swim hard!

See the boys and girls teams and our reasoning below!

*Due to athletes switching pools before the start of the season, updates will be made to this post*

Click to see 11-12 NVSL Preseason All-Swim Ninja Team

The 13-14 age group is a very exciting one to watch this season on both the boys and girls side. There are a number of rising 13- year-olds that will shake things up, as well as a bunch of 14s returning from dominant 2017 seasons:

Boys

First Team:

• Johnny Bradshaw (Hamlet): At 13, Johnny was the overall 3rd fastest swimmer in back, breast, and fly, and 8th fastest in free–he is the top-ranked swimmer in each event except freestyle, where he is 2nd from last year’s times
• Aiken Do (Rutherford): Aiken had the 3rd best time in the age group for 50 free a season ago, edging out Johnny for the top spot in the event coming into 2018. He is also the 2nd fastest breaststroke swimmer after finishing with the 6th best time last year
• Liam Redman (Sleepy Hollow Rec): Liam was very solid in all four events as a 13 y/o, with the 12th best time in free, 6th best time in back, 19th fastest breast, and 9th best fly. He has the ability to compete with anyone in any event in this age group
• Justin Singletary (Fairfax): Justin is one to watch excel this summer–though having the 31st best time in free, he finished 9th in back, and 4th in fly–only .17 seconds behind Johnny

Second Team: 

• Justin Connors (Fairfax): Like Singletary, Connors is a well-rounded swimmer–he finished 2017 with the 17th fastest backstroke, 15th fastest breaststroke, and 6th fastest fly time in the age group overall
• Zac Leith (Crosspointe): Zac is the second fastest returning backstroker (only .14 seconds behind Johnny Bradshaw) and was 5th overall. He also had the 20th fastest free time in 2017
• Drew Harker (Donaldson Run): Drew had the 9th best 50 breast in 2017
• Maxwell Hollis (Cardinal Hill): Maxwell had the 9th fastest 50 fly in 2017, tied with Liam Redman

Honorable Mention: 

• Andrew Eliason (Vienna Aquatic Club): Andrew was the most dominant 11-12 boy in 2017 with times fast enough to place him near the top ten in back and free. He enters the season as the 5th fastest backstroker, 6th fastest flyer, and 7th fastest freestyler based on 2017 times *No Longer in NVSL*
• Jett Lee (Lakeview): Jett posted the 15th fastest backstroke and 22nd best fly in 2017

Girls

First Team:

• Victoria Valko (McLean): As a 12 y/o, Victoria posted the fastest 50 free time for the returning age group by over half a second at 27.45! She also has the 2nd fastest incoming time in fly after finishing 2nd in that event for the 11-12s in 2017. Furthermore, her backstroke ranks her 4th among incoming 13-14 girls
• Kathleen Modder (Wakefield Chapel): Kathleen was the fastest 11-12 50 fly swimmer at 30.22 and 50 breaststroker at 35.07–she ranks 1st and 2nd respectively for the incoming age group for 2018
• Alexandra Dicks (Hunter Mill): Alexandra was the 3rd fastest backstroker in 2017 and is top-ranked entering 2018 in the event. She also finished 19th overall in fly last season
• Emily Makin (Mount Vernon Park): Last season, Emily had the 2nd best time in 50 breast making her the top-ranked swimmer in that event for 2018. She was also 19th in 50 back a year ago

Second Team

• Emilee Ferrari (Wakefield Chapel): Emilee makes the Wahoos an absolute force to be reckoned with as the second-ranked backstroker following her 6th place finish in the event last season, and 13th place time in the breaststroke
• Paige Hall (Great Falls): Paige capped off 2017 by posting the 10th fastest back, and 15th fastest free in the age group
• Margaret Shi (Cardinal Hill): Margaret finished 10th in fly and 17th in back in 2017
• Sarah Anderson (Rolling Forest): As a 12 y/o, Sarah had the 2nd fastest 50 free at 28.07, which would make her the 3rd ranked in the event for the incoming age group in 2018–her 4th place finish in 50 breast makes her the 6th ranked swimmer in that event this year as well

Honorable Mention

• Katherine Helms (Crosspointe): Katherine finished 5th in 50 free in 2017, and is the 2nd ranked swimmer in the event in 2018
• Alexis Lee (Overlee): Alexis finished 7th in 50 back as a 13 y/o, and is only half a second behind top-ranked Alexandra Dicks
• Regan Hau (Hunter Mill): At 35.38, Regan is within 1 second of top-ranked Makin in the 50 breast–she finished 5th in the event in 2017
• Ulaina Ahn (McLean): Ulaina finished 7th in 50 fly in 2017

Click to see 11-12 NVSL Preseason All-Swim Ninja Team