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/no longer competing updates will be made to this post*
Click to see 9-10 NVSL Preseason All-Swim Ninja Team
This is where things get interesting–by 11 many kids are swimming year round, and are very competitive with the top of the age group. Additionally, 10-year-olds can age up and immediately make an impact in their new age group–here is what we’ve got!
Boys
First Team:
- Charlie Greenwood (Donaldson Run): Charlie broke the NVSL record for 9-10 50 breast last year in a blazing time of 37.28, which would have been the 3rd fastest time overall for 11-12 boys–he enter s the age group as the fastest ranked breaststroker by over half a second! Charlie also has the 10th fastest backstroke time for returning swimmers in the age group
- Noah Dyer (Hidden Brook): Noah is a talented all-around swimmer–not only is he the fastest returning flyer in the age group (finished 4th overall in 2017), Noah was 11th overall in free, 16th in back, and 21st in breast. He is the only boy in this age group to be top 5 in all four events among returning swimmers and will be very exciting to watch this season
- Nolan Dunkel (Tuckahoe): Nolan was only .07 seconds behind Noah in fly, finishing 5th overall in 2017. He also is the returning leader in 50 back after finished 3rd overall a year ago
- Donovan Kovalsky (Mount Vernon Park): Donovan finished 5th overall in 2017 in the 50 free and is the fastest returning swimmer in the event by almost .70 seconds. He also had the 8th fastest breaststroke time last year
Second Team:
- Michael Mullen (Old Keene Mill): Michael recorded the 8th fastest backstroke and 10th fastest fly during the 2017 season–he also had the 24th fastest 50 breaststroke
- Eli Martin (Arlington Forest): Eli had the 22nd fastest free in the age group, as well as finished 24th and 26th in breast and fly respectively. Watch for Eli to challenge the rest of the age group in 2018
- William McClough (Herndon): William finished 5th in breast last year with a speedy 37.93–he is a serious contender to finish at the top of this event this summer
Honorable Mention:
- Wiktor Wyszogrodzki (Highlands): Wiktor was the fastest 9-10 boy in free and back in 2017 with times that would make him top 5 among returning swimmers in each event–keep your eyes on this talented 11 y/o
- John Gonsalves (Kent Gardens): John had the 17th best time in 50 back as an 11-year-old last summer–he also posted top 50 times in free and fly (38th overall in each event)
- Arav Bhargava (Chesterbrook): Arav was 18th overall in fly and 29th in breast in 2017
- Shane Sleighter (Overlee): Shane was 19th in 50 breast in 2017
Girls
First Team:
- Courtney Watts (Cardinal Hill): Courtney had a terrific 2017 campaign, finishing with the fastest 50 backstroke time overall–she was the 5th fastest freestyle swimmer and enters the season as the fastest returning athlete in that event. She also posted the 18th fastest 50 fly last season and is the fourth fastest returning swimmer.
- Sophia Cloutier (Lee Graham): Sophia finished 2017 as the 4th fastest backstroker and 3rd fastest flyer for all 11-12 girls–she should be dominant in those events in 2018
- Sarah Eliason (Vienna Aquatic Club): At the bottom of her age group, Sarah proved to be a strong all-around swimmer–she had the 9th fastest free, 10th fastest back, and 8th fastest fly in 2017. Sarah ranks 2nd, 4th, and 3rd respectively among returning athletes in each event *No Longer in NVSL*
- Kendall Vess (Country Club Hills): Kendall had the 6th fastest fly time, 15th fastest 50 free, and 22nd fastest backstroke in the age group in 2017–she ranks 2nd, 3rd, and 8th among returning swimmers using last years times
- Eli Leonard (Chesterbrook): Eli had the overall second-fastest time in 50 breast in 2017, only .53 seconds behind the leader and over a full second faster than the third best time–she is the person to beat in breast in 2018
Second Team:
- Patricia Leonard (Chesterbrook): Patricia bolsters the Tiger Sharks 11-12 girls age group, bringing the 5th fastest breaststroke from a year ago, and the 25th fastest 50 free
- Catherine Hughes (Tuckahoe): Catherine had the 7th fastest breastroke in the league in 2017, making for a lightning fast showdown when she squares off with Eli and Patricia in week 3. She also recorded the 15th fastest backstroke and 19th fastest fly among all swimmers last year
- Elysha York (Overlee): Elysha was the 8th fastest 50 backstroker in 2017
- Emerson Wilson (Oakton): Emerson was the 3rd fastest 50 breastroker in 2017
Honorable
- Josie Giesman (Tuckahoe): Josie had the 16th best time in 50 free and 10th best time in 50 breast in 2017
- Aleena Stukus (Fairfax Station): Aleena was the 13th fastest 50 backstroker in 2017
- Emma Redman (Sleepy Hollow Rec): Emma was the fastest 9-10 girl in 50 free last season, with a time that would make her the 5th fastest returning swimmer to the age group–her 50 breast time from last season makes her the 9th ranked swimmer in the event coming into the season
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