The strategy of adjusting and maneuvering their lineup to maximize the number of team points paid off with another championship for the Potomac School Panthers.
The boys high-school swimming and diving team won the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference championships for the second straight season by scoring 494 points. The Flint Hill Huskies were second with 453 and Georgetown Day third with 430.
The Panthers won with only 10 swimmers and had no divers in the meet at Georgetown Prep School in Maryland.
“It was a close meet and everybody contributed. It was a total team effort,” Potomac School coach Rory Alfree said. “We tried to maximize the talent we had, so getting the extra points with those fifth, sixth and seventh-place points was so important and made a difference.”
Potomac School was led by two victories by senior captain Brock Schedler. He won the 50 freestyle in 21.79 and 100 free in 48.17, and he swam on two relays – the winning 200 free relay (1:32.04) and the second-place 200 medley.
Schedler had a personal best time in both individual races, including by a full second in the 50.
“Brock had a great night,” Alfree said. “A full second faster in the 50 is crazy.”
Potomac School’s Will Walters finished second in the 100 butterfly, third in the 100 back and was on the 200 free and medley relays. Ale Wick was second in the 100 free and sixth in the 50 free, and Clay Turner was third in the 200 free and fourth in the 500 free.
Also, the Panthers’ Sasha Minsky was fourth in the 200 free and fifth in the back, Arav Bhargava was fourth in the fly and fifth in the 100 breaststroke, Erim Ozcan was fifth in the 500 free and seventh in the 200 individual medley, Alex Christ was sixth in the IM, Will Priester was seventh in the 500 free and back, and Greg Zubler was seventh in the fly and 11th in the 50 free.
Wick and Bhargava also swam on the 200 free and medley relays.
Potomac School’s 400 free relay finished third and consisted of Christ, Zubler, Minsky and Turner.
“Our swimmers wanted to continue the tradition of winning, and they gave a strong effort,” Alfree said.
Flint Hill was led by a first in the IM (1:49.95) by Simon Bermudez, seconds in the back and 50 free by Lucas Bermudez and a second in the 200 free and third in the 500 free by Michael O’Connor.
Other Flint Hill point-scoring swimmers were Karan Chugh, Daniel Kalan, Jeffrey Chen, Hunter Taylor, Samuel Jacobsen, Zachary Arnold, Will Bouharoun, Sam Kelly and Thomas Carstater.
Flint Hill’s 4×400 relay was second, the medley third and the 200 free sixth.
NOTE: For Minsky, the MAC team championship was his second this school year. He was the No. 2 runner during the fall for Potomac School’s MAC championship boys cross country squad. In addition to swimming for Potomac School this winter, Minsky also has participated in one showcase indoor track and field meet so far. He finished second in the 3,200-meter race in 10:06.18 held Jan. 8 at Christopher Newport University. He is trying to qualify for the high-school indoor national championship meet in Boston in March.