Fairview is the perennial winner of the competition in the top division of the Jeffeerson Swim League. The meet was held at FAST’s new home venue, the pool at the Fork Union Military Academy (FUMA).
Long time FAST Coach Cos DiFazio was pleased to be able to have his team swimming indoors at the outstanding FUMA facility, which he noted “they have graciously agreed to rent to us.” In the past, FAST has held its home swim meets in Louisa County.
Even though DiFazio advises that FAST has approximately 170 swimmers signed up this season, the team was overwhelmed by the huge contingent of swimmers on hand from Fairview. At the swim meet, dozens of Fairview swimmers seemed to be grouped everywhere.
Some outstanding performances were turned in by FAST swimmers. There were a number of events in which FAST took first and second place to record 12 points
In the 9-10 year old girls 50m freestyle, Brin Kuzemka finished first and Abigail Brown came in second. In the boys 6 and under 25 backstroke Jaxon Brooks and Rudy Garrett were first and second. Brooks’ time was 33:63, winning by 2.5 seconds.
In the girls 11-12 backstroke event Hannah Brown was first, followed very closely, by Ana Kuzemka. Similarly, in the girls 9-10 50m butterfly, Abby Harlowe touched first, followed by her teammate Brin Kuzemka. In the girls 9-10 100m freestyle, Brin Kuzemka jumped up to first place, with Abigail Brown coming in second . After over a minute and sixteen seconds the time difference between these two was a mere three tenths of a second.
A number of FAST’s other first place finishers came in well ahead of their competition. In the girls 9-10 breastroke event, Abby Harlowe was first in a time of 42:81. She finished more than nine seconds ahead of the second place finisher. In the boys 11-12 breaststroke Sam Hagan won in a time of 42:32, recoding a time eight seconds faster than his competition. Hagan also took first place in his 50 m and 100m freestyle events, finishing in 1:12.75 in the 100m event, over twelve seconds ahead.
Also recording first place finishes were: Jackson Hopkins in the boys 8 and under 50m butterfly, Reagan Meadows in the girls 8 and under 50m butterfly, Ana Kuzemka in the girls 11-12 100m freestyle and Reagan Meadows who finished in a very rare dead heat in the girls 8 and under 50m freestyle event. Both swimmers in this race were clocked at 46:37. With time calculated to the hundredths of a second, dead heats are unusual. The FAST team’s only relay win came in the 9-10 200m medley relay. The team consisted of Abby Harlowe, Abigail Brown Brin Kuzemka and Alexa John Hudock.
Finishing in second place against a juggernaut team like Fairview is an accomplishment. Second place finishers for the FAST team included: Jaxon Brooks in the 25m freestyle, Grace Farist in the 25m freestyle, and in backstroke, Gus Jones in the 50 meter freestyle and his butterfly event, Sam Hagan in the 50m freestyle, Hannah Brown in the 50m freestyle, Owen Coleman in his breaststroke event, Ana Kuzemka in breaststroke, Kristen Cabrera, in breaststroke and backstroke, Ana Hudock in backstroke, Jackson Hopkins in backstroke, and Hannah Brown in the 50m backstroke.
The scoring in a meet like this is a little complicated. In individual events, the first place swimmers win seven points for their team, second place swimmers win five. Third place wins four points and fourth place – three points. However, a team can only win points for two finishers. If a team wins first through fourth place it receives 12 points for first and second, but the third and fourth place points go to the first and second finishers on the opposing team.
