Oakton puts Westfield into the Dog House

CHANTILLY, VA – The high school swim season has begun, and the Oakton Boys Swim/Dive team opened the

season with a victory over Westfield High School at Cub Run Recreation Center. The Cougars dominated

the pool and came out on top over the Bulldogs. The Oakton boys scored a total of 237 points to Westfield’s 77

points.

With the graduation of 24 seniors (23 swimmers and one diver) last year, Oakton was forced to rebuild their

team, but the class of 2021 has a significant amount of talent within Oakton’s walls. The Cougars added 18

swimmers and seven divers, a total of 25 new members, to the team in the beginning of November. Despite the

number of new faces, the returners welcomed the newcomers with open arms, creating a sense of team unity

immediately.

The Cougar Boys swept in the 200 freestyle, 200 IM, 100 butterfly, 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, and all three relays (200 medley, 200 freestyle, and 400 freestyle), displaying the incredible depth of the team. Freshman Anthony Grimm placed first in both of his individual events (500 freestyle and 100 backstroke), as did junior Daniel Gyenis in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly. Sophomore Joe Wong started the season with a bang with a lifetime best in the 100 breaststroke. The boys’ divers, Josh Shipley, Wesley Kron, Pablo Galvez, and John DeFranco, all freshmen, also performed well, despite senior Liam Klopfenstein’s and junior Joe Perreault’s absences at the meet.

The boys also earned eight region cuts, three of them also state cuts, at Cub Run against Westfield.  Junior Daniel Gyenis, freshman Anthony Grimm, and the 200 medley relays earned state cuts.

This win for Oakton is indicative of more incredible swims and dives to come, and the Cougars are looking forward to what the rest of this season has in store. Next Friday, December 8, the Cougars will be travelling to Spring Hill Recreation Center to take on the Langley Saxons at 6:30 pm. The following day, December 9, Oakton Swim/Dive will be competing in the Concorde Invitational at 6 pm at Oak Marr Recreation Center.