On February 8, a significant milestone was achieved amongst the swim and dive team at Alexandria City High School in the regional championships, which were held at Oak Marr Recreation Center.
Finn Koeppen, Tobias Damico-Lassman and team captains Jack Sutherland and Jonathan Ramsdel broke the boys 200-meter Yard Medley Relay record with a time of 1:36.84.
After breaking the record, Sutherland said: “It was an incredible moment; equal parts excitement and disbelief. After all the hard work and dedication, seeing it pay off in such a big way was surreal.”
Leia Hubbard, Bridget O’Brien and team captains Rachel Cotton and Mila Aida broke the girls 200-meter Yard Medley Relay with a time of 1:50.67.
Aida shared her monumental experience once she realized a record had been broken. “I felt over the moon! Our goal was to place in the top 4 so we could move onto states, and when we realized we not only broke the record but also secured a spot to compete in states this Wednesday, I felt accomplished. Being able to say I went to states is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Tobias Damico-Lassman lowered his new Titan team record in the 100 Yard Butterfly with a time of 51.51. The boys 400-meter Free Relay team, made up of Damico-Lassman, Leo Ellis, Koeppen and Ramsdel swam a 3:15.89.
That group is chasing the team record of 3:15.79, and will be given the opportunity to break it this week at the upcoming Virginia High School League Class 6 State Championship meet.
Head Coach John Gullikson said, “It is a sense of elation, to break a team record is to cement your legacy and in some cases turn in a state qualifying performance. It’s a return and pay off for all that hard work, dedication, and sacrifice spent training in the water.” He said he has worked extremely hard with his team to even get to this point. Gullikson arrived in 2018 as Head coach and out of the 22 possible team records, the Titans under his leadership have broken 14 of them thus far. “When I arrived in 2018, we captured our 1st City Title and have defended and repeated every year since,” he said.
Swimming into the future, Gullikson already has plans to build onward the team’s success for next season. He said: “Every season we work to defend our City Title, qualify more for states and break more Titan team records where possible. We also work to retain and develop, where each senior class we aim to have more and more 4-5 year returning members. We always strive to be champions in the classroom with our studies and make an impact in our Alexandria community in giving back where possible.”
Sutherland, the team captain, left some advice for other students who aspire to break records in the future: “Consistency is key. Set clear goals, stay disciplined, and don’t be afraid to push past your limits. Progress doesn’t happen overnight, but with patience and effort, you can achieve more than you think.”
Sutherland expressed how much his coaches and teammates have played a crucial role in supporting him throughout his journey.
“My coaches have been instrumental in my growth, always pushing me to be better while providing guidance and encouragement. My teammates have also been a huge source of motivation, creating a competitive but supportive environment that drives all of us to improve,” said Sutherland.
What’s coming next for the ACHS Swim and Dive team, according to the athletes, is breaking the recently set records they achieved at Regionals. Nine student athletes will be up for this relay: Aida, Cotton, Damico-Lassman, Ellis, Hubbard, Koeppen, O’Brien, Ramsdell, and Sutherland.
