Gators fall in swim opener
Quartet of Dugans among bright spot for Gators
Those Hawthorne Country Club swimmers who made the long trip to Takoma Park for the opening meet of the Division A competition in Prince-Mont Swim League action on Saturday afternoon did so without their best male swimmer and then had to open the outdoor season at one of the league’s few indoor pools.
Hawthorne (0-1), promoted to Division A this summer after dominating Division B action last season, opened the season without its top male swimmer, Conor Vienneau, a rising junior at La Plata High School who is nursing a minor injury, but
the Gators had a full complement of talented siblings, all of whom are versatile and homeschooled. The Gators were upended by Takoma Park, 319.5-252.5.
Rising senior David Dugan, rising junior Samuel Dugan, rising sophomore Esther Dugan and rising seventh-grader Naomi Dugan will start and finish their entire kindergarten through 12th grade education without ever waiting at a bus stop. All four Dugans are homeschooled and the quartet performed well for the Gators even
in defeat on Saturday.
Naomi Dugan narrowly won the girls 11- to 12-year-old 50-yard freestyle in 27.39 seconds, nine one-hundredths of a second over teammate Addy Donnick, then easily won the 11-12 50 breaststroke (34.63) by more than six seconds and then came right back to win the 12-and-Under 100 individual medley (1 minute 10.93 seconds) by over five seconds.
Not be outdone by her youngest sibling, Esther Dugan captured the 1314 girls 50 breast (33.87) by nearly four seconds over teammate Alexandra Tompkins (37.60), prevailed in the 50 backstroke (31.65) then completed
her triple by taking the 100 IM (1:04.12) by nearly five seconds. It was an ideal way to start the summer season.
“I was happy to triple today,” said Esther Dugan. “I was happy with my times, but this is yard pool so it’s a little different. I thought my IM was pretty good today. I’ve been working on my breaststroke and trying to drop time in that event and the back.”
Although largely upstaged by their younger sisters, both Dugan boys performed well at the meet.
David Dugan won the boys 15-18 50 breast (30.06) narrowly over Takoma Park’s Jon Bendana
and Hawthorne’s Kris Schueller. David Dugan also finished third in the 100 IM (1:00.87) and fourth in the 100 free (54.00). Sam Dugan was fourth in the 15-18 50 back (30.20) and sixth in the 100 IM (1:04.59).
Hawthorne’s Elias Russell made an immediate splash for the Gators in defeat on Saturday, taking the boys 10-U 25 butterfly (17.20), 9-10 50 free (32.56) and 9-10 25 breast (19.28). Molly Reisinger captured both the girls 8-U 25 free (18.88) and 25 breast (25.90) and was third in the 25 back (22.84).
Donnick also enjoyed a solid opening meet, taking the girls 11-12 50 fly
(31.18) over teammate Jadyn Woolsey (31.88), finished a close second to Naomi Dugan in the 50 free then taking the 50 back (32.72) by more than three seconds.
A La Plata resident and rising seventh-grader, Donnick is already looking forward to the Charles County Championships at Westlake Village on July 15 as well as divisionals and All-Stars later that month.
“I was happy with the way I swam today,” Donnick said. “I had a really good race with Naomi in the 50 back and another good race with Jadyn in the 50 fly. I think winning the fly at All-Stars is my main goal this summer. I always look forward to the Charles County championships. That’s a fun meet when all of the swimmers from the local pools have a chance to compete and have a good time.”
Hawthorne’s Cole Rapczynski prevailed in the boys 13-14 50 fly (29.12) then was second to Takoma Park’s Mikkel LeBlanc in the 50 breast (32.31) and 100 IM (1:05.65). Gavin Abelende captured the boys 11-12 50 free (30.19). Mikel Reyes won the boys 15-18 50 fly (26.03) by four one-hundredths of a second over Takoma Park’s Liam Chalk.