With one event left, the tension in the air at the Dulles District Swim Championships was palpable. Potomac Falls High School had already secured the boys title. But with only half a point separating Potomac Falls’ and Briar Woods’ girls teams, the title came down to the 400-yard freestyle relay.

The Falcon girls qualified one second faster than the Panthers, and the girls jockeyed for the lead throughout the race. But, shaving 10 seconds off their qualifying time, the Panther team of Carson Newton, Lindsay Oteyza, Ariana Staffen and Kiri Harvey won the race and solidified a Panther sweep of the district titles.

“Amazing,” said Neil Costello, nearly speechless and soaked after his team plunged him into the water in celebration. “Everybody contributed. Every swimmer dropped times.”

The Panthers took first in 10 of the 22 events at the Jan. 27 meet, contested at Claude Moore Recreation Center in Sterling. The boys won six events, including all three relays.

Potomac Falls freshman William Lin won four medals Friday.

“I came in here thinking it would be cool to win as a freshman,” Lin said. “I look forward to defending these titles.”

Lin won the 500 free and the 200 IM and helped to win the 200 medley relay and the 400 free relay, which broke the district record. The other swimmers on the 400 yard free relay team are Riley Jamison, Sean Hurrell and Gavin Saunders.

Heritage junior Kaleigh Rosenburg was the lone swimmer to set two district records. Rosenburg set district marks in the 100 breastroke and the 200 IM.

Dominion swimmers broke two district records. Aidan O’Hara smashed the 100 backstroke record set just last year by Broad Run’s Jacob Leidy. Ashley Brock, Maura Mazurowski, Casey Tinius and Rachel Williams broke the 200 free relay district record, despite Tinius only joining the group Thursday after the previous swimmer was injured.

“We’re a really young team,” said Williams, a sophomore. “Replacing a girl, we knew we all had to swim our hardest.”

Three other schools notched individual first-place finishes, including four for Briar Woods, the runners-up for both boys and girls. For the boys, Brennan Maxwell and Eric Guessford earned first-place finishes, and Erica Comm and Lizzie Mittan won for the girls.

Senior Sophie Newton earned both of Loudoun County’s top finishes, and Ian Miller produced Loudoun Valley’s lone first-place finish in the 100 breaststroke.

The Region II meet is Feb. 4 at the Warrenton Aquatic and Recreation Facility.

Team Scores

Boys
Potomac Falls – 433.5
Briar Woods – 245
Loudoun County – 238
Tuscarora – 232.5
Dominion – 227.5
Woodgrove – 210
Heritage – 189
Loudoun Valley – 154.5
Park View – 72

Girls
Potomac Falls – 349.5
Briar Woods – 343
Tuscarora – 279
Dominion – 237
Loudoun County – 196
Heritage – 178
Woodgrove – 178
Park View – 146
Loudoun Valley – 59.5

Event Winners

Boys
200 medley relay: Potomac Falls (Foley, Lin, Hurrell, Jamison) 1:44.20
200 free: Aidan O’Hara (D) 1:48.78
200 IM: William Linn (PF) 1:59.94
50 free: Eoghan Foley (PF) 23.01
100 fly: Brennan Maxwell (BW) 54.47
100 free: Eric Guessford (BW) 50.17
500 free: William Linn (PF) 4:55.52
200 free relay: Potomac Falls (Deker, Saunders, Jamison, Foley)
100 back: Aidan O’Hara* (D) 54.33
100 breast: Ian Miller (LV) 1:04.22
400 free relay: Potomac Falls* (Saunders, Hurrell, Jamison, Lin)

Girls
200 medley relay: Potomac Falls (Hood, Staffen, Newton, Harvey) 1:55.42
200 free: Kiri Harvey (PF) 1:57.23
200 IM: Kaleigh Rosenburg* (H) 2:10.49
50 free: Sophie Newton (LC) 25.33
100 fly: Sophie Newton (LC) 1:00.38
100 free: Erica Comm (BW) 55.90
500 free: Lizzie Mittan (BW) 5:17.85
200 free relay: Dominion* (Brock, Mazurowski, Tinius, Williams) 1:43:04
100 back: Kiri Harvey (PF) 1:02.11
100 breast: Kaleigh Rosenburg* (H) 1:06.30
400 free relay: Potomac Falls (Newton, Oteyza, Staffen, Harvey) 3:46.57

*District meet record

-Click here for full results.

Heritage swimmer Kaleigh Rosenburg competes at the AA Dulles District Swim Championships Jan. 27 at Claude Moore Recreation Center.—Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Beverly Denny

Dominion swimmers Rachel Williams, Casey Tinius, Maura Mazurowski and Ashley Brock pose with their medals after setting a record in the 200 free relay.—Photo Courtesy/Therese Gerdon

Potomac Falls swimmer Kiri Harvey competes at the AA Dulles District Swim Championships Jan. 27 at Claude Moore Recreation Center.—Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Beverly Denny