A swimming bonanza

The invasion begins today.

Swarms of local swimmers will create a circus-like feel at Virginia’s Aquatic and Fitness Center today and Saturday as the Jefferson Swim League holds its annual championship meet.

This year, 80 to 85 percent of the league’s swimmers from the league’s A16 teams are expected to compete. Coupled with the highest enrollment in league history, the excitement has been building throughout the six-week season.

“The thing that has been the most exciting is that we had 2,708 swimmers participate in a league that is run by volunteers,” said Pat DiGregorio, the league’s president. “It is a tremendous to the tribute to all the people that put in all the time and effort for the good of the kids.”

The JSL is unique in another way — the championships are open to any swimmer that competed in a third of the regular season meets.

“We allow every swimmer that has swam at least two of the six meets to qualify for the championships, no matter how good they are,” DiGregorio said. “We offer every swimmer the opportunity to swim two events at championships.”

As expected, Fairview enters the two-day championship as a heavy favorite to repeat as league champions under the direction of longtime coach J.J. Bean.

“Fairview is the odds-on favorite. This is the 15th or 16th year in a row that they will be going for a championship,” DiGregorio said. “They have a tremendous coach that has a phenomenal program. His parents and swimmers really stick to his teaching and he trains them from day one to get ready for the championships.”

Last year, Fairview amassed 1,958 points topping Boar’s Head, Crozet, ACAC and FAST with relative ease.

“The regular season is not the important thing — even thought they won all their meets during the regular season,” DeGregorio said. “[Bean] will be the first to tell you that everything is based on getting every kid ready for championships.”

In a sign of the times, fans can track the results from the championships on the league website — http://www.jsl.org — and through Twitter.

Action is slated to begin with the opening session today at 1 p.m. Saturday’s events kick off at 8:30 a.m.