Albemarle girls swim team takes sixth at Group AAA state meet

FAIRFAX — Albemarle senior Holly Harper wanted to go out on top in her last crack at a state title in the 100-yard freestyle.

She finished second last year in her signature event, and even though she knew she’d be up against some tough competition in the finals on Saturday night, she thought she might be able to pull out a win at George Mason’s aquatic center.

And she had reason for optimism, too, having posted a season-best time during the qualifier on Friday night.

But Harper actually swam about .40 seconds slower in the finals, good for third, behind swimmers from Langley and Battlefield. Exasperated, she pulled herself out of the pool and shook her head as she headed to warm down.

Sometime in the next 20 minutes, she pulled herself together and helped the Patriots’ 200-yard freestyle relay (with her sister, Hannah, Corie Morton and Jeannette Yan) to a fifth-place finish; posted a career best time and earned All-American honors with a 55.19 in the 100-yard backstroke; and nailed the anchor leg of the 400-freestyle relay (with Hannah Harper, Morton and Abby Wuensch) to lift the Patriots to third place in the event and sixth overall in the meet.

“I wanted a state title so bad,” she said. “I was really mad. But I just channeled it into thinking, ‘I’m a senior, I’m going to go out with a bang.’”

And explode off the blocks she did, posting the second-fastest relay split — 50.74 seconds — just behind Janet Hu of Oakton, whose exploits helped the Cougars to a 17-point win over Osbourn Park for the state championship. Harper began her leg in the night’s final event in sixth place and pulled the Patriots back to third, finishing just ahead of Langley’s anchor, Abby Speers.

“I went in thinking ‘this is mine, I’m going to do it,’ ” she said. “In my mind I could see myself catching the other two. But I’ll take a third place to those teams any day.”

Added Albemarle coach Jake Shrum: “She did a great job immediately bouncing back and having an awesome meet.”

Harper’s personal comeback capped an historic season for the Patriots, who sent seven girls to the state meet for the first time. The all-freshman team of Yan, Wuensch, Madison Haise and Emma Lockman did not advance to the finals in the 200-yard medley relay, but Hannah Harper’s fifth place in the 100-yard butterfly suggests there should be a Harper fighting for a state title in 2013 and 2014.

“Holly absolutely dominates on the relays,” Shrum said. “So her relay splits are going to be really hard to replace. … But it was great for the sophomores and freshmen to get exposed to an environment like this.”

Junior Matt Lockman was just edged for the title in the 50-yard freestyle by Wesley Francis of Virginia Beach’s Cox High School, the eventual state team champion. Lockman, who looked to be in first place at the turn, posted 20.15, which was just .04 off the winning pace.

“I think he got me off the wall,” Lockman said. “The thing about the 50 is you have to be perfect in everything, your start, your turn. They’re crucial and I’ve been working on that. … Hopefully next year I’ll be able to break 20 [seconds] for an All-American time.”

Albemarle’s two other state qualifiers, Andrew Williamson and Collin Hensien, did not advance to the final heats in the 100-yard breaststroke.

“Our girls got into sixth,” Shrum said, wrapping up the meet. “That’s the highest our guys’ or girls’ team has ever placed. They just did awesome.”