Collegiate School, Saint Christopher Continue VISAA Dominance
It was business as usual at the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Schools state championships this weekend. Two Richmond schools, Saint Christopher’s (sixth straight boys) and The Collegiate School (five straight girls), brought home hardware with dominating performances at The Collegiate School Aquatic Center in Richmond, the pool which saw nine American records set at 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Both the Collegiate girls and the Saints captured all three relays, two in state record times. The Cougar quartet of Valentina Linkonis, Savannah Harris, Jasper Jones and Emory DeGuenther captured the 200 freestyle relay in 1:33.70 while St. Christopher’s boys (Matthew Matthews, Edward Johnson, Ryan Smith and Ben Franks) sailed to a 1:32.69 finish in the 200 medley relay.
Swimmer of the Meet awards went to double winners, each of whom reprised their wins from 2025. Elizabeth Bryan (Oakcrest), a Navy recruit, posted wins in the 200 IM (2:01.99) and 100 breaststroke (1:02.91). DeGuenther (Duke), won the 100 and 200 frees in 51.09 and 1:50.07 while anchoring winning 200 medley and 400 free relays. Bryan and DeGuenther shared the girls’ award.
Will Charlton of The Covenant School (Navy) again won the 200 (1:38.65) and 500 frees (4:23.69) to solidify his boys’ swimmer of the meet nod. His 500 free time eclipsed Olympian Townley Haas’ 2015 mark of 4:25.15. Meanwhile, Tyler Phillips of Trinity Christian School and a Stanford commit garnered the only other state record with a 47.15 clocking in the 100 fly.
Perhaps the most riveting individual final came in the girls’ 500 free where two freshmen battled. St. Catherine’s Brantley Patterson, sixth as an eight grader in 2025, pulled away after the 300-yard mark from McKinley Busen of The Madeira School to secure the win in 4:55.08 to 4:55.67.
Another freshman winner, Erin Kass of Madeira, displayed perhaps the meet’s best underwaters, earning a 54.65 automatic All-American mark in the 100 backstroke.
Girls’ Team Scores (Top Five)
Collegiate School – 357
St. Catherine’s – 230
Bishop O’Connell – 205
Potomac School – 187
Seton School – 172
Boys’ Team Scores (Top Five)
St. Christopher’s – 349
Bishop O’Connell – 217
Collegiate School – 194
Covenant School – 163
Flint Hill School – 133
