Barracuda Nation!

Another strong showing from the Barracudas tonight at prelims, this time courtesy of the boys squad! Blue Ridge saw 14 swimmers qualify for Northerns (13 individual events, 4 relays), plus 5 more as alternates, and the team dropped time in 33 of 41 comparable swims. Among the highlights was Evan Howerter breaking the 50-second milestone in the 15–18 Men's 100 Freestyle (49.92). But perhaps most notable was Andrew Williams dropping an impressive 2.28 seconds and breaking his older brother Matthew's (and Blue Ridge assistant coach's) record from 2024 in the 15–18 50 Breaststroke — Andrew's new mark stands at 28.46, edging the old record of 28.54 by 0.08 seconds.

Beyond those highlights, the boys team had a fantastic meet. Whether tonight was the end of the season, or you're continuing on the journey, congratulations to everyone for proudly representing Blue Ridge. And kudos to Emily H., Joe F., Jenn B., Dave D., and Megan F. for serving as meet officials and helping run the meet.

Full Boys Prelims results are on the GSSSL post-season page. Onwards to Northerns!

A few more reminders as post-season week continues, the most important of which is the shift in practice times.

Practice Times

We're down to a single practice time, 9–10am, for the rest of the season. Tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday, practice is for Northerns qualifiers, and then on Friday, Monday, and Tuesday, it will be for All Cities finalists. Full details on the practice page.

Northerns

We'll send out more information about Northerns to qualifiers tomorrow, but the key details are: Blue Ridge warms up 2:45pm – 3:00pm, Lanes 4–6 at Klahaya. We'll also need to provide 3 timers for that meet — if you'd like to help out, please sign up here.

Vintage Hats

We still have a few available. Order on Swimtopia.

Coaches Gift Fund

There's still time to support our awesome coaching staff with the end of season gift fund. Visit the coaches gift page for more information on how to contribute.

End of Season Party

A reminder to RSVP, and to submit any photos or videos from the season to our Google Photos album for the slideshow. If you're able to help with a dessert donation or clean-up crew, we'd appreciate the help there too.

Congratulations to the Boys Prelims team for a strong showing, and congratulations to the 23 swimmers who will be representing Blue Ridge at Northerns on Thursday!

More to come!

Stephanie, Lulu, and Joe
2026 Swim Team Coordinators