Charles swimmers set for divisional championships

One week before many of them will compete in their respective Prince-Mont divisional championships seeking to earn a berth in the annual all-star meet the following Saturday at Temple Hills, swimmers from across Charles County dove into the pools for their final dual meets of the summer.

Hawthorne Country Club (4-1) suffered a 323-270 setback to Kingfish in a clash of previously undefeated Division A teams on Saturday morning. Even in defeat the Gators got a bevy of superb efforts from female and males swimmers of all ages and several appear poised to make their presence known at divisionals and all-stars.

Hawthorne swimmer Addy Donnick, a recent La Plata High School graduate who is heading to the University of North Carolina-Wilmington this fall, captured the 15-18 girls' 100-meter freestyle (1:02.68), 100 backstroke (31.90) and 100 IM (1:09.75) and will look to attain those three titles at the Division A championships this weekend and then at the all-star meet the following weekend in her final two Prince-Mont meets.

"I've made a lot of friends over the years competing in Prince-Mont and I've had a lot of good times," Donnick said. "I'm just hoping to go out strong and win my individual events and then start focusing on college. We've been doing a lot of jumping rope this summer."

Hawthorne swimmer Gavin Abelende, a rising senior at La Plata, won the 15-18 boys' 100 free (53.16), 50 back (27.43) and 100 IM (1:00.40); Birdie Hill took the 9-10 girls' 25 butterfly (16.97), 50 free (35.22) and 25 breaststroke (20.43); Audrey Payne won the 11-12 girls' 50 free (31.14), 50 breast (41.25) and 100 IM (1:19.15); and David Ellinger won the 11-12 boys' 50 back (37.85) and 100 IM (1:22.03).

Indian Head (3-2) rebounded from a pair of narrow setbacks in its two prior meets to topple Greenview 326-235 on Saturday morning.

Naomi Dugan won the 15-18 girls' 100 Free (57.35), 50 breast (34.34) and 100 IM (1:07.84) Edison Wright took the 9-10 boys' 25 fly (15.95), 25 breast (19.45) and 25 back (17.50); Dakotah Boykin captured the 11-12 boys 50 free (26.96) and 100 IM (1:10.49), while Billy McConnell took the 15-18 boys' 50 back (31.28) and Carolina Walter won the 15-18 girls' 50 back (34.39).

Westlake Village suffered a narrow 285-277 setback to Fort Washington last Saturday morning in a contentious meet in which the Waves of Westlake led by four points heading into the final three relays. Westlake's quartet of Rafa Borders, Carlos Borders, Anthony Kline and Josip Kline combined to take the 9-18 boys' 200 free relay (2:10.03), then the girls' 9-18 free relay of Azriel Borders, Brielle Bowman, Kayla Meus and Kaitlyn Clark settled for second.

This Saturday morning several of the Charles County pools will host divisionals while others will travel. Smallwood Village will host the Division C meet that includes Indian Head, while Bannister will host the Division F meet. Hawthorne will head to Whitehall Pool & Tennis in Bowie for the Division A champs, while Westlake Village will venture to Brandywine for the Division D meet.