LANCASTER — The Easterns Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championship hardware is heading back to Fort Washington once again.

The Germantown Academy girls team captured the premier prep school title for the fifth consecutive year on Saturday, while the boys placed fourth. Combined, the performances earned GA a second-place overall finish with 1,046.5 points.

“I thought they performed great,” head coach Matt Cox ’07 said. “The resilience they displayed when they had some setbacks was even more impressive. I’m really, really happy with how they conducted themselves. They should be proud.”

Friday Recap

The competition began in Fort Washington with girls diving, and GA made an immediate statement, placing first, fourth, and sixth.

Ana Navarro '28 claimed the title, becoming the third GA female diver to win the event. Already the school record holder for five dives, Navarro finished just 8.7 points shy of Alana Schumann '17’s 11-dive school record of 484.20. Maddie Evers ’26 placed fourth, and Elizabeth Kenesky ’29 finished sixth.

When the swimming portion began Friday night at Franklin & Marshall College, the Patriots collected 11 medals -- eight from the girls and three from the boys.

Amelia Gipson '27 led the way with a runner-up finish in the Girls 200 Individual Medley (2:03.16). GA also showed its depth in the Girls 200 Freestyle, placing fourth, sixth, and seventh. Arden Keitel '27 paced the group in 1:50.78, followed by Mazie Williams '27 (1:52.48) and Camryn Jones '26 (1:55.04).

Ambar Perez-Mercedes '27 added a sixth-place finish in the 100 Butterfly (57.13), while Nieve Keitel '27 took seventh in the 50 Freestyle (24.23).

In relay action, Gipson, Anabelle Perez-Mercedes '29, Ambar Perez-Mercedes, and Arden Keitel placed third in the Girls 200 Medley Relay (1:43.42). Anabelle Perez-Mercedes, Williams, Nieve Keitel, and Vita Capriotti '29 followed with another third-place finish in the Girls 200 Freestyle Relay (1:37.17).

On the boys side, Oliver Ritchey '27 finished fifth in the 200 Freestyle (1:39.89). He later teamed with Daniel Dashko '28, Matthew Truong '26, and Shane Cowley '28 to place seventh in the 200 Freestyle Relay (1:26.34). Dashko, Matthew Truong, Nicholas Truong '28, and Luke Samuel '28 added an eighth-place finish in the 200 Medley Relay (1:35.30).

Saturday Recap

Boys diving opened Saturday’s competition, with two Patriots finishing in the top 10. Nash Salomon '28 earned a runner-up finish with 510.8 points, while Charlie McGeehan '28 placed eighth (290.7).

In the pool, Arden Keitel began the evening with a fifth-place finish in the Girls 100 Freestyle (51.92). The Patriots then dominated the Girls 500 Freestyle, placing four swimmers in the top eight. Gipson claimed the title in 4:50.78 and earned the Fran Crippen Award, presented to the top male and female performers in the event. Grace Bell '27, Capriotti, and Jones finished sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively.

After winning a swim-off to reach the ‘A’ final of the Girls 100 Breaststroke, Anabelle Perez placed fourth in 1:03.93.

For the boys, Ritchey took fourth in the 500 Freestyle (4:32.98), while Marcus Rasmussen '27 finished eighth (4:42.84).

The Girls 400 Freestyle Relay team of Arden Keitel, Ambar Perez-Mercedes, Williams, and Gipson closed out the meet with a fourth-place finish in 3:26.44 -- a swim that secured the Easterns championship.

“We knew the girls team had talent and depth at the beginning of the season, but we also knew there would be adjustments,” Cox said. “With me stepping in as head coach, there were going to be some growing pains. I think the kids handled the change really well. We’re still working to get where we ultimately want to be, but this part of the process is pretty sweet.”

For the girls, the title caps another dominant season. The boys showed significant progress as well, improving from seventh at Easterns last year to fourth this season. They also avenged their lone dual-meet loss to Malvern Prep by finishing ahead of the Friars in the final standings.

“We knew we had a really good shot to move up in the rankings,” Cox said. “We had a strong freshman class come in. They weren’t necessarily major point scorers, but they made a big impact on the culture. They’re hard workers, and they bought into the program.”