The Nansemond-Suffolk Academy swim teams completed the season at the 2013 VISAA Swimming & Diving Championships with multiple school record-breaking performances. Also, junior Emily Neuberg received a medal, and the girls’ team placed second among Division II schools.

Overall, out of 27 schools competing including those outside of Division II, Nansemond-Suffolk’s girls’ team finished 12th and the boys’ team finished 20th.

First-year NSA coach Meredith Young was thrilled with the accomplishments and work ethic of both teams, noting the difficulty of adjusting to a new coach after Karen Norman had led the team for so long.

“They are the hardest workers,” she said. “They’ve pulled it off. They had a lot of change this season, and they did really good with handling it all. They came through. I’m over-the-top proud of them and I’m really excited for the hard work and dedication, because that’s what you have to do when you’re in swimming.”

Of the 14 NSA swimmers to qualify for the two-day Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association event in Richmond, Neuberg finished the highest by placing seventh in the 200-yard freestyle with a 2:00.90 time. The top eight finalists in each event received medals. She also finished 12th in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:01.28.

Neuberg was part of a couple relay teams that did well too. The 200-yard freestyle relay team completed the finals in 1:47.40, coming in ninth. The team also included senior Katelyn McCracken, junior Laura Wild and sophomore Taylor Berard. The same group formed the 400-yard freestyle relay team, which shaved 4.96 seconds off its seed time in preliminaries and finished 11th in the finals with a time of 3:59.96.

Junior Ben Wilson came in 15th in both the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard freestyle events, with times of 2:03.87 and 49.94 seconds, respectively. The 200 IM time broke the school record again. The 100 free time and his 49.89 preliminary mark represented his first finishes below 50 seconds in that event.

In the 400-yard freestyle relay event, Wilson was joined by juniors Gregory Beale, John Wade and freshman David Forman. Together they cut 5.75 seconds off of their seed time to come in 11th via a time of 3:26.74, setting a new school record.

The same group recorded a 1:33.27 time to come in 15th in the 200-yard freestyle relay.

Only four of the 14 NSA swimmers at the meet are seniors. Three are freshmen: Forman, Matt Ruland and Sam Towler.

“Even though it was in a relay, they made it to state,” Young said. “It’s a big deal. Also, David Forman not only made it in the top relay, but he also qualified for the individual (500-yard freestyle).”

Young admitted that she was exhausted as the season came to a conclusion, but she was also already wistful.

“They’re probably the most dedicated team that I’ve ever been involved with,” she said.

And it is a team that appears to have a strong nucleus for the future.