As the 2024-25 high-school swimming and diving season begins, the Langley Saxons have an impressive championship streak in the works.
The boys team has won five straight significant postseason titles, including Liberty District, 6D North Region and Class 6 state crowns last winter. The season before, Langley won region and state crowns, after a second-place finish in the district.
The Saxons lost some key swimmers to graduation from last season. Despite that, Langley has a large roster of 40-plus swimmers this winter.
Among returning standouts: Hunter Zipperer, Michael Zhou, Ethan Shin, Parris Garvin and Alex Pahlevanpour. Alan Fu returns as a top diver, finishing sixth in the region last fall and third in the district.
The Saxons will be a young team, with just five seniors included on the roster, seven freshmen and 13 sophomores. The rest are juniors.
Zipperer is one of the seniors. He was a double race-winner in many meets for Langley last season, and was a regular member of two relays.
Zipperer also was a standout during the summer season for the Division 1 champion Tuckahoe Tigers of the Northern Virginia Swimming League.
After opening its season tonight (Dec. 6) at Washington-Liberty, Langley has a busy weekend ahead on Dec. 13-14, with meets both nights against district rivals.
The Saxons get the first chance to defend one of their championships on Feb. 1 at the district meet at Washington-Liberty. The region meet is Feb. 14 and 15 at the Oakmont RECenter in Oakton, and the state meet Feb. 20 at the Jeff Rouse Swim & Sport Center in Stafford.
