25 varsity medals awarded
Piedmont High School’s swim team turned in a stellar performance at this year’s WACC Championships. Led by Head Coach Adrien Downey, the Highlanders walked away with an impressive 25 varsity medals, awarded to the top six finishers in each event.
Girls’ Varsity Highlights
The Piedmont girls showed depth and strength across the board:
- 200y Medley Relay: Cynthia Wu, Abigail Jacoby, Sam White, and Sydney Olson captured 2nd place.
- 200y Freestyle: Sam White finished 5th.
- 200y Individual Medley: Abigail Jacoby came in 1st place.
- 50y Freestyle: Cynthia Wu earned 2nd, while Sydney Olson took 5th.100y Freestyle: Olson finished 2nd.
- 500y Freestyle: Jacoby claimed 6th.
- 200y Freestyle Relay: Wu, Olson, Jacoby, and Charlotte Zhang earned 2nd place.
- 100y Backstroke: Wu took 1st, and Zhang placed 6th.
- 100y Breaststroke: Isla McCardell finished 4th.
- 400y Freestyle Relay: Malia Shrieve, White, McCardell, and Zhang earned 5th.
Samantha White & Abigail Jacoby 
Samantha White 
Cynthia Wu 
Coach Adrien Downey, Nik Costello, Owen Blanford, Cole Carnazzo
Boys’ Varsity Highlights
The boys’ team had a powerful showing, finishing second overall, just behind Berkeley:
- 200y Medley Relay: Asher Takazawa, Cole Carnazzo, Owen Blanford, and Nik Costello captured 1st place, setting a new school record of 1:34.27.
- 200y Freestyle: Blanford earned 1st, and Dima Secor took 4th.
- 200y Individual Medley: Takazawa won 1st place.
- 50y Freestyle: Costello came in 2nd.
- 100y Butterfly: Carnazzo placed 3rd, setting a new school record of 51.70, while Blanford earned 4th.
- 100y Freestyle: Costello took 2nd, and Secor earned 3rd.
- 500y Freestyle: Zafar Majid finished 5th.
- 200y Freestyle Relay: Costello, Secor, Majid, and Evan Byun placed 2nd.
- 100y Backstroke: Takazawa secured 2nd.
- 400y Freestyle Relay: Blanford, Carnazzo, Takazawa, and Secor capped off the meet with a 1st place finish.
Key performances beyond the podium
While the medal count was impressive, Coach Downey emphasized the importance of key efforts from swimmers who didn’t medal but contributed significantly to the team’s point total. Simon March-Cunningham and Elles Krieckhaus each added 11 crucial points across two events.
“Without either of them, Castro Valley would have beaten us,” Downey said. “With just five points separating the teams, Elles’ ability to stay composed after losing his goggles in the 500 and still finish strong was one of the meet’s best moments.”
Rising stars on the JV squad
Although JV results aren’t officially scored at WACC, Piedmont’s junior varsity swimmers continued their strong late-season surge. Standout performances came from Tai March-Cunningham, Henry Stein (who won the JV 50 freestyle), Rylan Patty, Anna Caputo, Mara Pisani, and Dean Kvoriak. Coach Downey praised their growth, noting, “Their improvement throughout the season was very satisfying to watch.”
Looking ahead to NCS
The team now awaits confirmation of individual and relay qualifications for the North Coast Section (NCS) Championships this weekend in Concord. With several automatic qualifiers already secured, the focus shifts to who else can make the cut and help Piedmont chase a spot at the State Championships the following week.
“This meet set the tone for what’s to come,” Downey said. “We’re excited to see how far this team can go.”
Photos courtesy of Lisa Chan Carnazzo