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The Churchill girls swimming and diving team made history Saturday at the 44th Annual Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championships.

At the Germantown Indoor Swim Center, the Bulldogs became the first team other than Good Counsel to win the event in 14 years.

Georgetown Prep trailed rival Gonzaga heading into Event No. 17 (of 24) Saturday, but held on for its sixth consecutive Metros title. Churchill's boys finished fourth but combined with the girls' score, the Bulldogs won the overall event.

"I think a lot of pressure was put on our girls to win," Churchill coach Rodney VanTassell said. "Everyone's been saying all season long, ‘Oh, you're going to beat Good Counsel.' It feels good to finally make good on that prediction and get the monkey off our back."

The morning's preliminary round played an integral role in the evening's final outcome. Teams can bring an unlimited number of athletes to Metros; they just have to qualify by achieving certain time during the season. But only the top 20 advance to finals. That's where they earn points.

The Bulldog girls won only two events: the 500-yard freestyle (Maria Watkins) and 400 free relay (Watkins, Natalya Ares, Shannon Ridge and Yvonne Huo). But they placed at least one swimmer in the top 10 of all 24 events and qualified at least two swimmers in the top 20 of four events.

Prep won four events Saturday. University of Virginia-bound senior Brady Fox set a Metros record in winning the 100 butterfly. He also took the 100 backstroke and teamed with Raymond Chi, Adam Spencer and Matt Thomas for first in the 200 medley relay. Thomas won the 200 freestyle.

The Little Hoyas also placed at least one swimmer in the top 10 of every event and had at least three make the top 20 in five events.

"[Metros] is won and lost in the morning," VanTassell said.

Churchill's girls' success this season certainly signifies a turning of the tide. But with the revolving door of swimmers coming in and out each year, it's hard to build a dynasty like the one Good Counsel has the past 14 years. It will be interesting to see how both teams respond next season.

"There's a lot of parity, especially on the girls side," VanTassell said. "There are some great swimmers out there. Look at us. We were third last year, added one or two new swimmers and that made the difference."

- By times, Metros ranks among the top-10 fastest high school swimming competitions in the nation.

- Paint Branch senior Logan Shinholser, who won his first-ever high school championship at last week's counties, became the school's first ever Metros diving champion with his Montgomery County Public Schools record-setting performance (501.70 points). His win makes him Paint Branch's first Metros champion in any event since 1992, and first male since 1977.

Magruder senior diver Brittany Powell also set an MCPS record (473.75) in winning her second consecutive Metros title.

- Poolesville junior Cara Chuang set the only Metros record on the girls side Saturday. Chuang clocked a 55.24 in the 100 backstroke, besting her own, set as a freshman in 2007.

- Good Counsel seniors Zack Wepasnick, Casey Stodter, Kevin Vallario and Matt Reinheimer broke a 10-year-old Metros record in the 200 freestyle relay. Fox was the other boys record setter from Montgomery County, winning the 100 butterfly in 48.71 seconds.

- Only four swimmers won more than one individual event Saturday, three of them from Montgomery County: Good Counsel freshman Sarah Haase (200 individual medley, 100 breaststroke), Fox (100 butterfly, 100 backstroke) and Sherwood sophomore Emily Ryczek (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle).