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Tuesday, Jan. 31 –The Rockbridge County High School boys swimming team narrowly beat Spotswood for the Valley District title, while the RC girls placed second of four teams at the district meet on Saturday at Westover Pool in Harrisonburg.
In the boys’ standings, the Wildcats scored 138 points to beat Spotswood’s 131. Turner Ashby (106) placed third, and Broadway (45) finished fourth. Spotswood won the girls’ race with 155 points, while the Wildcats (113) placed second. Completing the standings were Spotswood (95) and Broadway (49).
The Valley District meet was a change from last year, when the teams had to compete in a virtual district meet because, following a weather postponement, the actual district meet was canceled due to shootings that happened on the day the meet was scheduled at Bridgewater College.
In the virtual meet last year, the RC girls placed second, while the RC boys finished third.
After last Saturday’s meet, first-year RC head coach Erica Bisaillon was named Valley District coach of the year. Two of her swimmers, junior Will Gibbs for the boys and senior Ali Pfaff for the girls, were named Valley District swimmers of the year.
The Wildcats qualified for the Region 3C meet in 25 individual races and five relays. The top five finishers in each individual race and the top four relay teams in each relay race advanced to the regional meet, and other swimmers qualified by time.
The RC boys won four individual races and one relay, while Pfaff won two individual races for the RC girls.
Gibbs won the 200-yard freestyle in 2:01.26 and claimed the 500-yard freestyle in 5:08.47. Sophomore Spencer Pfaff won the 50-yard freestyle in 23.32 seconds, and freshman Keagan Black claimed the 100-yard backstroke in 56.49 seconds, about 3.6 seconds ahead of his closest competitor.
The RC boys won the 200-yard medley relay in 1:53.5, beating Spotswood by nearly 15 seconds. Team members were Black, seniors Well Pearson and Max Johnson and junior Grayson Garcia.
For the RC girls, Ali Pfaff won the 50-yard freestyle in 25.23 seconds and took first in the 100-yard butterfly in 59.42.
The RC boys placed second in their other two relays, and the RC girls placed second in two relays.
In the boys’ 200-yard freestyle relay, the Wildcats finished in 1:38:46. Team members were Gibbs, Garcia, Johnson and Spencer Pfaff. In the 400-yard freestyle relay, the RC boys finished in 3:37.95 with team members Gibbs, Black, Pearson and Pfaff.
The RC girls placed second in the 200-yard medley relay in 2:30.5. Team members were Ali Pfaff, seniors Abby Hickman and Sofia Vargas and junior Greta Guse. In the 200-yard freestyle relay, the RC girls were runners-up in 1:56.17 with team members Pfaff, Hickman, Vargas and sophomore Rio Bucy.
RC boys qualifying individually for the Region 3C meet were Gibbs (200-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle), Garcia (200-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly), Pearson (200-yard individual medley and 100-yard breaststroke), Black (100-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly), Spencer Pfaff (50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle), Johnson (50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle) senior Benjamin Barney (200-yard IM) and freshman Brody Kirkpatrick (500-yard freestyle).
RC girls qualifying individually for the Region 3C meet were Ali Pfaff (50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly), Vargas (200-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle), Bucy (50-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke), Guse (100-yard backstroke), Hickman (100-yard breaststroke) and freshmen Alice Gresham (200-yard IM and 100-yard breaststroke) and Lexi Walters (500-yard freestyle).
The Region 3C meet will take place next Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 11 a.m. at the Brooks Family YMCA in Charlottesville. The top five individuals and the top four relay teams, in addition to those qualified by time, will advance to the Class 3 state meet.
There was no district meet for Parry McCluer sophomore Olive King, who qualified by time last month for the Class 1 and 2 state meet and the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle races. King will compete in the Region 1C and 2C meet on Thursday, Feb. 9 at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center, starting at 4 p.m.
