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Both the Rockbridge County High School boys and girls swimming teams defeated Valley District rivals Broadway and Rocktown in their first home meet of the season, while Parry McCluer High School senior girl Olive King swam state-qualifying times in two individual races on Friday night at the Rockbridge Aquatics Center in Lexington. For the RC boys, senior Spencer Pfaff, junior Keagan Black and freshman Ru Bucy each won two individual races, with Pfaff setting a new school record in the 200-yard freestyle, finishing in 1:50.43.
King qualified for the Class 1 and 2 state meet in the 200-yard individual medley, winning in 2:30.7, and in the 100-yard freestyle, taking first place in 56.62 seconds. In total, she’s qualified in four events, achieving state-qualifying times in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard breaststroke during the first week of December.
The RC boys eked out an 81-75 win over new district rival Rocktown and cruised to a 101-14 win over Broadway, while the Rocktown boys beat Broadway 106-15. The RC girls defeated Rocktown 74-24 and took down Broadway 76-30, while Broadway beat Rocktown 29-22. King, PM’s lone swimmer, was credited with 12 points.
In addition to the boys’ 200-yard freestyle, Pfaff won the 100-yard freestyle, clocking 50.21 seconds.
Black, who’s been tapering for a big meet next weekend in Greensboro, N.C., claimed the 100-yard butterfly in 56.49 seconds and won the 100-yard backstroke in 1:00.2.
Bucy, recovering from illness, won the 50-yard freestyle in 27.41 seconds and captured the 500-yard freestyle in 6:09.34.
Black and Pfaff teamed up with freshmen Ben Gresham and Jacob Barney to win the boys’ 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:41.29.
The RC girls won two individual races and all three relays.
Junior Lexi Walters claimed the 500-yard freestyle in 7:33.33, and sophomore Camille Fuentes won the 100-yard backstroke in 1:32.43.
Fuentes and Walters teamed up with senior Rio Bucy and junior Alice Gresham to win the girls’ 200-yard medley in 2:24.11.
The RC girls then won the 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relays. In the shorter relay, Fuentes and Gresham joined forces with senior Willow Moles and freshman Liesl Niebur to win in 2:21.09. Teaming up to win the longer relay in 5:24.65 were Niebur, Walters, Moles and Rio Bucy.
Before the holiday break, the Wildcats and King will have a nondistrict home meet against Alleghany next Friday, Dec. 20, at 6 p.m. at the Rockbridge Aquatics Center.
For the full story and photos, with comments from RC head coach Erica Bisaillon, please see our Dec. 21 newspaper.
