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The Rockbridge County High School boys swimming team defeated both Waynesboro and Valley District rival Harrisonburg, while the RC girls beat Harrisonburg and came up short in a tight battle with Waynesboro in their home meet on Friday night at the Rockbridge Aquatics Center in Lexington. Parry McCluer High School’s lone swimmer, senior Olive King, won both the girls’ 50-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle.
In the boys’ results, the Wildcats cruised to a 151-12 win over Harrisonburg and beat Waynesboro 130-77, while Waynesboro defeated Harrisonburg 100-21. The RC girls beat Harrisonburg 105-35, while Waynesboro overcame RC 95-88, and Waynesboro defeated Harrisonburg 105-35. King was credited with 14 points for PM.
Before the meet, the Wildcats honored King and their four seniors: boys Spencer Pfaff and Roman Stanley and girls Rio Bucy and Willow Moles. The Wildcats also honored their three foreign exchange students: boys Peeranut Chaoyong and Nikita Rogov and girl Miya Bayniyazova.
Pfaff celebrated Senior Night by winning both of his individual races, claiming the 50-yard freestyle in 21.93 seconds and capturing the 100-yard butterfly in 53.8 seconds to qualify for the Class 3 state meet. He was also part of two winning relay teams, the 200-yard medley relay in 1:50.83 and the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:40.41. Teaming up with Pfaff in the medley relay were Stanley, junior Keagan Black and freshman Jacob Barney. In the freestyle relay, Pfaff and Black teamed up with freshmen Ru Bucy and Ben Gresham.
Black won the 200-yard individual medley in 2:14.81 and placed second in the 100-yard butterfly in 57.81 seconds, achieving regional-qualifying times in both races.
Ru Bucy won both of his individual races, claiming the 200-yard freestyle in 2:10.51 and taking the 500-yard freestyle in 5:56.03.
Also winning for the RC boys was freshman Emil Hierman, claiming the 100-yard backstroke in 1:22.17.
The RC boys placed second in the 400-yard freestyle relay, finishing in 4:09.78. Team members were Bucy, Gresham, Barney and freshman Leif Guse.
In the girls’ races, King won the 50-yard freestyle in 26.23 seconds and claimed the 500-yard freestyle in 5:40.35. She had already qualified for the Class 1 and 2 state meet in both races.
For RC, Rio Bucy placed second in the 500-yard freestyle in a regional-qualifying time of 6:14.06 and finished second in the 50-yard freestyle in 28.48 seconds.
The RC girls won the 200-yard medley relay in 2:28.67. Team members were Moles, Rio Bucy and juniors Alice Gresham and Lexi Walters. In the 200-yard freestyle relay, the RC girls placed second in 2:12.42. Team members were Gresham, Walters, sophomore Camille Fuentes and freshman Liesl Niebur. The RC girls also placed second in the 400-yard freestyle relay in 4:54.96 with team members Walters, Moles, Fuentes and Bucy.
The Wildcats and King will be back in action on Saturday when they compete in the All-Timesland Invitational at the Gator Aquatic Center in Roanoke. They’ll have their final home meet when they face district rival Spotswood on Friday, Jan. 31, at 6 p.m. at the Rockbridge Aquatics. The home meet was rescheduled from last Friday, Jan. 10 due to hazardous road conditions following last week’s winter storm.
For the full story on this week’s action, with photos from the home meet, please see our Jan. 22 newspaper.
