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PM Freestyle Swimmer Second In 200, Third In 500
Parry McCluer High School senior Olive King capped an impressive high school swimming career for the Fighting Blues by earning medals in both of her races at the Class 1 and 2 state swim meet on Thursday at the Swim-RVA Collegiate School Aquatics Center in Richmond. King placed second in the 200-yard freestyle and finished third in the 500-yard freestyle.
The Blues’ lone swimmer, King was the Region 1C and 2C champion in both events, and she set personal records in both races at the state meet. She also qualified in the 200-yard freestyle for the Virginia Swimming Senior Championships, scheduled for this Thursday through Sunday at the same location in Richmond.
Swimmers earned medals at the state meet by placing in the top six. Earning state medals was nothing new for King. At last year’s state meet, King placed third in the 500-yard freestyle and fourth in the 50-yard freestyle, after winning regional titles in both events.
At the state meet last Thursday, King finished the 200-yard freestyle in 1:57.96, improving on her regional meet time (1:59.28) by 1.32 seconds. She trailed only state champion Alyssa White of Bruton, who finished in 1:56.96. George Wythe’s Charlie King finished a distant third in 2:07.55.
In the 500-yard freestyle, Olive King finished in 5:30.65, cutting more than two seconds off her meet regional time (5:33.08). Appomattox Regional Governor’s School’s Peyton Temple won in 5:14.72, Bruton’s Maddie Hubbard placed second in 5:20.6, and GW’s Charlie King followed Olive King in fourth in 5:47.49.
Olive King scored 33 points to put PM in 18th place of 29 girls’ teams. Bruton defended its girls’ team title with 370 points, Radford (286) placed second, and Galax (152) finished third. Rounding out the top five were Nanduah (147) and Clarke County (138).
PM and Rockbridge County High School head coach Erica Bisaillon said Olive King “fought hard, resulting in best times in both of her races… She’s one of the toughest people I know, and her grit really shone through as she was swimming. Mid-distance swimming (200/500) is not for everyone, but she is absolutely suited for it.”
King qualified for the state meet in six individual events, but, dictated by the rules, she had to choose two individual races.
Going over her state meet, King said, “I was satisfied with my individual swims and felt very happy to receive personal records in both [races].” She added that qualifying for the Virginia Swimming Senior Championships was one of her goals this season.
Looking back on her high school career, during which she represented the Blues for four years while practicing with RC swimmers, King said, “I have improved tremendously. I have learned so much more about the sport and did not think I would come as far as I did.”
King had three PM teammates as a freshman, when she swam for then-PM coaches Travis Lott and Brea Moore, but she has been the Blues’ lone swimmer the last three years.
“I have had wonderful experiences getting to practice and competing. with Rockbridge,” added King. “What I will miss most is not getting to be with them every day.”
King said Bisaillon, in her third year as the head coach for RC and PM, “has been such an amazing coach for me. She pushes me to reach my goals and gets just as excited as I do when I achieve them.”
While at PM, King also played volleyball and tennis, but she decided to focus on swimming her junior and senior years.
Last month, Olive committed to continuing her academic and swimming career at Southern Virginia University in Buena Vista. She said she chose to swim for SVU “because it felt like the right decision.” She was also excited to see that the Knights’ women’s team won the Independent South Conference title last month, with SVU head coach Jenn Jensen being named conference coach of the year.
“I am going to be in good hands with a team and coach that care about me and want me to be there,” said King. “I can’t wait to be a Knight!”
Bisaillon looks forward to following King’s college career. “I know she’s going to do even greater things at [SVU], and I can’t wait to cheer her on,” said Bisaillon. “I’m so proud of everything she’s accomplished and am going to miss her terribly.”
