HUNTINGTON – George Washington's girls and Parkersburg's boys swim teams used balanced team efforts to claim team titles in the Mountain State Athletic Conference championships on Friday night at Marshall University’s Fitch Natatorium.
The Patriots claimed the girls division with 278 points, despite winning only one event. Runner-up Parkersburg finished with 251 points and won eight events in the championship meet.
“I felt like the way we placed them out there, they did exactly what they were supposed to do," George Washington coach Doug Price said. "Everyone swam as well as they were supposed to swim, and nobody swam more poorly than they were supposed to swim, and they had to do what they did as a team because Parkersburg was so good."
In the best race of the night, Morgan Reynolds won the 100 fly for the Patriots with a time of 1:06.60, edging Parkersburg’s Lily Jones by five hundredths of a second.
The Big Reds were led by Adelaide Vann, who won the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle and anchored the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams.
Parkersburg's Delaney Snodgrass won the 500 freestyle and 200 IM and was a member of the 200 medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay teams that won championships.
The boys division featured a similar scenario as Parkersburg brought home the team championship over George Washington with 398.5 points to 345.5, though the Patriots won six races and the Big Reds won one event.
“The numbers definitely helped," Parkersburg coach Emily Martin said. "It is really interesting when you look at the all-conference team, we only have one boy on the boys side. Four girls [all-conference] on the girls side. So, the numbers really helped us with the boys, and they really hurt us with the girlsâ€."
Big Reds freshman Levi Morr won the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:41.84, which is a new conference record.
“I was pretty satisfied with that race," Morr said. "That was actually a lifetime best time. So, I am just pretty happy with that. I have been working hard, just trying to do the best I canâ€."
The Patriots were paced by Kenneth McGlothen, who won the 200 freestyle and 100 breaststroke and was a member of the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay teams which also won championships.
“I feel pretty good," McGlothen said. "Going in here, we really wanted to try to go out and win. It is unfortunate that our team got second, but overall, everyone had a really great race and a great day. It feels really good to come here and win."
George Washington's Will Hamrick also claimed event titles in the 100 fly (53.41) and 200 IM (2:02.86).Â
The Patriots' 200 medley relay of Sam Lopinsky, McGlothen, Hamrick and Tommy Newell set a meet record with 1:39.95.Â
McGlothen, Newell, Lopinsky and Hamrick also combined to win the 200 freestyle relay in 1:31.37.
Martin said the Big Reds' title "means everything to us."
"This boys team has been a long time coming," she said. "They have worked so hard. They have known for a couple years that they have a championship team in them and just had not been able to put all the pieces together the right way. We have known since this senior class were freshmen that we were building a championship team.â€
Huntington High's swim teams both finished third in their divisions. The Highlanders boys dominated the short sprints, with Christopher Young winning the 50 freestyle with a time of 23.42 seconds and Keon McClure winning the 100 freestyle with a time of 47.91 seconds. The boys 400 freestyle relay team of Hawke Maynard, Young, Liam McClure and Keon McClure won their race with a time of 3:28.54.
St. Albans' John David Humphreys won the boys 100 backstroke in 54.48 seconds.
Hurricane claimed two girls event titles. Kylee Welch won the 100 backstroke (1:09.20) and Tajima Hu claimed the 100 breaststroke (1:13.88).
Team standings for the event for the girls were George Washington 278, Parkersburg 251, Huntington 183, Hurricane 181, Cabell Midland 143, Spring Valley 135, St. Albans 74, Capital 22, and South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä 2.
The boys team rankings were Parkersburg 398.5, George Washington 345.5, Huntington 279, Cabell Midland 95, Spring Valley 79, St. Albans 34 and Hurricane 24.
