The Salem High swim team will be taking 10 swimmers to the Class 4 state meet in Richmond this week. The diving is today and the swimming is Saturday, February 18, at the Swim RVA Collegiate School Aquatics Center in Richmond. The 10 swimmers from Salem will be Gracie Michael, Emma LaFountain, Jaedyn Jenkins, Eliza Fleenor, and Laci Barnes for the girls and Davis Griffith, Walker Peterson, Cole Bowen, Zach Easter and Joren Poush for the boys. All qualified for the state meet with strong swims in last week’s Region 4D meet at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center on February 8. Salem took 26 swimmers to the regional and out of 36 individual swims 31 came in with their best times.
A total of 23 swimmers scored points for the team, as the boys took fourth and the girls were fifth in the region out of 11 total teams. Western Albemarle swept the meet while the Jefferson Forest boys took second and Blacksburg was third, and in the girls’ meet Blacksburg was second and Jefferson Forest was third. Individuals from Salem who qualified for the state include Joren Poush and Zach Easter for the boys and Eliza Fleenor for the girls. Zach won the 100 Fly with a time of 53.92 and took fourth in the 100 Breast while Joren was second in the 50 Free and fourth in the 100 Free.
Fleenor took second in the 50 Free and third in the 100 Free. Three relay teams advanced to the state meet. The top four qualified and all three Spartan foursomes finished fourth, including the girls 200 and 400 Free Relay teams of Michael, LaFountain, Jenkins and Fleenor and the boys’ 400 Free team of Griffith, Peterson, Bowen and Easter. La Fountain had won the Region 4D diving a day prior, and she will be competing in the state meet today.
