PHOTOS BY BRIAN HOFFMAN
Salem and Glenvar met in the pool last week and Martinsville and Galax also participated at the Salem YMCA. Salem swept the Highlanders with the boys winning 93-71 and the girls’ taking a 70-61 decision.
Salem’s men’s 200 medley relay consisting of Mike Bateman, Riley Handy, Jack Lawrence and Carter Biscotte placed first as well as the women’s relay consisting of Layla Vaught, Keeley Prosser, Aubrey Snead, and Gracie Michael. Bateman won the 200 free with a personal best time while Vaught won the girls’ 200 free.
Starke Griffith and Zach Bocock placed first and second in the 50 free. Gracie Michael won the 100 free and Keeley Prosser came in second. Austin Prosser came in second in the 500 and Aubrey Snead won the 500 for the women. The 200 free relays for men and women came in first and second.
Glenvar had five state qualifying times achieved. Landon Cairns punched his ticket to states in the 200 Individual Medley, where he is the reigning state champion. He also was well under the qualifying time in the 100 breaststroke. Aspen Thompson made the cut in the 100 backstroke where he is the defending State Champion. The boys’ medley relay and 400 freestyle relay also qualified.
Macy McMahon won the 100 backstroke for the GHS girls and Cairns was again victorious in the 100 breaststroke for the boys. The boys and girls swept the 400 freestyle relay with the boys team of Darren Delby, Aspen Thompson, Avery Thompson and Cairns winning the event and the girls team of Evelyn Gard, Sophie Childers, Chloe Childers and McMahon winning for the girls.
On Friday in Wytheville the Glenvar boys’ team led from start to finish, winning the men’s competition with 113 points, well ahead of the field. The girls’ team captured the top spot with 85 points, edging out strong competition through consistent scoring and relay strength. When combined, Glenvar finished with 198 total points, earning first place overall by a wide margin.
“The results reflected balanced contributions from veteran swimmers and developing athletes alike, strong relay execution, and consistent scoring across the entire lineup,” said coach Shannon Hall. “Our kids are working hard in practice and times are beginning to drop as conditioning and technique improve.
The Highlanders were scheduled to swim at Hargrave Military Academy in their last meet before Christmas on Tuesday of this week. Salem had a Tuesday meet at the Salem YMCA, then the Spartans are also off for the holidays.
