Cougar swimmers best Region teams
SHENANDOAH JUNCTION — The highly competitive state meet is next for the Jefferson swim teams after both the boys and girls squads won Regional titles at the Shepherd Wellness Center.
Jefferson’s boys team topped second-place Washington by 24 points with Spring Mills finishing third. In an unusual finish, the Cougar girls edged runner-up Fairmont Senior by the slimmest of margins — 100.5 points to 100 points. Washington was third in the girls division.
Qualifying for the state meet from the Jefferson boys team were the 200 medley relay unit with a second in the Region and with the ninth-best time in the state and the 200 freestyle relay which won the Region and had the fifth-best time in the state.
In the 100 breaststroke, Jefferson had Zackary Bishop (18th best time in the state) and Chris Pfaltzgraff (23rd best time in the state) qualify for the state meet. Cavin Davis had the 16th-best time in the state in the 100 backstroke. Connor LaBombard qualified with the 12th-best time in the 500 freestyle and the 13th-best time in the state in the 200 freestyle. Bishop also earned a state meet berth with his showing in the 200 freestyle, where his time was the 15th-best in the state.
LaBombard’s time in the 500 freestyle won the Region II meet.
Pfaltzgraff will swim in the 200 individual medley at the state event after qualifying at the Regional with the 21st best time in all the regionals combined.
Chris Turner qualified in two events. He recorded the state’s second-best time in the 100 freestyle and was tied for third in the state with his time in the 500 freestyle.
Jefferson had no swimmers finishing in the top three at Saturday’s meet in the 100 butterfly.
Results from the 400 freestyle relay couldn’t be located.
In the girls division of the Region II meet, it was Jefferson posting the state’s sixth-best time in the 200 medley relay in qualifying at the Regional event. Sierra Knott’s time of 25.01 in the 500 freestyle was the state’s third-best. Knott recorded the state’s 10th-best time in the 100 backstroke to reach the Morgantown-based state event. Kate Hefner swam a 1.09.21 in the 100 butterfly, the 11th-best time in the state in qualifying for the state meet.
Amanda Livingston will be in Morgantown after finishing with the state’s 15th-best time in the 100 breaststroke. The 400 freestyle relay unit qualified for next week’s state event when it finished with the state’s 13th-best time.
After last Saturday’s races were completed at the Region II meet, Jefferson had not qualified anybody or its relay for the state meet in the 200 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 500 freestyle or 200 freestyle relay.