CBA girls successfully defend ECC team crown
By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on January 26, 2011 1:47 PM
Charles B. Aycock has always been a model of consistency on the Eastern Carolina 3-A Conference women's swimming scene.
The Golden Falcons proved it again Tuesday evening.
Junior Bryce Connolly earned ECC swimmer-of-the-year accolades and helped Aycock successfully defend its team championship at the B.G. Darden Natatorium. The Golden Falcons won six events and used their depth to compile 130 points in the six-team competition.
"We have a really good team and our relays have been great," said Aycock head coach Linda Chastain, who received the ECC coach of the year award. "We have a couple of year-round swimmers who performed really well. We've had kids step up (tonight) and do it for points. They're here all the time, want to race and are very peppy."
Connolly swam the second leg on the 200 medley relay and anchored the gold medal-winning 200 free relay. She was joined by Savannah Sauls, Jayna Beamon and Kylie Robertson. Taylor Bradshaw competed on the 200 free squad.
The quartet earned all-ECC accolades for their efforts.
Sauls secured individual championships in the 500 free and 100 backstroke, while Connolly was a double winner with triumphs in the 200 individual medley (IM) and 200 free.
Roberts and Bradshaw placed second and third, respectively, in the 100 free. Beamon ended up fourth in the 100 butterfly and Alex Lemasters turned in a third-place finish in the grueling, 20-lap 500 free.
Aycock scored points in all 11 events.
"We have a lot of people on our team who love the sport, we practice it a lot and it really pays off," said Beamon. "Our team is really close. We don't ever want to let each other down."
Eastern Wayne's Heather Black was crowned the ECC champ in the 100 free, and took the silver medal in the 200 IM. She swam legs on the 200 medley and 200 free relays.
Black credited competitive practices with the Y's GOLD team proved valuable in the final regular-season home meet of her career.
"Competing with them really helped me get a little faster and gave me a really big competitive edge," said Black. "I think the teams around us have gotten a lot better (this season). (The 100) was fast. I wanted it really bad, went for it and got it."
Victoria Mashburn captured the silver medal in the 500 free and bronze medal in the 50 free. Lilly Boyette seized the silver medal in the 100 back and took fourth in the 200 free.
Southern Wayne's Emily Hudson claimed fifth in the 100 breaststroke. Teammates Brittani Overman and Savanna Brown recorded sixth-place finishes in the 200 IM an 100 free, respectively.
Michala Best placed sixth in the 500 free.
The Saints were fourth in the 400 free relay.