Swimmers turn in regional-qualifying efforts
By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 30, 2011 1:48 PM
County swimmers continued to log regional-qualifying times in individual events, but several relay teams punched their postseason ticket Tuesday evening.
Goldsboro's foursome of Logan Cole, Timmy Vick, Zach Darden and Steven Morton easily obtained regional berths as they emerged victorious in the 200 medley relay and 200 free relay. The quartet eclipsed the 200 medley by standard time by nearly six seconds and the 200 free by 2.5 seconds.
Cole won the 100 backstroke (59.45 seconds) and 500 free (5:20.52) in regional-qualifying fashion, while Vick advanced to the regionals with a first-place showing in the 100 breaststroke. The two swimmers combined to post four regional-qualifying marks in last week's season-opening meet at the B.G. Darden Natatorium inside the Goldsboro Family Y.
Darden won the 200 individual medley (IM) for the second straight week.
Southern Wayne's Chad Davis claimed his second consecutive victory in the 200 free and took runner-up honors in the 500 free.
The Golden Falcons' Devin Hall grabbed the 1-meter diving competition with 168 points. Teammate Cody Freels ended up second, while Eastern Wayne's Willie Smith was third.
Aycock's foursome of Sam Chastain, Sam Pierce, Austin Walker and Demion Creel just missed qualifying for the regional by one-half second in the 200 free relay. They recorded a "consideration time" of 1:44.34.
Creel was third in the 50 free.
Eastern Wayne's top performer was Joseph Henry, who placed third in the 200 free with a time of 2:28.95. Rosewood's Eric Campbell recorded top-15 times in the 50 free and 100 breaststroke.
Charles B. Aycock's quartet of Bryce Connolly, Savannah Sauls, Jayna Beamon and Kylie Robertson turned in a regional mark of 1 minute, 56.77 seconds in the 200 free relay. The same group swam a "consideration regional time" in the 200 medley relay.
Connolly qualified for the regionals with first-place efforts in the 200 free and 50 free. Sauls emerged the runner-up in the 100 free with a regional-qualifying time of 1:02.83.
The Golden Falcons' Taylor Bradshaw touched the wall third in the 200 IM. The Warriors' Emily Spangler and the Cougars' Mikayla Huf placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in a slow-moving 500 free.