Goldsboro's Darden wins 50 free championship in 1A/2A east regional

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on February 4, 2014 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

CARY -- Goldsboro teammates Zach Darden, Timmy Vick, Victor Prezbindowski and Christian Martens accomplished their respective goals.

Kodey Silknitter wrote a new chapter in Rosewood athletics.

All five punched their tickets to the season-ending N.C. High School Athletic Association Classes 1-A/2-A men's swimming championships after each turned in a quality performance during the eastern regional contested at the Triangle Aquatic Center on Monday afternoon.

Darden emerged as the 50-yard freestyle champion with a time of 21.8 seconds and claimed runner-up honors in the 100 free. He swam legs on the state-qualifying 200 medley and 400 free relays that included Vick, Prezbindowski, Martens and Vincent Spagnuolo.

The 200 medley touched the wall sixth in 1 minute, 52.16 seconds. The 400 free quartet that included Spagnuolo, posted a ninth-place time of 3:50.96.

"The 200 medley was our best time by five seconds," Darden said. "Before I jumped in the water (in the 400) we were really far behind and I could hear everyone screaming so I swam as fast as possible and caught everyone (at the finish).

"The 50 free is the second-best time I've done this year. (It) felt really smooth and I feel very confident going into states (as the) top seed. The 100 was my second-best time (47.5 seconds) of the year. I didn't see the guy next to me coming and then he touched me.

"I can't wait to face him again Thursday."

Carrboro sophomore Will MacMillan topped Darden by nearly three-tenths of a second.

Vick captured fourth in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:04.61. Prezbindowski ended up further in the pack and touched the wall in 1:14.06.

Goldsboro's 200 free relay of Jonathan Stevens, Jacob Seate, Spagnuolo and Martens took 19th in 1:53.99. Overall, the Cougars compiled 86 points and placed ninth as a team.

Silknitter, a sophomore, posted an eighth-place time of 2:14.12 in the 200 individual medley (IM) and logged an 11th-place effort of 1:09.43 in the 100 breaststroke. He'll swim those two events in Thursday's state meet.

The Eagles' foursome of Wes Chandler, Zach Sumner, Joseph Morris and Silknitter wound up 19th in the 200 medley relay with a time of 2:18.1. The same group registered a time of 4:16.26 in the meet-ending 400 free relay, and dropped 16 seconds of its best mark of the season.

"I am extremely proud of the team this season," RHS head coach Natalie Ira said. "We had more regional qualifiers than we've ever had (and) Kodey is the first state qualifier in the history of the team."

Rosewood's quartet of Cierra Sattterfield, Rebecca Fitzmaurice, Ciera Hardee and Amber Flood took 15th in the 200 free relay. Satterfield, Hardee, Flood and Kim Scott shaved 13 seconds off their best time in the 400 relay with a 19th-place showing of 5:03.58.

Fitzmaurice placed 16th in the 100 breaststroke.

"Overall, I could not be more pleased with our performance and I feel this is a wonderful starting point for our team next season," Ira said.

Goldsboro's Matti Lyon captured 21st in the 200 IM (2:50.03) and 23rd in the 100 breaststroke (1:29.68). She swam the anchor leg on the 200 medley relay along with Olivia Paul, Madison Huf and Kaylee Lyon. The group finished 14th in 2:26.25.

The foursome of Ashley Falconer, Angelina Nacca, Ivey Wade and Madison Huf grabbed 23rd overall in the 200 free relay. Huf, Falconer, Lyon and Paul secured 21st place in the 400 free relay.