The local high school swimmers will be competing in state meets this week in Richmond. The state meets will be held at the RVA/Collegiate Aquatics Center.
James River will compete in the Class 2 meet on Thursday of this week. Prelims start at 9:05 am and Finals start at 5:05 pm.
“My goals for the James River Swim Team is to have our swimmers do their personal best times for the year,” said coach Kevin Franceschini. “My second goal for our team is to advance as many swimmers to the finals session in the late afternoon. The state meet will be an exciting new experience for several of the members of the swim team.”
The Class 3 meet is Friday, also at the RVA facility in Richmond. Last week the LB girls’ team finished third in the Region 3D while the boys took fourth at the Christiansburg Aquatics Center.
The girls 200 IM relay of Kate Ryan, Katie Cross, Miranda Kirtley and Madelynn Sprouse finished fourth, dropping -3.55 seconds and achieving a State cut time. Miranda Kirtley won the 200 free, while Hattie Butler finished seventh.
Katie Cross took third in the 200 IM and third in the 100 breast. Keeley McNamara and Hannah Dillon finished seventh and eighth in the 200 IM while Sophie Rakes finished fifth in the 50 free and seventh in the 100 free.
Ryan took fifth in the 100 fly and fourth in the 100 backstroke and Dillon finished in eighth place in the 100 fly. Sprouse finished sixth in the 500 free and fourth in the 100 breast.
The 200 relay team of Cross, Rakes, Sprouse, and Kirtley finished third in the 200 free. The 400 relay team of McNamara, Rakes, Ryan, and Kirtley finished third. The girls team qualified six girls to go to State: Kirtley, Cross, Ryan, Rakes, Sprouse, and McNamara. They will be taking two alternates, Butler and Dillon.
In Boys competition, Cooper Dehr finished sixth in the 100 fly and sixth in the 100 back, while James Lively finished sixth in the 200 IM and sixth in the 50 free. Griffin Davidson also finished sixth in the 200 free.
The Boys team qualified two relays, the 200 IM relay of Dehr, Davidson, Lively and Jacob Hodnett, who finished in fourth place, and the 400 relay team of Dehr, Davidson, Hodnett, and Aiden Jones, who finished in third place. Jesse Knight will also be going to State as an alternate.