Photo by Heather Rowland
Photo by Maddie Williams
For the first time ever James River can boast a state championship in swimming. The Knights’ foursome of Riley Persinger, Sarah Lorman, Lydia Jones and Kim Van Auken finished first in the state Class 1&2 200 medley relay at the SwimRVA pool in Richmond last week.
The girls finished sixth as a team as Bruton High won the state championship with Three Rivers District rival Radford taking second. Rivers’ “small but mighty” team placed in a bunch of events.
“Congratulations to the girls swim team for finishing sixth place out of 32 teams,” said coach Kit Williams. “James River High School has never had a first place finish in states until last week.”
Persinger, Lorman, Jones and Van Auken also placed fifth in the 200 free relay. Individually, Van Auken was third in the 100 breaststroke and ninth in the 200 IM. Persinger was fifth in the 100 back and sixth in the 100 free while Lorman took seventh in the 50 free.
The River boys team finished ninth in the state. Joel Barber, Austin Myers, Kingston Bean and Harrison Hanna swam to a seventh place finish in the 200 free relay.
Individually, Barber was fourth in the 200 IM and seventh in the 100 breast. Myers took a sixth in the 200 free and was eighth in the 100 back while Hanna was 10th in the 200 free and Bean was 12th in the 50 free.
Glenvar, a fellow member of the Three Rivers District with River, won the boys’ state championship for the third year in a row.
