MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — The Region I meet may not have gone the way Morgantown and University wanted it to, falling behind the Parkersburg girls’ team and Wheeling Park boys’ team, but nonetheless the Mohigans and Hawks will be aptly represented in the state meet today and Friday at the Mylan Park Aquatics Center.
In total, 19 local swimmers will be hitting the lanes in the state meet after qualifying either outright in regionals as a top-3 placement or on the final count of the top 12 fastest times in the state.
A name that is quickly becoming synonymous with the Morgantown swim team is Caroline Riggs. Riggs has broken multiple records in her freshman season and helped pace the Mohigans with four victories. She placed first in the 200 and 500 freestyles with times of 1:57.11 and 5:10.56, respectively, and was part of the first-place 200 and 400 free relay teams. Her teammates in each race were Irina Stanescu, Katelyn Blosser and McKenna Moore, taking the top spots in 1:45.52 (200 free) and 3:47.58 (400 free).
Moore and Blosser also racked up four outright wins at regionals. Moore placed 3rd in the 200 individual medley in 2:17.32 and 2nd in the 100 backstroke in 1:03.82, while Blosser took 3rd in both the 500 free in 5:46.41 and the 100 butterfly in 1:06.82. Stanescu took 3rd in the 50 free (26.56) to pick up her third outright qualifying win at regionals, but was also added to the full list in the 100 free with her sub-1 minute time of 59.11. The time is the 12th fastest in the state.
Rounding out the MHS girls’ team in individual races is Lucy Holmes and Rainey Block. Holmes didn’t place outright at regionals, but will be swimming in the 100 fly and 500 free. Her time in the fly, 1:13.06, put her in the 23rd overall spot, while her time in the distance swim, 6:03.56, put her in 16th. Block is ranked 23rd in the 200 free with a 2:16.56.
Finally, the Mohigans 200 medley relay team comprised of Kaleigh Papez, Talia Miller, Block and Holmes found the state list at 18th with their time of 2:12.82.
For the MHS boys’ team, Lake Embrey, Preston Householder, Spencer Redelman and Carson Gresak won outright in a combined seven races including the 400 free relay where the four placed 3rd in 3:41.59.
Embrey won two events outright with third-place finishes, the 200 free (2:00.19) and 500 free (5:21.38), while Householder also racked up two individual wins in the 500 free (1st, 5:13.06) and the 200 IM (2nd, 2:10.33). Redelman took 3rd in the 100 back (1:01.97) and also found the 18th overall spot on the state list in the 200 IM with his 2:23.24 finish. Gresak took 2nd in the 50 free with a speedy 23.55 to qualify outright, but also is ranked 14th in the 100 free with his 53.60 finish. Finally, to round out the boys’ individual wins is Gavin Fragale, landing in the 22nd overall spot in the 100 breaststroke with his 1:13.38 finish.
In relays, aside from the outright qualifying win in the 400 free, the same team of Gresak, Householder, Embrey and Redelman were fast enough for the 7th overall spot on the 200 medley list with a time of 1:51.21.
For University, the Hawks combined for the remaining spots in six individual and two relay events.
Mia Rice paced UHS in regionals, winning two individual races outright: The 200 free (2nd, 2:01.95) and 100 breast (3rd, 1:13.64). She was the only Hawks swimmer to immediately qualify, but five other girls will join her at states after the state list was tabbed.
Elizabeth Warner and Victoria Maumbe qualified in two individual events each, while Jordan Funke, Emma Kitzmiller and Rebecca Chmiel all finished high enough in one individual race each. Warner is 24th in the 200 IM (2:42.69) and 22nd in the 500 free (6:12.52), while Maumbe is 22nd in the 100 back (1:10.21) and 19th in the 100 breast (1:21.44). Further, Funke is 22nd in the state in the 200 free (2:16.27), Kitzmiller is 20th in the 200 IM (2:39.42) and Chmiel is 23rd in the 500 free (6:13.52).
Rice, Maumbe, Warner and Kitzmiller will also be taking part in the 200 medley relay after finding the 11th spot on the state list after clocking 2:08.13. Rice and Kitzmiller will also swim in the 400 free relay with Funke and Chmiel after the team qualified in the 12th spot with a time of 4:14.38.
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