MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Her second state swim meet was filled with plenty of highs and few lows as Caroline Riggs secured two state titles – one individual and one team – and helped break a state record in the process.
“It was really exciting, everyone did really well,” Riggs said. “That relay was exciting, I don’t think we were expecting to go that fast. We had Buckhannon-Upshur pushing us, so I don’t think we would have won without them.”
Riggs is referring to the 200-freestyle relay, where she and her team comprised of Delany Householder, Kate Blosser and Lilly Linscheid hit the final block at 1:39.84. Riggs also set a new school record with her second-place finish in the 200 free at 1:49.51 (a tenth of a second after Wheeling Park’s Abby Turner) and secured a title in the 100 butterfly at 56.08. Further, her 400-free relay team with the same girls nearly secured a title, but, in a last-second push by George Washington’s Madilyn McGlothen, fell by a razor margin at 3:37.60. GW won at 3:37.14.
Despite a few second-place finishes, Riggs was quick to praise her competitors. In her eyes, it’s gotten better just from last year when she had a dominant freshman season ending with some state titles.
“The competition has a gotten a lot better,” she said. “The freshman last year and this year are really fast, and it’s really exciting for the state because sometimes we get overlooked because of where we are. Everyone’s doing well and it’s pushing us to go a lot faster. Last year in my 200 free, I won but I won at 1:53; this year I went a 1:49 and got second. It may look better but everyone is going really fast and is pushing each other. It’s really fun and I’m excited.”
Now, with this exhausting season behind her, Riggs has her eyes set on her club state championships and more offseason training, as well as her long course season.
“I’m going to keep training,” she said, laughing. “I haven’t had a break in a long time.”
And when Riggs says she hasn’t had a break in a while, she means it. She won’t get much of one now, either, as her training starts Wednesday.
Swim is the third-to-last winter sport to conclude – wrestling also finished Tuesday in Huntington – and with basketball playoffs and spring sports in full swing, it seems there’s a sense of normalcy returning to the Mountain State. Hopefully, by next swim season, things will be even better.
“It was a really hard season,” Riggs said. “It was definitely a whirlwind of a season but everyone did really good this season. And our relay teams, both of them (200 free and 400 free) are coming back next year, so that’s really exciting. That’s what I’m looking most forward to next season.”
The Morgantown girls’ team ended the meet as runner-ups to George Washington.
Box score
200 medley relay: George Washington, 1:50.46; Buckhannon-Upshur, 1:53.09; Wheeling Park, 1:53.41.
200 free: Abby Turner, WP, 1:49.41; Caroline Riggs, MHS, 1:49.51; Mia Rice, University, 1:55.47.
200 IM: Madilyn McGlothen, GW, 2:03.26; Jenna Bopp, WP, 2:13.05; Delaney Householder, MHS, 2:15.72.
50 free: Cadence Vincent, Buckhannon-Upshur, 23.11*; Ashlee Wilcher, GW, 24.34; Jordan Claypool, Parkersburg South, 24.63.
100 butterfly: Riggs, 56.08; Madeline Foster, Winfield, 57.99; Olivia Urse, Bridgeport, 59.90
100 free: Vincent, 50.39*; Turner, 50.93, Wilcher, 53.85.
500 free: McGlothen, 4:56.83*, Foster, 5;07.68; Mia Abruzzino, Fairmont Senior, 5:16.64.
200 free relay: MHS, 1:39.84*; BuHS, 1:40.30; GW, 1:45.49.
100 backstroke: Jordan Claypool, ParkSo, 59.27; Jaden Welsh, Parkersburg, 59.49; Urse, 59.92.
100 breaststroke: Bopp, 1:06.35; Isabella Hart, Hurricane, 1:08.22; Cameron Zulliani, BuHS, 1:09.93.
400 free relay: GW, 3:37.14*; MHS, 3:37.60; WP, 3:47.33.
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