High school swimming: South girls win third straight county title
Published 12:00 am Thursday, February 1, 2024
South Rowan’s Aiden Shepherd competes in the 2024 Rowan County swimming championships at the Salisbury YMCA. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
East Rowan’s Gracie Lineberger competes in the 2024 Rowan County swimming championships at the Salisbury YMCA. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
South Rowan’s Kayleigh Draughn competes in the 2024 Rowan County swimming championships at the Salisbury YMCA. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
East Rowan’s Gracie Lineberger competes in the 2024 Rowan County swimming championships at the Salisbury YMCA. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
East Rowan’s Addyson Sechriest competes in the 2024 Rowan County swimming championships at the Salisbury YMCA. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
South Rowan swimmers cheer on their team members during the 2024 Rowan County swimming championships at the Salisbury YMCA. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Carson’s Sophie Carter competes in the 2024 Rowan County swimming championships at the Salisbury YMCA. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
South Rowan’s Ava Blume competes in the 2024 Rowan County swimming championships at the Salisbury YMCA. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — The Rowan County Championships seemed like an odd time for South Rowan’s Maddison Glenn to be swimming the 500 freestyle for the first time, while teammate Sienna Roseborough was making her debut in the 200 free.
But they earned substantial points — Glenn third and Roseborough fifth — and that was part of South girls swim coach Jerrod Smith’s master plan.
The Raiders piled up points on Friday at Hurley YMCA. The small-chunks strategy paid off with a county championship.
East Rowan won seven of 11 events and had the co-swimmers of the year, Addie Sechriest and Gracie Lineberger, but South Rowan was deeper.
South’s depth prevailed as it frequently does in the county meet. The Raiders won their third straight title since COVID emptied the pools in 2021.
It was the ninth county title for South’s girls program, tying the Raiders with Salisbury for the most. East has won the other four county titles.
“To win a meet of this type, the key is to put three swimmers in every event — swimmers who can score points,” Smith said. “A lot of times the swimmers who make the difference are swimming in an event they’ve never been in before. A lot of unselfish swims made our team successful. Our depth won it. Those fourths and fifths, they added up. They gave us the points we needed to pull away.”
South had six seconds, seven thirds and seven fourths.
Aiden Shepherd was the only individual winner for South. She touched the wall first in the 100 breaststroke in 1:26.06.
The Raiders also got a first place in the 200 medley relay that opened the meet. That momentum-building victory was provided by Kadence Bebber, Shepherd, Ava Blume and Audrey Rockstad with a clocking of 2:16.08.
Blume was a key swimmer for South. She had seconds in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly. She also was part of the silver-winning 200 free relay unit that included Laurel Everett, Shepherd and Rockstad.
Brinley Patterson was second in the 100 breaststroke, while Ryleigh Fulgham was second in the 50 free. South’s 400 free relay team that closed the meet also finished runner-up. That unit was Sadie Siscoe, Maddie Gulledge, Patterson and Everett.
The 100 butterfly was big. Smith knew Shepherd and Rockstad probably weren’t going to win it, but they had unselfish swims for points and took third and fourth.
“We had 13 PRs and we got some great swims from girls like Shepherd and Blume,” Smith said. “Our veteran swimmers did exactly what we expected them to do and needed them to do, and everyone contributed. It was a team win, it truly was.”
East amassed a stack of first places.
East’s Addy Sechriest won the 500 freestyle (5:57.05) and the 200 free (2:10.48).
“She has pushed herself this season to be an amazing swimmer and leader,” East coach Amanda Trexler said. “Her quiet, but strong confidence has allowed her achieve her goals, and I can’t wait to see what she does at regional and states.”
Gracie Lineberger took the 200 IM (2:30.34) and the 100 butterfly (1:10.60).
“She is so versatile and she was able to achieve regional cuts in all her events this year,” Trexler said. “She pushes herself to do better every meet and she pushes her teammates, as well.”
Mackenzie Sechriest won the 100 backstroke (1:11.84). She also had East’s only individual second-place finish — in the 100 freestyle.
Lineberger, the Sechriests and Mady Morris teamed to win the 200 free relay (1:55.81) and 400 free relay (4:17.30).
Ava Morris won two events to lead Salisbury. She set the pace in the 50 free (26.97) and 100 free (1:00.76).
Morris’ other two events were the 200 medley relay where Morris, Lucy Heilig, Meredith Williams and Kate Kisarova took second place, and the 200 free relay, where the Hornets placed third,
Heilig had a second in the 200 free and a third in the 100 breaststroke.
Karis Miller was the top swimmer for Carson. She had silvers in the 500 free and 100 backstroke.
Marion Blake’s fifth in the 500 free was the top finish for West Rowan.
Jasmin Espinal-Baquis scored North Rowan’s two points with an 11th-place finish in the 50 free.
Regional swimming is on Feb. 3. South Piedmont Conference swimmers are in the 3A West Regional at Mecklenburg Aquatic Center, while Central Carolina Conference swimmers head to the 1A/2A Central Regional in Greensboro.
