Clarke County sweeps swim meet against James Wood

By JERRY HOLSWORTH Special to The Star

WINCHESTER — Clarke County’s swim team took 17 of 22 combined races to sweep James Wood in a dual meet at the Jim Barnett Pool on Friday.

“The kids are working hard and they’re swimming phenomenally,” Eagles coach Carol Marshall said. “We only have three hours a week in the pool so you have to be happy with the results we got tonight. Our goal is to get someone qualified in every event in the state meet.”

Clarke County won 9 of 11 events to take a 95-58 boys’ triumph. The girls’ competition was much closer, with several tight races. Clarke County prevailed 89-80.

“The girl’s meet was very close,” Marshall said. “Anytime both teams can fill their lanes with competitors its going to be a close meet. They won several but so did we. We’ve been working hard on our turns and I thought they made a good effort with those things tonight.”

Colonels coach Liz Mumaw also was pleased with her squad’s effort.

“I think we did pretty well considering where we’re at right now,” Mumaw said. “We had some good times tonight and we’re happy about that. There were several really good races with the girls. This meet helps us see where we are heading into the postseason.”

Clarke County’s Tess Whalen and James Wood’s Hannah Cavanagh got things started in the girls’ competition with an exciting 200-meter freestyle race. Whalen (2 minutes, 30.79 seconds) nipped Cavanagh (2:30.95) by less than two tenths of a second at the line.

The two teams also had a tight finish in the 200 freestyle relay, but this time it was the Colonels who prevailed. Wood’s team of Zoe Schopick, Gabrielle Green, Katie Sunderlin, and Lydia Sunderlin (2:08.81) got to the line just a second faster than the Eagles’ Piper Mettenburg, Stephanie Miller, Natalie Lyman, and Maeve Lyman.

Led by Maeve Lyman and Sinead Juday, Clarke County won six of the other nine events. Lyman captured the 200 individual medley (2:42.54) and the 100 breaststroke (1:26.12). Juday won the 50 freestyle (30.45) in a close race with Wood’s Lydia Sunderlin (30.85) and the 400 free (5:18.86). Both Lyman and Juday joined Anne Herndon and Cynthia Fairbanks to capture the 200 medley relay (2:21.38). Herndon won the 100 free (1:23.20).

“I switched up the events tonight for the girls,” Marshall said. “We have a meet tomorrow night as well, and didn’t want them swimming the same events back-to-back. The new relay teams combinations we tried tonight really worked out well, and I think we’ll see those teams swimming together for now on.”

One the better races of the night was between sisters. James Wood’s Lydia Sunderlin (1:09.70) edged Katie Sunderlin (1:10.78) in the 100 freestyle.

The Colonels also got first-place finishes from Schopick in the 100 butterfly (1:12.91) and Rachel Cavanagh in the 100 backstroke (1:25.28).

Derek Sprincis led the Clarke County boys, winning the 200 freestyle (2:15.76) and the 400 freestyle (4:54.16). He also swam the opening leg in joining Mackie Martin, Eamon Juday and Kevin Whalen to win the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 4:14.02.

The Eagles led off the meet by winning the 200 medley relay (Ryan Nesslerodt, Dylan Nesslerodt, Mackie Martin, Jacob David, 2:04.29). David followed with a victory in the 200 individual medley (2:36.36) and Dylan Nesslerodt took the 50 free (26.98). Eamon Juday won the 200 free (1:02.19) and joined Chase Ervin, David and Whalen to win the 200 free relay (1:51.44). Josh Wallace captured the 100 backstroke ( 1:13.36).

“Joshua had an excellent start and some good turns,” Marshall said. “He really pushed through, even though his legs gave out in the last 25. We’re also real happy with Dylan Nesslerodt’s race tonight in the 50.”

Brian Hua provided Wood’s lone wins by capturing the 100 butterfly (1:04.99) and 100 breaststroke (1:17.97).