Tribe Swimmers Compete in State Preliminaries Today
By Julie Perine on February 15, 2018 via Connect-Bridgeport.com
After claiming the girls' and boys' titles at the Region III high school swim championships held Feb. 3 at West Virginia Wesleyan, 18 from the Tribe advanced to states.
Preliminaries start today at the West Virginia University Natatorium. Girls swim at 8:30 a.m. with boys' heats starting at 4:30 p.m.
The top six times for individual and relay events advance to finals Friday. The next six advance to consolidation finals, said Assistant Coach Jack Merinar.
Finals take place Friday; girls swimming at 8:30 a.m. and boys at 4:30 p.m.
Girls competing in individual events are: Darian Spencer (100-butterfly and 100-breaststroke); Jenna Soltesz (100-fly, 200-yard individual medley); Sarah Stallman (50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle); Catie Wilson (50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle); Maria Lacaria (50-yard freestyle); Cheri Signorelli (200-yard freestyle event); Hope Rieser (100-yard backstroke); Vaughn Vincent (100-yard butterfly); Kaitlyn Pinti (100-yard breaststroke).
In relays, Spencer, Pinti, Stallman and Wilson (200-yard medley relay); Spencer, Stallman, Wilson and Lacaria (200-yard freestyle relay; and Signorelli, Jaryn Dodrill, Soltesz and Lacaria (400-yard freestyle relay.
For the boys, competitors in individual events are Marcel Rodriquez (200-yard freestyle); Phillip Malenich (100-yard backstroke); Luke Pinti (200-yard individual medley, 100-yard breaststroke); Viktor Rodriquez (100-yard butterfly); John Carter (100-yard breaststroke); Ryan Knapp (100-yard breaststroke).
Boys’ relay teams competing are Marcel Rodriquez, Malcolm, Malenich and Carter (200-yard freestyle); Marcel Rodriquez, Reed Smith, Malcolm and Malenich (400-yard freestyle); and Malenich, Carter, Pinti and Malcolm (200-medley relay).
“I was really happy to see that many make states," said Head Coach Jan Grisso. "This is probably one of the largest numbers we’ve taken in the last several years."
Teams to look out for, Grisso said, include Fairmont Senior, Wheeling Park and Parkersburg. The boys have a good shot at the No. 2 spot, she said. The girls could fare well, too, if everyone is on their game.
At Regionals, Bridgeport dominated both fields; the girls scoring 164 and the boys, 125. For the girls, second place went to Buckhannon-Upshur with 130. Elkins took runner-up for the boys, scoring 89 points. Other schools participating in Region III/girls were Robert C. Byrd, Elkins, Woodrow Wilson, Philip Barbour, Notre Dame, Grafton, Lincoln and Liberty. In the boys’ division were RCB, Notre Dame, PikeView, Buckhannon-Upshur, Philip Barbour, Riverside, Woodrow Wilson and Grafton.
