Wildcats Defeat Rocktown, Wilson On Senior Night
Both the Rockbridge County High School boys and girls swimming teams earned convincing wins in their senior night meet last Wednesday at the Rockbridge Aquatics Center in Lexington.
The RC boys coasted to a 120-14 victory over Shenandoah District rival Wilson Memorial and beat Rocktown 107-54, while the RC girls defeated Wilson Memorial 79-23. In the other dual, Rocktown’s boys beat WM 99-15. Rocktown did not have a girls’ team. Both teams had been dealing with sickness in the week prior to the meet.
Before the meet, the Wildcats honored their four seniors: boys Keagan Black and Fisher Howald and girls Alice Gresham and Lexi Walters.
Reviewing the meet, RC head coach Erica Bisaillon said, “I’m very pleased. It’s an emotional night, any senior night , but this one’s especially hard.”Black won both of his individual races, claiming the 200-yard freestyle in 2:08.44 and claiming the 100-yard backstroke in a state-qualifying time of 56.3 seconds. Black had already qualified for the Class 3 state meet in the 100-yard backstroke.
In November, Black signed his letter of intent to swim for Virginia Military Institute.
Bisaillon, who is in her fourth year as RC’s head coach, took the helm of the program when the current seniors were freshmen. She’s coached Black for a decade, starting when he was 8 years old. “He’s been immeasurably valuable for the team,” said Bisaillon. “It’s especially emotional because he was one of the youngest when I started coaching.”
Due to a chlorine allergy, Howald has served as the team’s manager instead of competing. “He’s been very helpful at meets, taking splits, doing odd jobs we need him to do,” said Bisaillon. “He’s been a great manager.”
For the RC girls, Gresham and Walters each won one individual race. Gresham claimed the 50-yard freestyle in 31.27 seconds, while Walters won the 500-yard freestyle in 7:19.07. Walters swam for the Wildcats for the past four years and is considering swimming at Hollins University next year. Gresham took her sophomore year off, but otherwise she swam for RC throughout her high school career.
Freshman Aliana Braman won two individual races for the RC girls, taking the 100-yard freestyle in 1:11.42 and claiming the 100-yard backstroke in 1:32.4. RC sophomore Liesl Niebur won the 200-yard freestyle in 2:42.12.
The RC girls won all three relays: the 200-yard medley (2:30.85), the 200-yard freestyle (2:09.66) and the 400-yard freestyle (5:10.04).
The RC boys also won all three relays: the 200-yard medley (1:51.06), the 200-yard freestyle (1:44.89) and the 400-yard freestyle (regional-qualifying time of 3:42.86).
Other individual winners for the RC boys were freshman Elliot Steele (50-yard freestyle, 24.69 seconds) and sophomores Ru Bucy (500-yard freestyle, regional-qualifying time of 5:34.09) and Jacob Barney (1:12.5).
The Wildcats are scheduled to swim at Alleghany today, Wednesday, and will play host for the Shenandoah District meet next Tuesday, Feb. 3, beginning at 6 p.m.
AMONG THE scenes from the Wildcats’ swim meet last week were, CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE, fans cheering on the Wildcats; RC sophomore Liesl Niebur (bottom) and freshman Dasha Billias (adjacent lane) competing in the girls’ 200-yard freestyle; Wildcat junior Lincoln Steele getting some air in the boys’ 200-yard individual medley; and junior Miles Holland finishing his section of the boys’ 200-yard medley relay, which the Wildcats won in 1:51.06. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photos)
