RC Sends 14 Individuals, Six Relays to Region Swim Meet
Competing at home, the Rockbridge County High School boys swimming team won the Shenandoah District meet, while the RC girls placed second of four teams at the Rockbridge Aquatics Center on Thursday night in Lexington. Fourteen Wildcats – eight boys and six girls – and all six relay teams advanced to the Region 3C meet.
It was a convincing win for the RC boys, who scored 177 points to beat runner-up Waynesboro’s 106. Wilson Memorial placed third with 20 points, while Alleghany (16) finished third. RC head coach Erica Bisaillon was named Shenandoah District boys’ coach of the year.
Waynesboro won the girls’ meet with 164 points, while the Wildcats scored 107 points to place second. Rounding out the standings were Alleghany (62) and WM (30).
Bisaillon, who is joined on her staff by assistant coach Ell Tomlinson, said she was “extremely proud of the girls, for having almost half the number of swimmers that Waynesboro did. They still swam great.”
Optimistic about her young girls’ team, Bisaillon said, “I’m very excited about the future of this team, as well as the cohesion that they have.”
This is the Wildcats’ first year in the Shenandoah District, following seven years in the Valley District, and it was their first time playing host for a district meet in a long time.
“The issue we’ve had with hosting in the past is that our space is so limited, but with a smaller district, all of the coaches were thrilled,” said Bisaillon. In the Valley District, there were six teams competing, while the Shenandoah District has four.
Bisaillon said the other coaches in the district “were extremely happy with the facility, with the timeline, and they all want us to host again in the future.”
The top five individuals and the top four relay teams, as well as those qualified by time, advanced to the Region 3C meet, which was scheduled to take place yesterday at the Brooks Family YMCA in Charlottesville. Last year, the district meet was canceled due to inclement weather, so swimmers advanced based on their best times during the regular season.
ABOVE, RC senior Alice Gresham swims the freestyle section of the girls’ 200-yard individual medley at the Shenandoah District meet. Gresham placed second in 3:10.36 and also finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:28.58, advancing to the Region 3C meet in both events. She was also a member of two of the Wildcats’ three advancing relay teams. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photo) AT LEFT, Members of the RC boys swimming team, coached by head coach Erica Bisaillon (front row, far left) and assistant coach Ell Tomlinson (front row, far right), gather around their banner after winning the Shenandoah District title. (Jonathan Schwab photo)
RC FRESHMAN Elliot Steele (right) races a Waynesboro swimmer in the backstroke. Steele won the boys’ 200-yard individual medley in 2:19.25 and claimed the 500-yard freestyle in 5:39.18 to advance to the Region 3C meet in both events. He had previously qualified by time in the 100-yard backstroke, and he was a member of two of the RC boys’ three advancing relay teams. (Stephanie Mikels Blevins photo)
The RC boys won six individual races and all three relays. Junior Lincoln Steele claimed the 200-yard freestyle in 2:01.91 and the 100yard butterfly in 1:05.3, while his younger brother, freshman Elliot Steele, captured the 200-yard individual medley (2:19.25) and the 500-yard freestyle (5:39.18). Senior Keagan Black won the 100yard backstroke in 56.99 seconds, while sophomore Jacob Barney claimed the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:10.17. Black had a false start in the 100yard butterfly, but he had already qualified for the Region 3C meet in that event.
Bisaillon said the RC boys “suffered a couple of little mishaps, but that’s OK. We learn from those. We grow from them.”
The Wildcats won the 200yard medley relay in 1:48.11. Team members were Barney, Black, Elliot Steele and sophomore Ben Gresham. Teaming up to win the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:38.47 were the Steele brothers, Gresham and Black. In the 400-yard freestyle relay, the RC boys won in 3:56.99 with team members Barney, Lincoln Steele, sophomore Ru Bucy and junior Miles Holland.
Also advancing individually for the RC boys were Bucy (second, 200-yard freestyle, 2:04.85; second, 500-yard freestyle, 5:39.78), Barney (third, 200-yard individual medley, 2:32.22), sophomore Emil Hierman (third, 200yard freestyle, 2:27.59; third, 100-yard backstroke, 1:15.42), Gresham (fourth, 100-yard freestyle, 56.32; fourth, 50yard freestyle, 25.03 seconds), Holland (second, 100-yard breaststroke 1:19.05), fifth, 50-yard freestyle, 27.39), sophomore Luke Eichholz (fourth, 100-yard backstroke, 1:24.07 and junior Dmitriy Billias (third, 100-yard breaststroke, 1:23.34) Three RC girls earned runner- up finishes. Senior Alice Gresham placed second in both the 200-yard IM (3:10.36) and the 100-yard breaststroke (1:28.48), senior Lexi Walters was the runner-up in the 500yard freestyle (7:11.28), and freshman Aliana Braman finished second in the 100-yard freestyle (1:09.53).
Praising Braman, who also advanced in the 50-yard freestyle by placing third in 30.11 seconds, Bisaillon said she “did great. She’s an amazing swimmer.”
The RC girls placed second to advance in the 200yard medley relay in 2:21.9. Team members were Braman, Gresham, sophomore Liesl Niebur and freshman Dasha Billias. In the 200-yard freestyle relay, the RC girls placed second in 2:12.8 with team members Walters, Billias, Gresham and junior Camille Fuentes. The RC girls also advanced the 400-yard freestyle, clocking 5:01.76 with team members Walters, Niebur, Fuentes and Braman.
Walters advanced individually in the girls’ 200-yard freestyle, placing third in 2:40.68, while Niebur advanced by finishing fifth in 2:47.32. Dasha Billias advanced in the 100-yard breaststroke by placing third in 1:29.01 and in the 100-yard freestyle by finishing fifth in 1:12.85. Niebur advanced in the 100-yard backstroke by finishing third in 1:20.55. Fuentes qualified in the 50-yard freestyle by placing fourth in 31.11 seconds.
From the Region 3C meet, the top five individuals and the top four relay teams advance to the Class 3 state meet, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Feb. 19 at the SwimRVA Collegiate School Aquatics Center in Richmond. Last year, the RC boys placed third of 13 teams at the Region 3C meet, while the RC girls placed 11th. Bisaillon expected Western Albemarle and Monticello to be the toughest teams at the Region 3C meet.
