By Krystle Bono, Submitted Photo
Shore Swim took to the Eastern Shore YMCA pool last Friday in Onley, hosting its only home meet of the season against a small Pocomoke team, with both the girls and boys grabbing big wins over their visiting swimmers. The team also celebrated its first senior night.
The boys took their win by a 76 to 39 count, earning first place in eight out of their 10 total events. The girls dominated the meet, making a clean sweep across all events for the second year in a row, and finished the evening with an impressive score of 103 to 19.
“We aren’t considered a huge team ourselves, but we have some awesome talent and great student athletes,” said coach Bryan McElwain.
Seniors that were recognized were team captains and three-year Shore Swim veterans Lauren Johnston and Carter Harmon. Gena Pryor and Caleb Burford are also veteran third-year members of the squad. First-year members and great, new additions to the team, McKaley Parks, Skye Lewis, and Tyrell Jones were also recognized.
“They are all going to be very missed. It’s going to be close to impossible replacing these talented swimmers,” expressed both McElwain and coach Chelsea Porter.
Pryor earned first in the 200-meter freestyle for the girls. Bennett Cossett and Grady Harmon finished second and third in the boys 200-meter freestyle. Madison Johnson and Carter Harmon swam their way to first place finishes in the 200-meter individual medley.
The Shore Swim girls went first, second, and third out of six swimmers in the 50-freestyle sprint, with Lacy Gouldin, Taylor Thornes and McKaley Parks.
Luke Parks won first place in an intense finish, out-touching the Pocomoke swimmer by 27 seconds; Cade Williams finished in third.
Johnston flew her way into yet another first place finish in the 100 butterfly. Pryor and Allie Penland earned first and second in the 100-meter freestyle. Parks also grabbed a first-place finish in the same event.
Rachel Gouldin and Jamie Wert earned first and second for the girls in the 500 freestyle, and Patrick Lilliston won the long distance 20-lap event for the boys.
Both the girls and boys for Shore Swim took the top three spots in the 100 backstroke, with Lacy Gouldin first and Ann Windsor Davis second for the girls, and Cade Williams first and Bennett Cossett second for the boys. Johnston and Harmon got first in the 100-meter breaststroke, and Madison Johnson got the second.
Shore Swim will be back in action Tuesday, Jan. 22, at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore against Salisbury.
