Sports - February 2003

East Lincoln swimmers tear up the lanes in Huntersville

TERRANCE THOMAS, Staff Writer

February 12, 2003 - HUNTERSVILLE — The East Lincoln boys and girls swim teams had a successful day at the Class 3-A West Regionals at the Huntersville Aquatic Center last Friday.

Neither team won an event but several team members and relay teams qualified for the state championships, which will take place Saturday at the Coury Natatorium on the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Campus.

East boys finished 10th at the 27-team regional. East girls, a team filled with freshmen, came in 21st.

“We had 10 swimmers qualify or states,” said East coach Mark Shanklin. “We had a really, really good meet. We had our best times of the year.

“We have the first group of girls to go back to state since standout Amanda Keener was here three years ago,” he said.

For the girls, Kassi Henry was the only individual to qualify for state. Even though she finished 10th in the 50 yard free style, she cut her best time from 27.82 seconds to 26.84, which was two seconds off the winner’s time.

The relay teams did fair, too, but they all qualified. In the 200 freestyle relay, the team of Sara Edwards, Kelly Cutshaw, Rachel Thompson and Henry took four seconds off of its time to come in 10th and make state. The 400 relay team of Mykell Gates, Thompson, Edwards and Henry also qualified.

“The girls are the most competitive group I’ve had,” said Shanklin. “That’s what’s driving them.”

The boys team did well too, according to Shanklin.

They will go to state in three different relays.

The 200 medley relay team of Adam Fier, Michael Mendez, Patrick Jolley and Daniel Lingerfelt came in fifth and just five seconds off the first-place team’s time. The team took more than two seconds off of its best time. With that time, they broke the school record.

The 200 freestyle team of the same swimmers came in 10th and were a second faster than their previous best. The 400 freestyle relay squad had a 12th place finish to qualify for states. East swimmers Russell Mahaffey, Chris Haney, Lingerfelt and Jolley took a 10th of a second off of its best time.

Several individuals made it for the boys.

Fier had an eighth-place finish in the 100 backstroke.

In the 100 breaststroke, two swimmers qualified. Jolley came in eighth and took a minute off of his time while Mendez placed 12th but took a whopping four seconds off of his best swim in that event.

Being close as a group is one factor in why the team is successful, said Shanklin.

“We’re very competitive but also very supportive,” he said. “The team is a real close group, swimming with a family perspective. We also have supportive parents and good assistant coaches in Josh Williams and Keri Powell.”

Saturday’s state meet begins at 9:30 a.m. with the preliminaries. The finals will be that night.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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