Highschool boys swimming: East repeats in dominating vogue – Salisbury Put up – Google

By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — East Rowan’s boys swim team became as soon as unopposed in the 400 free relay that concluded Friday’s Rowan County Championships at Hurley YMCA.

Four Mustangs swam as solo acts. They’ll need taken it easy, with the championship long determined, but as an different Isaac Cawley, Josh Gardner, Owen Kesler and Cole Humphreys pushed themselves and every other.

“They shaved time,” East head coach Amanda Trexler acknowledged proudly. “Swimming by themselves and they shaved time.”

East loved a step forward triumph in the 2023 county meet, the first victory ever for the boys. It became as soon as no fluke. East repeated with a dominating performance.

There are 11 occasions, eight particular person races and three relays. East went 11-for-11, a orderly sweep, a supreme storm.

In 5 occasions the Mustangs took the gold and the silver.

Cawley and Gardner had been named co-swimmers of the year. Each had been undefeated. Each won two folk occasions and swam on two profitable relays, but East had valuable extra vitality in the abet of them. Four extra Mustangs won particular person occasions.

“Searching at them safe every tournament became as soon as the privilege of a lifetime,” Trexler acknowledged.

East gathered 367 functions. South Rowan had 5 runner-up finishes and scored 129 functions to rob 2d yell. Next had been Carson (90), West Rowan (70), Salisbury (33) and North Rowan (24).

Trexler became as soon as abet in the stressful proper world on Monday — lunch responsibility, bus responsibility, retaining a further class at some level of her free duration — but on Championship Friday she became as soon as on Cloud 9. It became as soon as a form of days you dream about.

But she’s like a flash to remind everybody it didn’t appropriate happen by likelihood. There became as soon as loads of work that place of residing the desk for all of Friday’s stress-free.

“Our swimmers beget labored for roam exhausting over the course of the season,” Trexler acknowledged. “They gained records. They realized original strokes. They improved. They bought sooner.”

Three days sooner than the Rowan County Championship, East had carried out third in the South Piedmont Conference, and that’s a convincing swim conference. The Mustangs knew they need to safe the county, but there level-headed had been performances that went beyond what became as soon as anticipated.

“Will Kesler in the 100 breaststroke (1:22.Fifty three) became as soon as a shock safe,” Trexler acknowledged. “The 2d yell in the 100 backstroke by Sam Lisenby became as soon as nice.”

Cawley won the 50 freestyle (23.62) and 100 backstroke (59.86).

Gardner took care of alternate in  the 100 free (54.31) and 200 IM (2:25.77).

Isaac Cawley has overcome plenty and pushed himself to originate place cuts in every tournament he competed on this year,” Trexler acknowledged. “His mom (Karen Cawley) is an fabulous assistant coach, and she’s had a entrance row seat for his senior season. He became as soon as nice in the county meet. Josh Gardner became as soon as furthermore in regards to the most life like possible I’ve seen him all year in the county meet. He’s so versatile you are going to be ready to position him in any tournament the place you would possibly possibly well need so to add saunter. He became as soon as ready and definite to safe every tournament.”

Rodney Hawkins won the 500 free for the Mustangs (5:46.36). Humphreys won the 200 (2:13.62). Bear Schofield won the 100 butterfly (1:09.51).

Potentially the most exiting walk would possibly possibly well need been between two Mustangs. Gardner edged Hawkins in the 200 IM.

Other East runner-up finishes came from Clayton Lowe in the 200 free; Humphreys in the 100 butterfly, and Will Kesler in the 500 free.

The unit of Gardner, Owen Kesler, Humphreys and Cawley won the 200 free relay (1:43.64) to boot to the 400 free relay (3:49.38).

Schofield, Will Kesler, Hawkins and Lowe ruled the 200 medley relay (2:05.75) to uncover the damage day to an even starting up, and the Mustangs below no instances lost momentum.

Bryson Honeycutt’s bronze in the 200 IM gave East a 1-2-3 enact in that tournament. Collin Hensley contributed functions in the 100 free and 100 backstroke.

South’s Marshal Faw became as soon as 2d in the 50 free and 100 free, whereas Conner Coy took silver in the 100 breaststroke.

South placed 2d in the 200 medley relay and 200 free relay, occasions the place Faw and Coy teamed with Landon Richards and Alex Furr.

Ethan Gurley became as soon as third in the 500 free for Carson’s easiest enact.

West’s Wayne Corridor became as soon as third in the 100 free.

Salisbury’s top enact became as soon as a third by Mac Blankenship in the 100 backstroke.

Rylan Furr took the bronze in the 100 breaststroke to lead North.

But there became as soon as no stopping the Mustangs.

“A colossal effort by a exhausting-working and versatile team,” Trexler acknowledged. “Everyone contributed.”

Qualifying swimmers hunch on to regional action on Feb. 3.

South Piedmont Conference swimmers are in the 3A West Regional at Mecklenburg Aquatic Center.

Central Carolina Conference swimmers are in the 1A/2A Central Regional in Greensboro.