PARKERSBURG -Parkersburg South's boys swim team made a statement on Saturday at the Patriot Invitational, conducted at the Boys and Girls Club of Parkersburg.
South's boys not only claimed the championship trophy, but they overwhelmed the competition, amassing 397 points to 247 for runnerup Spring Valley. Wheeling Park was third with 227, followed by John Marshall with 158, Woodrow Wilson (101), Marietta (33), Point Pleasant (16), Weir (13) and Doddridge County (2).
The girls competition also was a runaway as another group of Patriots -the ones from Wheeling Park -rolled to a 306 to 200 win over runnerup Weir. John Marshall was third with 186 while South was fourth with 132. Spring Valley (125), Woodrow Wilson (120), Marietta (1119) and Williamstown (89) completed the field.
Leading the way for the Patriots was freshman Garrett Fink, who won the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly. He also was part of the winning 400 freestyle relay team -along with Corey Johnson, Kinzie Bailey and Joe Miller -and teamed with Lane Burton, Garrett DePergola and Ryan Pritchard to place second in the 200 freestyle relay.
Bailey won the 500 freestyle and placed third in the 200 freestyle, which was won by teammate Miller, who finished second to Bailey in the 500 freestyle.
Despite nursing a shoulder injury, Burton won the 100 backstroke, with teammate Brady Starcher placing third. Johnson had a pair of thirds, in the 50 and 100 freestyle events. DePergola had a third in the 100 breaststroke and a fourth in the 200 freestyle.
Fact Box
Patriot Invitational Swim Meet
Girls team scores: Wheeling Park 306.50, Weir 200, John Marshall 186.50, Parkersburg South 132, Spring Valley 125, Woodrow Wilson 120, Marietta 119, Williamstown 89
Local placers
200 medley: South, 3rd (Rachel Kirk, Anna Pasternak, Emily Gersper, Ryan Hesselrode), 2:15,12; Marietta, 4th (Julie Forbes, Lucia Picciano, Haley Varnadoe, Amanda Ferguson), 2:18.49; Williamstown, 7th (Shealee Mossor, Kristianna Weppler, Savannah Dedrick, Tori Poole), 2:23.37; Marietta, 9th, Katie Rauch, Katie Miller, Arianna Lannigan, Amelia Gulick), 2:35.34
200 Yard Free: 5. Sarah Debolt (Williamstown), 2:36.32; 6. Amanda Ferguson, 2:36.52; 9. Olivia Miller (South), 2:41.92; 10. Tori Poole, 2:42.42; 13. Katie Rauch, 2:44.23; 14. Laura Pasternak (South), 2:49.22
200 Yard IM: 4. Haley Varnadoe (Marietta), 2:50.66; 10. Arianna Lannigan, 3:07.70
50 Yard Free: 4. Anna Pasternak, 28.44; 5. Lucia Picciano (Marietta), 28.45; 8. Julie Fobes (Marietta), 29.64; 15. Ryan Hesselrode, 30.47; 17. Chelsey Butler (Williamstown), 31.40
100 Yard Fly: 6. Chelsey Butler, 1:29.34
100 Yard Free: 2. Lucia Picciano, 1:02.42; 9. Emily Lowden, 1:09.39
500 Yard Free: 1. Kristianna Weppler, 6:21.29; 2. Rachel Kirk, 6:41.33; 8. Olivia Miller, 7:28.21
200 Yard Free Relay: 4. South (Emily Lowden, Emily Gersper, Ryan Hesselrode, Anna Pasternak), 1:58.90; 8. Marietta (Lucia Picciano, Julia Fobes, Haley Varnadoe, Amanda Ferguson), 2:05.29
100 Yard Back: 2. Kristianna Weppler, 1:12.86; 3. Julie Fobes, 1:14.60; 6. Rachel Kirk, 1:17.63; 11. Emily Lowden, 1:22.41
100 Yard Breast: 3. Emily Gersper, 1:19.82; 9. Haley Varnadoe, 1:28.62; 11. Savannha Dedrick, 1:29.84
400 Yard Free Relay: 3. South (Rachel Kirk, Ryan Hesselrode, Emily Gersper, Anna Pasternak), 4:24.56; 7. Williamstown (Tori Poole, Sarah DeBolt, Katie McDuffy, Chelsey Butler), 4:59.22
Boys team scores: Parkersburg South 397, Spring Valley 247, Wheeling Park 227, John Marshall 158, Woodrow Wilson 101, Marietta 33, Point Pleasant 16, Weir 13, Doddridge County 2
Local placers
200 medley: 2. South (Lane Burton, Garrett Fink, Garrett DePergola, Ryan Pritchard), 1:55.19; 6. South (Brady Starcher, Chase Dye, Casey Dye, Zach Marion), 2:58.51
200 Yard Free: 1. Joe Miller (South), 2:01.83; 3. Kinzie Bailey (South), 2:03.07; 4. Garrett DePergola, 2:06.43; 5. Nathan McVicar (Marietta), 2:11.99; 7. Jack Halliday (Marietta), 2:21.35; 8. Zach Marion, 2:25.03; 11. Joe Roberts (Marietta), 2:53.79
200 Yard IM: 1. Garrett Fink, 2:16:98; 5. Casey Dye, 2:47.14
50 Yard Free: 2. Nathan McVicar, 25.47; 3. Corey Johnson (South), 25.71; 7. Clayton Tichy (South), 27.70
100 Yard Fly: 1. Garrett Fink, 1:00.22; 6. Chase Dye, 1:16.93; 7. Ryan Pritchard, 1:18.94; 9. Brady Starcher, 1:28.27
100 Yard Free: 3. Corey Johnson, 56.13; 8. Clayton Tichy, 1:03.55
500 Yard Free: 1. Kinzie Bailey, 5:26.24; 2. Joe Miller, 5:33.58; 6. Evan Clark (South), 6:32.94; 7. Chase Dye, 6:42.86
200 Yard Free Relay: 2. South (Corey Johnson, Kinzie Bailey, Joe Miller, Garrett DePergola), 1:41.71; 5. South (Casey Dye, Brady Starcher, Chase Dye, Clark Evan), 1:49.41
100 Yard Back: 1. Lane Burton, 1:06.23; 3. Brady Starcher, 1:14.21; 4. Ryan Pritchard, 1:14.97
100 Yard Breast: 3. Garrett DePergola, 1:13.84; 6. Casey Dye, 1:19.93; 9. Evan Clark, 1:23.71
400 Yard Free Relay: 1. South (Corey Johnson, Kinzie Bailey, Joe Miller, Garrett Fink), 3:46.88; 4. South (Ryan Pritchard, Zach Marion, Lane Burton, Evan Clark)
Nathan McVicar was the top scorer for the Marietta boys, placing second in the 50 freestyle and fifth in the 200 freestyle.
South's girls were led by Rachel Kirk's runner-up effort in the 500 freestyle while Emily Gersper placed third in the 100 breaststroke. The Patriots had a pair of third place relays with Kirk and Gersper joining Anna Pasternak and Ryan Hesslerode in the 200 medley relay and the same foursome competing in the 400 freestyle relay.
Williamstown got a first place finish in the 500 freestyle from Kristianna Weppler, who also was second in the 100 backstroke. Marietta's top performance was a second place in the 100 freestyle by Lucia Picciano.
South coach Steve Lutz was excited by the improvement his swimmers are showing.
"Every week, we get a little better,'' he said. "This is the best we have been yet.''
South has working to develop swimmers who can place in every event and that strategy is paying off.
"The toughest thing we are dealing with is figuring out who fits in where,'' he said.
Lutz praised the staff at the Boys and Girls Club for their hospitality. The club's pool has been the home of the Patriots.
South has its sights set on the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference championships, which begin a week from Tuesday at Wheeling Park.
