Making A Splash: Tyler Lee swimmers earn gold at district
Published 8:17 pm Sunday, January 19, 2020
- Tyler Lee’s Hayden McCullough (center) receives his gold medal for winning the 50 freestyle on Saturday during the District 9-6A Swimming & Diving Meet in Rockwall. Lee’s Sam Eckert (left) placed third and received the bronze with Rockwall-Heath’s John Papp (right) taking the silver. REL Athletics
Caroline Richbourg won her event for the third straight year and three other Red Raiders won gold as the Tyler Lee swim team fared well in the District 9-6A Swimming & Diving Meet on Saturday in Rockwall.
Richbourg, a junior, captured the 100 butterfly, with other Lee first-place finishes from sophomore Hayden McCullough (50 and 100 freestyle), junior Chase Fields (100 butterfly) and junior Brendan Egan (1-meter diving).
Richbourg won the butterfly gold in a time of 57.80 seconds.
McCullough won the 50 free in a time of 22.11 seconds and took the gold in the 100 with a clocking of 49.55.
Chase captured butterfly gold in a clocking of 52.29.
Egan won the diving with 262.80 points.
Along with three consecutive golds in the butterfly by Richbourg, it was the second straight year to be atop the podium by Fields in the 100 butterfly.
The Lee boys placed runner-up as a team with 152 points. Rockwall-Heath won the district meet with 172 points with Rockwall taking third at 117.
“With no seniors at the meet, the team will have a good shot at the district title next year,” Tyler Lee coach Jason Petty said. “Quite a few freshmen boys put in a ton of hard work this season and performed very well. Chase Fields did a great job of leadership.”
The Lee girls were third as a team with 96 points. Rockwall-Heath won the title with 181 points with Rockwall second at 167.
“Caroline swam some really good times and it was exciting to see her defend her title in the 100 fly for the third year in a row,” Petty said. “Freshmen Lorelai Walker and Olivia Terburgh put in a lot of hard work this season and played a big role in the success of the relays and team as a whole.”
The top six in each event advance to regionals scheduled for Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at the Bruce Eubanks Natatorium in Frisco. The top two in each event at regionals move on to the state meet which is scheduled for Feb. 14-15 at the University of Texas’ Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin.
Petty was named the District 9-6A Boys Swimming Coach of the Year and Robert Fletcher earned the District 9-6A Diving Coach of the Year.
LADY RAIDERS
Lee Lady Raiders capturing bronze include Walker in the 100 freestyle (58.69) and all three relay teams.
Others qualifying for regionals include: 4, Richbourg, 500 freestyle, 5 minute and 3.00 seconds; 5, sophomore Destiny Nunley, 100 freestyle, 1:01.56; 5, junior Abbie McCreary, 100 backstroke (1:07.42); and 6, Walker, 200 freestyle, 2:04.69; 6, junior Lauren McClintock, 50 freestyle, 27.58; and junior Emily Cameron, 100 backstroke (1:09.2).
The 200 medley relay team consisted of McCreary, sophomore Trinity Smith, Nunley and junior Olivia Alejandro. They had a time of 2:07.00.
In the 200 freestyle relay, the Lady Raiders had a time of 1:46.91. The team included Richbourg, McClintock, Terburgh and Walker.
Another third-place finish was in the 400 freestyle relay as the Lee team had a clocking of 4:00.12. On the relay were Terburgh, Walker, McClintock and Richbourg.
Longview freshman Gracie Ponder tied for first in the 50 freestyle with Rockwall junior Chloe Penton in a time of 25.96 seconds.
In 1-meter diving Lee senior Violet Orchard placed third with 173.60 points, while teammate and fellow senior Daniela Olague was fourth (108.30).
Other members of the Lady Raiders competing were Katie Shuler, Kaitlyn Lewis, Emily Massey, Madison DesHotel, Madison Witt, Katelyn Goode and Zhamira Nunez.
RED RAIDERS
Junior Gage Moncrief-Judd took silver in two events — 200 individual medley (2:05.60) and 100 breaststroke (1:02.49). Fields added to his gold in the 100 fly with a silver in the 500 freestyle (4:41.52).
Also all three Lee relays took silver.
Capturing bronze were junior Davis Oster in the 200 individual medley (2:06.52) and 100 butterfly (55.80); sophomore Sam Eckert in the 50 freestyle (22.76); and freshman Griffin Baker in the 500 freestyle (5:00.96).
Others earning regional berths were 4, Baker, 200 freestyle, 1:48.09; 4, freshman Jordan Smith, 100 backstroke, 57.30; 5, Eckert, 100 freestyle, 51.14; and 6, Smith, 200 freestyle, 1:55.93; 6, junior Cole Cargile, 50 freestyle (23.62); and 6, freshman Ryan Cleveland, 100 freestyle, 52.47.
The 200 medley relay team consisted of Smith, Moncrief-Judd, Oster and Cargile. They had a time of 1:42.74, some six seconds better their than seed time.
In the 200 freestyle replay the Red Raiders had a time of 1:30.16. The relay included McCullough, Eckert, Fields and Baker.
Lee had a silver time of 3:20.46 in the 400 freestyle relay. Team members included Baker, McCullough, Eckert and Fields.
Other members of the Red Raiders competing were Thomas Pitonak, William Tanksley, Wesley Kirkpatrick, Chancelor Kirk, Carson Hammers and Markel York.