Over the weekend, Owensboro Health HealthPark hosted the 2nd Region swim tournament, where the local schools held their own and will be sending multiple of their athletes to semi-state.
For Daviess County, the girls’ 200 freestyle relay team of Alaina Mason, Ryleigh Bevil, Grace Bullock, and Ellie Girten finished first. Their 200 freestyle relay team finished second, while their 400 freestyle relay team placed eighth. The boys 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle, and 200 medley relay teams finished third, fourth, and eighth.
In the individual races, Bevil was the Regional Champion in both the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke, while Girten finished second in 50 and 100 freestyle. Mason finished fourth in both 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke, while Caleb Sosh finished fifth in 100 breaststroke and seventh in 200 IM.
Daviess County had seven swimmers advance as individuals to semi-state including Mason, Bevil, Bullock, Girten, Mack Burton, Sosh, and Caden Embry. Multiple of their relay teams advanced as well.
“I am ecstatic about how my team performed,” Daviess County coach Megan Bevil said. “We have seven kids moving forward to semi-state in their individual events, which is an improvement from last year. All of my relays dropped time and four are moving forward to semi-state. Our girls’ 200 freestyle relay took first place and that was a very exciting experience. I’m looking forward to putting the work in over the next two weeks with these kids and seeing what they can do.”
Earlier in the week, Owensboro’s Georgia Warren finished first in Louisville at the Region 2 diving tournament.
“Coach Don Clark deserves all the credit for our area divers consistently doing well year after year,” Owensboro swim coach Sean Jackson said.
Carrying her momentum into the swimming tournament, Ethan Lippert was close to breaking two school records in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke. Lippert, Lucy Whitaker, Max Baur, Wade Harper, Dakota Joachin, Camden Johnson, Sammy Johnson, Nash Miller, Dawson Strobel, and Michael Swift all advanced to semi-state.
“I am proud of our program as a whole,” Jackson said. “Coach Wendy Warren and all of our parents go above and beyond to plan, time, officiate, and shuttle kids to make this team possible. It has been a privilege watching our athletes discover new depths to their performance as they master new skills.”
For Owensboro Catholic, the boys’ 200 medley relay team of Miller Bowman, Vince Coyne, Parker Hayden, and ZJ McDole advanced to semi-state. Bowman also advanced and will be competing in 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke. Vince Coyne will also be competing in the 100 breaststroke, while Bellah Bowman will be competing in the 100 freestyle.
“I’m incredibly impressed and proud of how the Catholic swim team performed this weekend,” Owensboro Catholic head coach Sam Howard said. “We had lots of dropped times, and I loved everyone’s attitude and effort.”
Apollo’s Emmitt Brock qualified for semi-state in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly. He will be joined at semi-state by the boys’ 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay teams, and girls’ diver Olivia Esposito.
“Overall, I am very satisfied with our performance,” Apollo coach Kevin Peveler. “Every swimmer set a personal best time in their events. We had a large number of new swimmers this year and they outperformed my expectations.”
