WHS relay

teams headed to state
From staff reports
CHARLOTTE — Watauga will be represented in the state swim meet this Saturday. Three boys relay teams made sure of that in the Western Regionals held at the uptown Mecklenburg Aquatic Center last Saturday.

Watauga’s 200-yard relay team of Jonathan Edwards, Konrad Kosmala, Minori Ohashi and William Rayner finished with a school-record time of 1:33.03. It was good enough for third place in the regional and it got the Pioneers to the state meet, which is in Chapel Hill.

The same four swimmers finished tied for fifth in the 400 relay with a time of 3:27.33. They also finished eighth in the 200 medley relay with a 1:46.91, good enough for eighth place. The top eight finishers in each final advanced to the state meet.

Rayner has the potential to be plenty busy this Saturday. He advanced to the state meet in the 100 backstroke. His time of 56.61 was good for sixth place in the meet.

“I had high hopes,” Watauga coach David Gragg said. “I thought the relays would be close. I didn’t think some of the times would be as good. I knew William had a chance in the backstroke.”

Overall, Watauga finished eighth in the team competition.

North Mecklenburg was first, followed by Providence, South Mecklenburg, Myers Park and Weddington.

Watauga was the highest finisher that was not from the Charlotte Metro Area. Fellow Northwestern 4-A Conference member East Burke was 10th overall.

Gragg knew that the Charlotte teams would be tough to overcome.

“With the pool facilities they have and the numbers they draw from, they would be good,” Gragg said. “Some of their kids train 15 hours a way, while some of my kids maybe get five.”

Several Pioneers made it to the regional final, but fell short of advancing to the state meet. Edwards made the final of the 200 freestyle, but scratched so he could focus on the relays.

Alden Mast reached the 500, where he finished 16th overall. Trevon Jensen was 16th in the 100 breaststroke and Ohashi was 14th in the 100 butterfly. Kosmala was 12th in the 100 freestyle.

Watauga’s girls’ 400 relay team of Crystal Tsang, Ingrid Forsyth, Elizabeth Brewer and Mallie Billing finished 13th overall with a time of 4:19.69, while the same group was 19th in the 200 medley relay with a time of 2:14.99. The Pioneers’ 200 freestyle relay team of Laiken Williams, Forsyth, Tsang and Billing was 21st overall and Brewer was 23rd in the 100 backstroke.

“They swam really well in the 400,” Gragg said. “A lot of the girls had their best times individually.”