Submitted photo
The Elkins High School girls begin defense of their state title today at Mylan Park Aquatic Center in Morgantown.
MORGANTOWN — The Elkins High School girls begin defense of their state title today at Mylan Park Aquatic Center.
The Lady Tigers haven’t rested on last year’s success, capturing both the Big 10 Conference and regional titles.
They enter the two-day meet again as one of the favorites, behind a dominant group of relay units.
The 200-medley (freshman Aleah Irons, junior Emma Ujvagi and sophomores Lilly Irons and Lilly Anger), the 200 freestyle (Ujvagi, sophomore Leah Ours, Aleah Irons and Anger) and the 400 freestyle (Lilly Irons, sophomore Sophia Rhodes, Ours and Anger) all enter states with the fastest seed times.
Individually, the Lady Tigers are also among the top of the list.
Lilly Irons is the top seed in the 100 freestyle (54.26) and fifth in the 200 freestyle (2:01.79), Ujvagi is seeded second in the 200 IM (2:20.34) and third in the 100 breaststroke (1:12.70), Anger is second in the 50 freestyle (25.33) and Aleah Irons fourth in the 100 butterfly (1:04.66).
Ours (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle), Rhodes (100 freestyle, 100 backstroke), Raighan Carte Hall (500 freestyle) and Aleah Irons (100 breaststroke) round out the state qualifiers.
Freshman Aubrey Shay (200 IM, 500 freestyle), junior Mallory Hughes (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle) and the 200 and 400 freestyle relays (Aubrey Shay, senior Samantha Shay, freshman Lena Rose Walker and Hughes) will represent Buckhannon-Upshur.
Competing for Philip Barbour will be the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams (freshman Taylor McKinsey, sophomore Kendra Stalnaker, sophomore Bekha Kennedy and senior MacKenna Halfin) and Halfin (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle).
Halfin is seeded third in the 50 freestyle (25.68).
Action gets underway at 9:45 a.m. today with the preliminaries in the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly and 100 freestyle. The finals are set to begin at 4:45 p.m.
On Friday, the entries in the 500 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke and 400 freestyle relay take to the pool at 9:45 a.m. for the preliminaries and return at 4:45 p.m. for the start of the finals.