Feb. 10 Swimming roundup

Fri. February 10, 2012 at 11:00 p.m. | By Contributed Story

Baird claims state title

West Davidson’s Grace Baird kept up the family tradition, rolling to an easy victory in the 500 free at the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 1-A/2-A championships in Cary on Friday.

Baird’s time of 5:12.52 was 12 seconds faster than the nearest competitor. Her victory comes two years after her sister, Kelly Ann, won the 500 free state title.

Grace Baird also finished third in the 200 free.

West'ss girls 200 medley relay team of Taylor Koontz, Taylor Blankenship, Katherine Fletcher and Grace Baird finished sixth

In the boys’ 200 medley relay, Lexington’s Cole Riggan, Adam Wetherell, Griffin Gray and Patrick Dezego finished sixth, one spot ahead of Central Davidson’s Lucas Rhodes, Jonathan Hench, Connor Sturgill and Logan Hammond.

Also in the girls’ 200 free, West Davidson’s Katherine Fletcher finished 11th. Fletcher placed eighth in the 500 free.

Lexington’s Wetherell finished seventh in the boys’ 200 free, and Central’s Rhodes was ninth and Sturgill 13th.

South Davidson’s Haylie Moore was 15th in the 200 IM and 11th in the 500 free.

Riggan placed second in the boys’ 200 IM, and West Davidson’s Garrett Spake was seventh and Job Spake 13th. Garrett Spake placed third in the 500 free, and Lucas Rhodes was right behind him in fourth. West’s Braxton Baird finished ninth in the 500 free. Job Spake also notched a 14th place finish in the 100 breast.

East Davidson’s Marina Moore placed fourth in the girls’ 50 free and 15th in the 100 free.

Hammond came in 12th in the 50 free, and Sturgill placed 13th in the 100 butterfly. Central’s Adam Amende, Sturgill, Rhodes and Hammond placed fifth in the 200 free relay. Lexington’s Gray, Dezego, Riggan and Wetherell were ninth in the 200 free relay.

Riggan was fourth in the 100 back, and Wetherell finished third in the 100 breast.

Taylor Koonts, Taylor Blankenship, Fletcher and Baird finished 10th for West in the girls’ 400 free relay. And for West’s boys, Lee Payne, Baird, Job Spake and Garrett Spake finished 12th in the 400 free relay.

Raleigh Charter won the girls’ team title with 378 points. West Davidson was seventh. Carrboro won the boys’ title with 291.5 points. Lexington finished eighth, Central Davidson was ninth, and West Davidson 12th.