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2022 Class 5 Swimming: Albemarle girls finish state-runner up, Cross wins two state titles

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It’s no easy task to make some noise at the Class 5 State Swimming and Diving Championships, with some of the state’s top programs in the mix. 

 

Albemarle’s girls and boys squads were up to the task in 2022. 

 

The Patriots’ girls took second place with 259 points behind state champion First Colonial’s 297 points while the Albemarle boys took fourth overall with 180 points behind title-winner Mills Godwin’s 302 points with Teddy Cross’ huge day powering Albemarle.

 

The Albemarle girls got a huge boost from a state event title run in the 200 medley relay, with Grey Davis, Cameron Smith, Rachel Murray and Avery Huang combining for the win. Several of those swimmers also went on to big nights individually to bolster the Patriots’ team effort. Davis took state runner-up finishes in both the 200 IM and 100 backstroke while also taking on a leg of the fourth place 400 free relay squad. Smith took sixth in the 200 IM and ninth in the 100 breaststroke and also swam on the fourth place 400 relay. Huang took fifth in the 100 fly and swam on the other two relays, the 200 free and 400 free that took fifth and fourth respectively. 

 

From there, the Patriots’ depth took over. Sara Wells took 10th in the 500 free and 12th in the 200 free, Melissa Alms took ninth in the 500 free and 13th in the 200 free while also swimming on the fourth place 400 relay. Sophia Yu took ninth in the 100 fly and Eve Czirjak took fourth in the 100 breaststroke. Murray also swam on the fifth place 200 free relay along with Maddie Wells. 

 

The Patriots also got big points out of diving with Meredith Stilley taking second, Tara Vinzant fifth and Natalie Yale took seventh in the dive. 

 

The Patriots’ boys leaned on Cross, who threw up a huge effort with individual titles in the 100 backstroke and in the 50 freestyle with a time of 20.87 seconds. He also swam on the Patriots’ second place 200 medley relay team and on the 400-free relay team that took fourth place. 

 

David King also had a monster effort with a runner-up finish in the 200 free and sixth in the 500 free while also swimming on the 400 free relay and the eighth place 200 free relay. 

 

Lance Elmore took third in the 50 free, swam on the 200 medley relay and the 400 free relay. Josh Hodges took eighth in the 100 breaststroke and swam on the 200 medley relay and 200 free relay. Tanner Kidd took 10th in the backstroke and swam on both the 200 free relay and 400 free relay. Luke Velasquez swam on both the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays. 

 

 

 

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