By By EDWIN MODLIN II
edwin@wdnweb.com
Staff Writer
The Pam Pack swim team put up a good fight Saturday morning against the Patriots and Cougars.
The girls team took top honors, as the boys team came in just short of taking home first place as well.
Washington High School hosted a swim meet at the Susie Gray McConnell Sports Complex.
WHS faced off against West Carteret and Croatan high schools for another winter swim meet.
Head Swim Coach Spencer Pake said he was proud of both the boys and the girls teams.
“I’m really pleased with them so far this year,” he said. “We have a conference meet coming up. There are some things we need to work on, but we’ll get there.”
Chandler Beach placed first in the girls 500-yard freestyle with a 5:58.15 lead time, nearly 40 full seconds in front of Croatan’s second place.
“I’m proud of everybody today,” Pake said. “The boys just fell short of a victory. It was hard today. It’s a tough competition.”
Pake added all three teams have several swimmers, so it was a packed house at the McConnell Sports Complex.
“With all these swimmers, it’s very competitive,” he said.
Pake added that the only team to have defeated the girls team this year has been the New Bern squad.
“They’re a 4A school and we’re a 3A school,” he said, “so I’m very proud of them. They come out week by week and perform well.”
The WHS girls team — Kaitlyn Richards, Emily Pfeiffer, Jessica Penhollow and Riziki Omonde — took an easy first place as they came in nearly 15 full seconds before Croatan’s second-place standing with a 2:01.89 time in the girls 200-yard medley relay.
The boys team placed second with a 1:59.11 time.
Though the boys placed second, the Pam Pack’s Brandon Niederhauser took first place in every competition he entered, except the boys 400-yard freestyle relay where they came in second place, less than two seconds behind West Carteret.
Bobby Bittner, of WCHS, was the fastest for the boys as he lead the way in the heat, giving the Patriots a huge lead of nearly one lap. However, as Niederhauser anchored for the Pam Pack, he leapt off the block like a panther, and swam like a shark going for its prey. He sped through the water to catch up to the Patriots, William Fowler, giving the Pam Pack a second place standing of 3:36.42. WCHS had a winning time of 3:34.59.
The Conference Championship Meet is in New Bern, Wednesday, Jan. 26.
Swim Meet WHS stats:
Girls 200 Yard Medley Relay
1-WHS – 2:01.89
Boys 200 Yard Medley Relay
2-WHS – 1:59.92
Girls 200 Yard Freestyle
1-WHS, Riziki Omonde
2-WHS, Kaitlyn Richards
Boys 200 Yard Freestyle
2-WHS, Luke Harris
Girls 200 Yard IM
1-WHS, Emily Pfeiffer
2-WHS, Chandler Beach
Boys 200 Yard IM
2-WHS, Charles Pfeiffer
Girls 50 Yard Freestyle
1-WHS, Jessica Penhollow
Boys 50 Yard Freestyle
1-WHS, Brandon Niederhauser
Girls 100 Yard Butterfly
1-WHS, Emily Pfeiffer
2-WHS, Riziki Omonde
Boys 100 Yard Butterfly
3-WHS, York Winstead
Girls 100 Yard Freestyle
1-WHS, Jessica Penhollow
Boys 100 Yard Freestyle
1-WHS, Brandon Niederhauser
Girls 500 Yard Freestyle
1-WHS, Chandler Beach
Boys 500 Yard Freestyle
2-WHS, Luke Harris
Girls 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
3-WHS, Chandler Beach, Ali Amaxopulos, Rachel Thompson, Jessica Penhollow
Boys 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
1-WHS, James Martin, Robert Sandy, Luke Harris, Brandon Niederhauser
Girls 100 Yard Backstroke
1-WHS, Kaitlyn Richards
Boys 100 Yard Backstroke
1-WHS, Charles Pfeiffer
Girls 100 Yard Breaststroke
1-WHS, Michaela Daniels
Boys 100 Yard Breaststroke
4-WHS, Daniel Crozier
Girls 400 Yard Freestyle Relay
1-WHS, Riziki Omonde, Kaitlyn Richards, Chandler Beach, Emily Pfeiffer
Boys 400 Yard Freestyle Relay
2-WHS, Charles Pfeiffer, Robert Sandy, Luke Harris, Brandon Niederhauser