The mighty Pioneer boys’ swimming and diving team visited rival Skyline on Feb. 6 for an SEC showdown featuring a couple of state powerhouses. Pioneer swam off with a 134-50 win over the Eagles in a meet that featured plenty of close races and a pool full of impressive times.
The Pioneer foursome of Charles Knoepp, Edward Zhang, Mihaly Flautner and Henry Baumhover took first in the medley relay with a time of 1:40.20. Pioneer’s team of Cam Kline, Elijah Alemeida, Alexander Heberlein and Brighton Han took second in 1:40.55. Skyline’s team of Owen McKelvey, Aidan Mazza, Wesley Jenkins and Marlowe Hartnett took third in 1:50.33.
Zhang jumped right back into the pool and won the 200 free in 1:42.89. Skyline sophomore Robby Shannon was second (1:51.59) and Pioneer’s Vaughn Boutell was third (1:52.03).
Zhang apparently didn’t want to get out of the pool. The junior raced again in the 200 IM and touched first in 2:00.54. That’s three wins in a row for Zhang. Almeida took second (2:01.82) and Kline was third (2:04.01) as Pioneer took the top three spots. Skyline’s Wesley Jenkins was fourth (2:16.39).
In an extremely close race in the 50 free, Pioneer’s Baumhover was first (21.60) and Skyline’s McKelvey was second (21.63). Pioneer’s Brodie Campbell was third in 24.31.
Skyline junior Stuart Knight won diving with 277.80 points. Pioneer’s Asher Morgan was second (229.12) and teammate Jules Ruelle was third (116.18).
Knoepp led a Pioneer sweep in the butterfly with his first-place time of 53.98. Heberlein was second (58.25) and Mihaly Flautner was third (1:04.26).
Skyline sophomore Robby Shannon won the 100 free in 49.24. Almeida was second for Pioneer (49.66) and Han took third (49.77).
Pioneer junior Benjamin Worden won the 500 free in 5:03.09 with teammates Ryan Zhu (5:09.45) and second and Daniel Weinberg was third (5:20.75).
Pioneer’s team of Han, Boutell, Almeida and Zhang won the 200 free relay in 1:31.2. Skyline’s team of Connor Zillich, Robby Shannon, Wesley Jenkins and Evan Pokryfke was second in 1:37.18.
McKelvey won the backstroke for Skyline in 50.10. Baumhover was second (54.15) and Kline third (54.42) for the Pioneers.
Pioneer swept the breaststroke with Han first (1:04.14), Brodie Campbell second (1:07.31) and Kai Whitacre was third (1:14.29).
In the 400 free relay, the Pioneer team of Boutell, Heberlein, Zhu and Baumhover took first in 3:23.77. Pioneer’s foursome of Henry Colvig, Isak Woods, Kline and Knoepp was second in 3:27.51. Skyline’s team of McKelvey, Hartnett, Zillich and Robby Shannon took third in 3:35.83.
Picture: Skyline boys swimming and diving team.
