Sports & Recreation
Ocean City Today Feb. 25, 2022
Page 46
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Decatur to send eight girls, four boys to states By Lisa Capitelli Managing Editor (Feb. 25, 2022) Eight girls and four boys will represent Stephen Decatur in the MPSSAA 3A-2A-1A state swim meet this Saturday at University of Maryland Eppley Recreation Center. The swimmers advanced to the state championship because of their performances during the Feb. 19, 3A-2A-1A East Region competition at the Anne Steve Deakyne Arundel Swim Center. The top three in each event automatically qualified for states. The individuals and relay teams with the next 12 best times statewide also advanced. Kristina Watts The Decatur girls’ team finished in second place overall with 324 points. Easton won the regional meet with a score of 368.5 points. Kent Island placed third with 295 points. “The girls got mostly best times and if they weren’t best times they were really close,” said Decatur Coach Kristina Watts. “It was really exciting when we heard that [we came in second] because my freshman year we got third, so moving up to second was pretty awesome,” said junior captain Natalie Canham. Canham was part of the 200-yard freestyle relay team that came in first place and earned a regional title (1:47.12). She swam the first leg of the race. “I was able to get a really good start and get us off to a pretty good lead,” she said. “It’s so exciting to go to states for that [event]. I went to states for my freshman year relay so getting to do it again is just so much fun, and the people that are in my relay are just so nice and so kind, and obviously so fast.” Also members of the 200-yard freestyle relay team were senior captain Sierra Wakefield, junior Kayden Hamby and sophomore Trista Harner. “It was pretty great to win. I just remember I kept looking at the water and then back at the time board waiting for either them to touch or the
LISA CAPITELLI/OCEAN CITY TODAY
Eight girls and four boys will represent Stephen Decatur in the MPSSAA 3A-2A-1A state swim meet this Saturday at University of Maryland Eppley Recreation Center.
time board to light up,” Wakefield said. “It’s really cool this being my first regionals and being part of a relay team that got first.” Canham will compete in three other events at states. She took second in the 200IM (2:22.43) and third in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:13.21) at regionals. Canham, Wakefield, Hamby and Harner will also compete at states in the 400-yard freestyle relay race. They finished in second place at regionals (3:57.51). “I think I did really well. I got a best time for my 100 breaststroke, which I haven’t beaten in like three months, so that was really exciting for me,” Canham said. “My 200IM was pretty good too, not my best, but still pretty good. Overall, I was pretty happy about it.” Canham went to states her freshman year. There was no swim season last year because of covid. “I’m excited and nervous. It’s a surreal experience,” she said. Her main goal is to place top five in the 100-yard breaststroke. In addition to the two relay events, Wakefield will compete in 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly at states. She took second in both the 200 free (2:09.65) and 100 fly (1:03:16) at regionals. “I think I did pretty good. I’m pretty happy,” she said. “The people that I went up against who got first, they both deserved it and did really well. It wasn’t the first time swam against them. It was cool to watch
their times improve as well as my own.” Her main goal for states is to swim the butterfly event in one minute flat, or faster. “I’m so close and I really just want to get it down to that double zero. That would be really great if I can do that,” she said. In addition to the relays, Harner and Hamby will swim in two individual races each. Harner finished in second place in both the 50-yard freestyle (25.76 seconds) and 100-yard freestyle (56.96 seconds) at regionals. Hamby took third in the 100-yard butterfly (1:07.82) to automatically advance to states. Her time of 27.17 seconds (sixth place) in the 50-yard freestyle was good enough to send her to states. The 200-yard medley relay team of sophomore Katie Mitchell, freshman Vienna Williams and juniors Emma Coyman and captain Katelyn Pizlo finished in fifth place, but their time of 2:07.68 qualified them for state. Pizlo is unable to attend the state meet so freshman Molly Hoffman will take her place. Coyman will also swim in the 200IM at states. Her time of 2:36.42 (eighth place) advanced her to the championship meet. The Decatur boys’ team came in sixth place overall at regionals, scoring 195 points. “The boys did great. We got some wins, and everyone pretty much
swam their best times,” said Decatur Coach Steve Deakyne. Two swimmers earned regional titles in their races. Junior captain Gavin Stearn won the 50-yard freestyle (22.08 seconds) and 100-yard freestyle (48.67 seconds). “I got a personal best in the 50, so that was good. The 100 I was just holding my time, so that was also good. It was pretty close,” he said. “I was out for the week before and I got two days in of swimming, so I think I did pretty good. It’s exciting to bring that back [two regional titles] for Decatur. I’m trying to go out for a state title, maybe two.” Stearn, who is making his second state appearance, said his goal is to get under 22 seconds in the 50 free. “I’m very nervous. The times are very close in my events because all those top seedings are like .0-something off. They will be all very close races,” he said. Sophomore Daniel Karcheuski won the 200IM (2:06.95). He placed second in the 100-yard butterfly (54.59 seconds). “I was pretty surprised by my results. I wasn’t expecting to do as well, but I’ve been putting in the work this season and I’m definitely proud of how I did,” he said. “It didn’t matter whether I won, just the fact that I saw that I got better over the season, that I improved. I’m really proud of how I’ve been getting a lot stronger, a lot faster, a lot more coordinated. WorkSee SD Page 47