Imagine if you will, the West Virginia State Football Championship was scheduled this week on Wheeling Island.\u00a0 The games are played with student athletes that will continue their academic and athletic careers at Queens University, University of Kentucky, West Virginia University, Yale University, and Alabama University.\u00a0 Inside the stadium there would be standing room only, there would be a new round of sink the island comments.<\/p>\n
This very event will be occurring inside of West Virginia Natatorium during the 2023 WVSSAC State Swimming Championship this Thursday and Friday.\u00a0 Five young female student athletes that have defined the past 4 years of West Virginia high school swimming with personal best times, pool records, invitational records, conference records, and state records.\u00a0 Maddie Foster of Winfield will be swimming at traditional swimming powerhouse Queens University.\u00a0 Caroline Riggs of Morgantown has signed to swim at Yale University.\u00a0 Cadence Vincent of Buckhannon Upshur has signed to swim at Alabama University.\u00a0 Madi McGlothen from George Washington has signed to swim with the University of Kentucky.\u00a0 This talented group of swimmers and events that they are swimming was covered earlier in the week by Ohio Valley Athletics.<\/p>\n
The Ohio Valley will be represented at the 2023 WVSSAC by one of those student athletes, Victoria Kidney from John Marshall who has signed to swim at West Virginia University.\u00a0 Victoria was the girl on fire as Freshman winning the 2020 state championship in the 100 Back the week before all high school sports came crashing to a halt.\u00a0 Through the next two years COVID closed down pools and schools.\u00a0 Practice time became a rare commodity, that many high school swimmers could not find time in the water.\u00a0 Times suffered through the next couple years as Victoria spent the next 2 state championships battling against the other four swimmers for domination of the pool.\u00a0 Welcome to Victoria\u2019s senior year and she is swimming better than she ever has.\u00a0 She has not backed down from any competition in the pool.\u00a0 At the OVAC Championship, she swam against a tough competitor that had out touched her a season ago.\u00a0 Earlier in the season, Victoria wanted John Marshall\u2019s record in the 100 Breast, she swam the 100 Breast until she posted that record time. Victoria has had a fantastic Senior season and is looking to add an additional State Championships to her name in the 100 Fly and 100 Back.<\/p>\n
Another swimmer coming from the Ohio Valley that had an exciting past week and is looking to bring her best swim of the year at states is Wheeling Park senior, Lacie Langmyer.\u00a0 Lacie started this past week securing first place at Regionals in the 500 Free and finished the week signing her commitment letter to swim at Division 1 Long Island University.\u00a0 She is the highest seeded swimmer from Wheeling Park competing in the 500 Free and the 200 Free at the state championship.\u00a0 She is joined by junior Abby Heilman who finished with two 2nd place swims at Regionals, and will be swimming the 200 IM and the 100 Breast. \u00a0Rounding out the Lady Patriot contingency is senior Ava Sunseri in the 100 Fly and 100 Breast. Freshman Molly George who is swimming the 200 IM and 100 Back at her first WV State Championship.\u00a0 Both Abby and Ava will be participating in the 100 Breast that is already won by Caroline Riggs, but the battle for 2-10 can be very interesting.\u00a0 Several swimmers within a half second of each other.<\/p>\n
Circling back to John Marshall, Victoria Kidney will be joined by sophomore Matlyn Miller in the 50 and 100 Free; senior, Sierra Taylor in the 200 Free.\u00a0 Matlyn could be a swimmer to look out for, her times were off at Regionals, but the events participating in the 50 Free and 100 Free are always often left to a swimmer that is having a great day.<\/p>\n
Wheeling Central is led by senior Abie Riedel in the 100 Breast and 200 Free and junior JulieAnne Humpee in the 200 IM and 100 Back.\u00a0 Abie is another swimmer that could break through a pack of swimmers in the 100 Breast and medal at states.<\/p>\n
Brooke Lady Bruins are led by freshman Faith Farrell fresh off her victory in the 50 Free at Regionals.\u00a0 Faith will also swim in the 100 Free.\u00a0 She will be joined by a strong Bruin contingent of junior Ella McCullough 200 Free and 100 Free; sophmore, Lyla Horvath 200 IM and 500 Free; junior, Ava Estada 100 Free; junior, Ella Dietrich in the 100 Back; junior, Hayli Yost in the 500 Free.\u00a0 This contingency also forms a potent 200 Free and 400 Free relay team.\u00a0 This relay team is going to shock some teams in Morgantown and their future looks promising.<\/p>\n
On the boys side of the state events, the valley is led by the contingency of 6 swimmers from Wheeling Park, and that contingency is led by sophomore Levi Parker.\u00a0 Levi is relatively new to swimming having taken up the competitive sport as a freshman.\u00a0 He has the athleticism and drive to become one of the better swimmers in the valley.\u00a0 Levi will be swimming the 200 and 500 Free.\u00a0 Wheeling Park has a full squad of young talented swimmers.\u00a0 Also attending states is junior Jackson Kiminski in the 200 IM and 100 Breast; freshman Nathan LaMagna also swimming the 200 IM and 100 Breast; Freshman Malachi Smith in the 50 & 100 Free; Freshman Brady Bowie 50 & 100 Free; and the final representative in junior Robert Metz\u00a0 in the 100 Fly.<\/p>\n
Wheeling Central High School will be represented by junior Joseph Secrist 200 and 500 Free; senior Chaz Frizell 200 IM and the 100 Fly; and junior Garrett Czapp 200 IM and 100 Breast<\/p>\n
Rounding out the representatives from the valley include Sophomore Ryan Owen, from Weir, swimming the 500 Free.\u00a0 Sophomore Henry Anderson, from Brooke, swimming the 100 Back. Freshman Wyatt Jefferson, from John Marshall, swimming the 100 Breast.<\/p>\n
Not be be remised, we wouldn’t want to leave off the talent in the boys side as well and where they are going – Bradley Boyd is off to UK, Preston Bennett is off to WVU, and Matthew Smith is off to Florida Tech- Abe Bias will continue his career at Fairmont state to name a few of the talented boys you will see in action.<\/p>\n
Bradley, Preston and Matthew all hold individual state championships in 500, 200 free and 100 Breast between the 3 of them. Bradley won 500 free as freshman with Matthew finishing second and preston 3rd that year. Preston won the 200 free last year and Matthew won the 100 breast last year.<\/p>\n
The first dive of prelim races will break the water at 9:45 AM Thursday morning with the first state champions crowned in the evening finals.\u00a0 Hoping for safe journeys, good health, and fast swim times to all area swimmers participating at the 2023 WVSSAC Swimming Championship this week.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Article compliments of: Kevin Heilman<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Imagine if you will, the West Virginia State Football Championship was scheduled this week on Wheeling Island.\u00a0 The games are played with student athletes that will continue their academic and athletic careers at Queens University, University of Kentucky, West Virginia University, Yale University, and Alabama University.\u00a0 Inside the stadium there would be standing room only, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-high-school"],"yoast_head":"\n