The Galion swimming team finished strong in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference swim meet championship on Saturday.
The Tigers won with 376 points, while the Lady Tigers were the runner up with 334 points for a combined total of 710 points.
Marion Pleasant had the highest combined score with 720 points, with its girls winning with 422 points.
“I was proud of the swimmers. They swam some of their best times in the season. The men’s team fought hard to win their Championship,” said Galion head swim coach Ted Temple said. “I am especially proud of our first year swimmers who came through scoring points to help their team. I feel a lot of the swimmers learned how to race in the meet.”
Galion’s boys won 9 of the 11 events, including all of the relay events. Taking first individually were Sam Rigdon (100-yard freestyle, 200 IM), Eli Skaggs (50 free, 100 butterfly), Clay Karnes (500 free), Luke Eisenaugle (100 backstroke).
The atmosphere intensified for the final event, the boys’ 400 free relay as the Galion team of Landon Rose, Lucas Conner, Eisenaugle and Karnes narrowly out swim Marion Pleasant by less than a second (3:48.97).
“I’m definitely relieved,” Karnes said. “It was definitely a fight to the end.”
Alllison DeNero took second in the 100 butterfly with a season best time of 1:05.74, while Sari Conner took 3rd in the 100 breaststroke in a season best 1:24.66. Ashleigh Wright had a season best time of 2:42.56 in the 200 freestyle placing 5th.
The Lady Tigers came in second in all three relay events, while Bri Wallis led the team after winning the 500 free in 5:56.79, a season best time by 11 seconds.
“We were hoping to win,” Wallis said. “It was a long shot, it was a chance. But I’m still excited we got second.”
Wallis started the 500 this year.
Galion will wrap up its regular season with a meet against Marion Harding and Wynford today.
“We are now getting ready for the Championship season with Sectionals first, and getting swimmers into the District meet,” Temple said.
