Invitational on Saturday.
William Byrd senior Khalil Fonder took first place and set new meet records in two events at the All-Timesland Invitational Swim Meet at the Gator Center in Roanoke Saturday. The event is the largest local meet of the high school season, with 359 swimmers from 21 different schools competing.
Fonder’s performance was good for an eighth place finish by William Byrd in the team standings. The Albemarle boys won the title, followed by Hidden Valley, Patrick Henry and Salem.
Khalil set new William Byrd High School and All-Timesland meet records with his time in the 50 Free. He swam in 21.45 to break his own Byrd record of 21.72, set in 2016, and that also broke the meet record of 22.08, which Fonder set last year.
In the 100 Butterfly Fonder swam a time of 51.12 to set a new meet record. That record, set by William Byrd grad Todd McGraw in 2008, was formerly 51.34.
The Byrd women were seventh in the team standings as Patrick Henry won the team title, followed by Albemarle, Lord Botetourt and a tie between Salem and Hidden Valley for fourth place.
The girls 200 Medley Relay team of Chelie Plaster, Madison Horacek, Liah Davis and Laura Schneider took fifth place and made the state cut. The 200 Freestyle Relay also made the state cut with a sixth place finish, with team members Abbey Murtaugh, Horacek, Schneider and Plaster.
Individually, Plaster took a fourth in the 100 Back and a fifth in the 200 Free. Murtaugh was sixth in both the 200 Free and 100 Fly and Horacek took eighth in the 100 Back and 100 Breast.
to right are Laura Schneider, Madison Horacek, Chelie Plaster and Abbey Murtaught. SUBMITTED PHOTOS
“We had 14 swimmers in prelims and six swimmers at finals at night,” said coach Krista Martin. “The energy at finals was fantastic. There were some very exciting close races.”
The Terriers were right back in the water Tuesday to swim against Alleghany, Staunton River and Brookville at the Salem YMCA. The Byrd girls swept the competition and the boys were third despite having only three swimmers competing, as Fonder won the 50 and 200 Free events.
First places for the girls included Murtaugh in the 200 Free, Horacek in the 200 IM and 100 Breast, Plaster in the 50 Free and 100 Fly and botht the 200 Medley and Freestyle relay teams.
“It’s tough to swim best times when we are doing so many back to back meets but the swimmers are really rising to the occasion and showing up each time to do their best,” said Martin.
Byrd is back in action this Friday at the Salem YMCA for the Blue Ridge District meet.
