Looking back at swimming sectionals and a state preview

Published 11:41 am Tuesday, December 6, 2016

By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

Shelby County high schools did extremely well at the 2016 swimming and diving sectionals held at the Birmingham CrossPlex facility.

Westminster Oak Mountain had a strong showing at sectionals as its girls’ team won the 1A-5A sectional and the boys’ team finished second in the 1A-5A sectionals. The Briarwood Lions were the only team better than the Knights in the guy’s 1A-5A division.

Briarwood’s Sadler McKeen, a Notre Dame recruit, broke the state record in the 500 freestyle at the event and is the top seed in both the 200 and 500 freestyle at the state championship.

In the 6A-7A division, the Spain Park boys were runner-ups behind Auburn High School, while the Spain Park girls placed third behind Hoover, second, and Auburn, first.

Rachel Cunningham from the Jags girls’ team is the top seed in the 100-yard breaststroke and the No. 2 seed in the 200-yard individual medley at state.

Other names and teams to watch at the state championship are as follows:

Oak Mountain’s Haley Burt in the 50 and 100 free.

Indian Springs’ Carson Desocio in the 50 and 100 free, and Mia Karle in the 500 free.

Briarwood’s Mason Mathias in the 200 and 500 free, and the Lions’ team in the 200 and 400 free relays.

Wesminster’s Olivia Brookins in Diving, Sarah Stephenson in the 200 individual medley and 100 free, Campbell Lemons in the 500 free and 100 back, and both the girls’ and boys’ team in the medley and 400 free relays.

Spain Park’s girls in the medley and 400 free relays, Ward Lockhart in the 500 free and Zachary El-Fallah in diving.