LAURINBURG — Another Richmond Senior High School program got its winter season started Wednesday as the Lady Raider swimming team competed for the first time.
Competing in a Sandhills Athletic Conference meet at St. Andrews University, the Lady Raiders earned a fifth-place mark out of six teams.
Richmond notched 55 points across five different events, finishing well ahead of sixth-place Southern Lee High School (19 points).
Winning the meet was Union Pines High School (291 points), followed by Pinecrest (267 points), Pine Forest (209 points) and Scotland (117 points) high schools. All were SAC programs with the exception of Pine Forest.
Helping coach the team for the first time, head coach Ashleigh Buie said the Lady Raiders rose to the occasion of trying new events.
“We have a good mixture of returning and new swimmers this season and all of them were willing to try new events,” Buie said. “I’m proud of all of them because that’s not an easy task. Swimming is extremely exhausting and the girls did a great job of remaining competitive.
“Our goal this season is to improve our times and get better. This was a great starting point and we were able to see where we are in different events and how we can improve.”
Like the Raiders’ swim team, the Lady Raiders picked up most of their points in the single relay race they competed in. With four swimmers — juniors Jada Scott and Jamison Hubbard, sophomore Natalie Richardson and senior Alivia Webb — Richmond placed fifth and notched 20 points.
As a team, the Lady Raiders recorded a final time of 2:29.69. Individual legs, in order, were Scott (42.91 seconds), Hubbard (37.43 seconds), Webb (35.71 seconds) and Richardson (33.64 seconds).
Five swimmers also racked up individual points in several other events. Senior Nelly Cadena had a team-high 10 points with her fifth-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle (2:51.49), her first career attempt at the longer distance race.
Hubbard, who returned to the team after a year away, notched nine points in the open 50-yard freestyle. She clocked in at 33.70 seconds, good enough for seventh overall.
Richardson added five points in the 100-yard backstroke, also a new event for the sophomore swimmer. With a time of 1:34.39, she took eighth in the race.
Sophomore Lillian Hill and Webb each secured four individual points in separate events. Making her high school debut, Hill swam the 100-yard freestyle, taking 10th with a time of 1:30.99.
Adding to her repertoire of events, Webb competed in the 100-yard backstroke for the first time. She was ninth overall with a time of 1:46.44.
The Lady Raiders’ final three points came courtesy of Scott, a first-year swimmer, who placed 11th in the 100-yard freestyle. Her final time was 1:57.97.
Swimming in exhibition heats were seniors Lilly Stubbs (50-yard freestyle) and Mascha Theijs (100-yard backstroke), and sophomore Sulleigh Bruce (200-yard freestyle).
The Lady Raiders will return to competition after the Thanksgiving holiday and swim again Dec. 5 at St. Andrews. The first races are scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
PHOTOS: Click here to view photos of the Lady Raiders’ first meet of the season.
