RAEFORD — When the pool shut down Thursday night, the Richmond Senior High School girls’ swimming team left with nine personal records or season-best times.
Back in the water for the first time since before winter break, the Lady Raiders finished fifth overall in the fourth Mid-South Conference meet of the season.
Held at the Leach Aquatic Center, Richmond secured seven individual PRs, one season-best time in a relay event and one individual season-best time.
The Lady Raiders recorded 170 points, their second highest total in four meets this season, and finished fifth overall.
Competing in three relays, it was the 400-yard freestyle team of senior Presely Dawkins, sophomore Hayden Chappell and freshmen Jasey Braddock and Alaya Rankin that recorded a new season-best time.
The four Lady Raiders completed the race in 6:24.85, nearly a full minute faster than their previous best two meets ago. That placed them sixth in the event for 26 points.
In the other two relay events – the 200-yard medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay – Richmond placed fifth both times for a combined 56 points.
The 200 medley relay featured junior Natalie Richardson (backstroke), senior Jada Scott (breaststroke), junior Lillian Hill (butterfly) and sophomore Bayden Bendell (freestyle). The four swimmers clocked in at 3:05.41.
Richardson, Hill, Braddock and Dawkins combined in the open 200-yard freestyle, finishing the race in 2:25.87, just 0.35 seconds off their fastest time this season.
In her two individual events, Richardson tied her personal record for most points scored in a meet with 25 points.
She placed seventh overall in the 200-yard freestyle with a PR time of 3:11.08 (12 points) and followed with a season-best time in the 100-yard backstroke (1:43.66), which was sixth overall for 13 points.
Dawkins and Rankin each secured double-digit points in one event each. Swimming the open 200 alongside Richardson, Dawkins set a new PR with a time of 3:01.37, placing her sixth for 13 points.
Rankin’s 12 points came in the 100-yard backstroke with a PR of 1:44.29, which was good for fifth place.
Scott and sophomore Kadence Sellers each tacked on nine points with a ninth-place finish apiece. Scott swam the 100-yard freestyle in 1:28.46 (PR) and Sellers also had a PR in the 50-yard freestyle (42.11 seconds).
Three other swimmers added individual points – Chappell, sophomore Annabelle Millen and freshman Autumn Cooper.
Cooper and Millen each placed 10th overall and recorded seven points each in the 100-yard breaststroke and 100-yard freestyle, respectively. Millen had a PR time of 1:35.25 and Cooper finished her race in 2:35.66.
Chappell added six points with an 11th-place time of 2:15.84 in the 100-yard breaststroke.
The Lady Raiders will return to the pool Jan. 22 for another MSC meet at the Leach Aquatic Center. Events will start at 6 p.m.
Click here to read the results of the Raider swimming team’s meet Thursday. The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of both teams soon.
