ROCKINGHAM — The ROSports “Top 10 Sports Stories of the Year” countdown for 2018-2019 is now in its final phase, and the Richmond Senior High School swimming program finds itself in the No. 3 spot.
One of the two newest programs to be added to the list of varsity sports at Richmond, along with bowling, the swimming team broke onto the scene during the 2017-18 school year. Under the direction of head coach Mike Way, the Raider and Lady Raider swimmers saw numerous team and individual successes this past winter.
Topping the list of accomplishments in 2018-19 was the team’s regular-season finale, which saw seven personal records clocked in by the meet’s end. The largest accolade of the night for Richmond went to the Lady Raiders’ 200-yard relay team. Comprised of seniors Natalie Davis, Greyson Way, Kelsey Murray and Haleigh Poston, the Lady Raiders finished in 2:14.66 and took first place in the event.
Davis would record a new personal best in the 100-yard freestyle, while Murray and Poston would also set new PRs in the 50-yard freestyle.
On the boys’ side, sophomore Thomas Barbee shaved off nearly three-and-a-half seconds on his previous fastest time in the 50-yard freestyle. Fellow sophomore Eric Singleton cut through the water to his new record in the 100-yard backstroke, taking an impressive five seconds off his previous best.
Junior Dakota Locklear rounded out the meet with a new personal record in the 100-yard freestyle.
ROSports will reveal its top two sports moments on Monday and Tuesday. Click the photo below for the link to the original story written by sports editor Kyle Pillar for the Jan. 14, 2019, edition of the Richmond Observer:
