Sussex Academy swimming sweeps CR, IR in tri-meet
Three top swimming programs in the Henlopen Conference – Sussex Academy, Caesar Rodney and Indian River – raged nautical warfare against one another Jan. 23 at the Sussex Academy Aquatics Center, and the Seahawks squads came away unscathed.
“It’s always awesome to win! We have a good group of girls that keep the energy up. We’ve been undefeated for a long time, so keeping up the energy is exciting, especially during a tri-meet when you have people in different lanes and only swim two per event versus good competition,” Sussex Academy junior Addi McKay said.
McKay grabbed three points for her squad in the 100 breaststroke and was a member of the 200 medley and freestyle teams that took home first place to secure duplicate 62-32 victories over their conference rivals.
“We know each one of us has to put in our own effort, and that if we believe in each other, then we can compete the way we want to compete,” McKay said.
The girls not only placed in each event but also finished 1-2 in the 400 freestyle relay and 200 individual medley.
On the boys' side, the Seahawks edged out Caesar Rodney 52-42 and defeated Indian River 59-35 as one of their younger swimmers secured his spot in history.
Christian Wright became the owner of Sussex Academy’s school record in the 50 freestyle. The sophomore said it was a shock to break the record, but something he knew he could do if he worked hard.
“I established this goal when I first started swimming in eighth grade. I’ve always been a free sprinter; I’ve always loved swimming and feel obligated to the sport.” Wright said
Breaking the record did not come easy, and neither did the top spot during the tri-meet itself. Indian River senior Alexander Arnold went swim cap to swim cap with Wright in both the 50 and 100 freestyle events. Wright’s record-breaking 22.82 edged out Arnold’s 23.08 in the 50 and while Wright’s 50.02 was close to a school record, it was enough to beat Arnold’s 51.54.
“We finally got those record boards up there, and to see them being broken is just fantastic! He was so pumped up,” assistant coach Stephanie Hartsoe said.
Both Sussex Academy teams improved to 5-0 on the year and will look to continue their winning ways when they welcome Polytech at 3:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 26.
“It’s going to be the first [dual-meet] match to get us back into the swing of things, which is good, because it’s going to be a grind for the next couple of weeks so our kids need this meet,” assistant coach Nico Caceres said.
