Bellefontaine’s swim team tested itself in a big way over the weekend by competing in the Southwest District Classic.
The SW District Classic is the largest high school swim meet in the nation with nine prelim pools and over 1,500 swimmers.
The prelim races were conducted during the morning Saturday and Sunday, with qualifiers earning spots in the evening finals.
For the BHS boys in the Saturday prelim events, Preston Henry was second in the 50 breaststroke and ninth in the 100 individual medley, Christian Keene was fifth in the 100 individual medley and the 400 medley relay team of Quinton Bible, Henry, Lucas Harrington and Keene finished ninth.
In Sunday prelim events, Keene was fourth in the 50 backstroke, Bible was sixth in the 50 backstroke and Blake McDonald was eighth in the 50 backstroke.
Many of the Chieftain boys acccomplished personal-best times over the weekend. Henry cut two seconds off his best 100 breaststroke time, improved by almost seven seconds in the 100 individual medley, dropped his 50 butterfly time by three seconds and he also set a new PR in the 50 breaststroke.
In addition, Keene dropped two seconds off his best time in the 50 backstroke, Imanol Calderon achieved bests in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke, Harrington set PRs in the 50 and 100 freestyle events, Blake McDonald cut nearly five seconds off his 100 backstroke time, Elijah Merrin had a 4.5-second drop in the 100 backstroke and Aidan Mifsud shaved almost two seconds off his best time in the 50 breaststroke.
For the BHS girls, Morgan Henry on Saturday qualified for the finals in the 100 individual medley after finishing second in her prelim heat.
In other prelim action from Saturday, the 400 medley relay team of Henry, Sarah Starkey, Abby Kite and Sarah Fulmer was seventh, the 200 freestyle relay team of Henry, Kite, Fulmer and Sarah Starkey took sixth, Henry was seventh in the 100 backstroke, Sarah Fulmer took ninth in the 100 backstroke, Kite finished eighth in the 50 freestyle and seventh in the 100 butterfly, Chloe Reynolds was 10th in the 100 individual medley and 10th in the 50 breaststroke, Joslyn Robinson took ninth in the 100 individual medley and sixth in the 50 breaststroke and Sarah Starkey was first in the 500 freestyle and eighth in the 200 freestyle.
On Sunday, the Chiefs’ Kite qualified for the finals in the 50 butterfly and 50 backstroke. She was first in her prelim heat for the 50 butterfly and second in the 50 backstroke.
Also in prelims from Sunday, the 200 medley relay team of Henry, Sarah Starkey, Kite and Fulmer was sixth, the 400 freestyle relay team of Henry, Kite, Fulmer and Sarah Starkey was seventh, the 400 freestyle B relay team of Chloe Reynolds, Maddi Jackson, Samantha Starkey and Robinson took eighth, Fulmer was fourth in the 50 backstroke and 15th in the 100 freestyle, Henry was third in the 50 butterfly and fifth in the 200 backstroke, Jackson was seventh in the 50 backstroke and Sarah Starkey was 10th in the 100 freestyle and ninth in the 100 breaststroke.