(Melanie Q./Staff)
Delivering thrilling victories and several records, the Aquavikes hosted Senior Night on Tuesday, January 23, and traveled to Columbus School for Girls for the Central Buckeye League Championships on Saturday, January 27.
The Vikings invited Newark Catholic and Whetstone for a joint senior night. Both Academy’s boys and girls teams won first, tallying 10 and 7 golds, 6 and 7 silvers, and 4 bronzes each, respectively. The girls 200 free relay (Lillian B., Maddie E., Ella L., and Olivia L.) shattered the pool record in 1:38.20, with individual splits of 24.80, 24.56, 25.04, and 23.80.
Several fans, dressed in beach attire, lined the stands in support of the team’s 10 seniors: Dorian B., Rene F., Camille H., William H., Mikey J., Tommy J., Ella L., Lauren P., Michael R., and Greyson T.
After a successful night, the Vikings battled Bexley, Buckeye Valley, Grandview Heights, and Worthington Christian at CSG in the CBL Championships. The boys secured their eleventh consecutive league title, while the girls trailed Bexley by 11 points. As the inaugural CBL meet, the first-place finishes set meet records by default.
On the boy’s side, three relays finished first: the 200 medley (Andy L., William D., Justin L., and William H.) in 1:41.60, 200 free (Andy, Mircea B., Greyson, and William H.) with 1:34.07, and 400 free (William D., Greyson, Justin, and Mircea) in 3:40.44. Individual wins include William H.’s 48.51 and 1:01.54 in the 100 free and 100 breast. Andy finished first in the 50 free (22.64) and 100 back (55.77), while Mircea claimed gold in the 200 IM (2:12.87).
Lillian contributed two first places for the girl’s team, swimming the 200 IM in 2:14.90 and the 100 back in 1:02.49. The record-breaking 200 free relay from Tuesday tallied the final victory, finishing in 1:41.20.
With another eventful week behind them, the Aquavikes face postseason competition at sectionals on Saturday, February 10. The girls will return to CSG at 9:15 a.m., and the boys will compete at the Kenyon College Natatorium at 4:30 p.m.
