Arnold Leads SHS To 3rd
Soph Excels At AA/A Meet
Posted: February 18, 2013
CHRISTIANSBURG — Spotswood High School swim coach Barbara Palmer said the 500-freestyle state record is Jessie Arnold’s “if she wants it.” At the Group AA/A meet Saturday at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center, Arnold inched toward breaking it.
The Trailblazers’ standout sophomore girls’ swimmer won the 500 free for the second straight year, dusting Cave Spring’s Maggie Harman by almost 10 seconds to lead SHS to a program-best third-place finish at the state meet and send out the retiring Palmer on a high note.
“It felt really good,” Arnold said of the 500. “It was, if not my best, my second-best 500, ever.”
As for the record?
“It would have been nice to have gotten it,” Arnold said. “But I just wanted to win.”
Arnold finished in 4 minutes, 56.92 seconds, hacking almost eight minutes off her 5:04.19 from last season. Harman swam the 500 free Saturday in 5:05.64, while Arnold missed the state record — 4:54.95, held by Hidden Valley’s Lauren Gray since 2009 — by just under two seconds.
Arnold also finished second to York star Mary Elizabeth Warhol — who has committed to swimming power Auburn — in the 200 free with a 1:51.48 to Warhol’s 1:50.95 and anchored Spotswood’s state champion 400 free relay team.
Freshman Julia Sheffer, junior Emily Smith, senior Olivia Sheffer and Arnold won with 3:36.35. Western Albemarle, anchored by star Remedy Rule (she, like Warhol, competed in the Olympic Trials), was second with a 3:39.84.
“My strategy’s always been to put my two strongest people first and last,” said Palmer, who started Spotswood’s swim program 10 years ago.
Spotswood never trailed in the relay, with Julia Sheffer starting strong — despite being a reluctant leadoff.
“I even talked to Ms. Palmer to try to convince her to get me off the leadoff,” said Sheffer, who missed all-state honors (the top eight swimmers in each event are considered all-state) by one spot in the 50 free but went under 25 seconds for a second time with a 24.80. “... Just that I’m usually a good person to bring it home, but, you know, on a relay like that, I’m happy to [lead off].”
SHS dropped about five seconds off its Region III-winning 400 free relay time of 3:41.15, and Saturday was the first time the Blazers have won a relay at the state meet.
Western Albemarle won the girls’ state title out 84 teams with 210 points. Cave Spring finished second with 196 points, followed by Spotswood (164), Jamestown (142.50) and Lafayette (139). Broadway was the only other Harrisonburg/Rockingham County high school to score on the girls’ side, earning one point to finish 39th.
The Blazers’ previous best finish at a state meet was fifth. They finished fifth last year and took third this season with just six swimmers, five of whom scored. Western Albemarle had 16 swimmers.
“It’s such a big deal, especially going out with a bang like this — third place — especially with how many people we had,” Olivia Sheffer said.
Palmer’s retirement also made this state meet extra special.
“I think she’s been a great motivator for us,” Smith said. “I think she’s kept us together as a team. I think this is a great way to end her career.”
Hidden Valley won the boys’ title with 195 points, and Turner Ashby, led by Tanner Clark who made all-state in two events, finished 12th with 75 points. The Spotswood boys finished 37th with 13 points; Harrisonburg was 43rd with three points.
Clark, a junior, finished fourth (21.99) in the 50 free behind champion Zachary Dehli of Staunton River (21.56) and seventh in the 100 free (49.13). Hidden Valley’s Jacob Gibbs won the 100 free in 47.61.
TA’s Aaron Glick made all-state in the 100 breaststroke. The senior finished sixth with a 1:01.82. Tabb’s Trevor Jones won in 59.15.
Olivia Sheffer made all-state with a seventh-place finish in the 100 backstroke, swimming the event in 59.74. Warhol won in 56.23. She also was on the all-state 200 free and 200 medley relay teams.
The 200 free relay — Smith, senior Savannah Hepner, Olivia Sheffer and Julia Sheffer — was seventh with a 1:41.86 (Cave Spring won in a state record 1:36.92, breaking its 1:37.12 record from last year) and the 200 medley relay of Arnold, Olivia Sheffer, Julia Sheffer and Smith was fourth (1:52.16). Cave Spring won that relay, too, with a 1:48.31.
For Palmer, though, the 400 free relay win was a nice way to cap her career.
“I’ve never won a relay before,” she said, “so that was a nice way to go out.”
Group A/AA Swimming & Diving Meet Results
Distances in yards
Harrisonburg/Rockingham Co. All-State (top eight in each event):
BOYS
50 freestyle—T. Clark (Turner Ashby), fourth place, 21.99. 100 freestyle—T. Clark (Turner Ashby), seventh place, 49.13. 100 breaststroke—A. Glick (Turner Ashby), sixth place, 1:01.82.
TEAM SCORES (top five and local): 1. Hidden Valley 195, 2. Lafayette 185.50, 3. Western Albemarle 147.50, 4. Tabb 123.50, 5. Grafton 123.50, 12. Turner Ashby 75, 37. Spotswood 13, 43. Harrisonburg 3.
GIRLS
200 medley relay—Spotswood (J. Arnold, O. Sheffer, J. Sheffer, E. Smith), fourth place, 1:52.16. 200 freestyle—J. Arnold (Spotswood), second place, 1:51.48. 500 freestyle—J. Arnold (Spotswood), first place, 4:56.92. 200 freestyle relay—Spotswood (E. Smith, S. Hepner, O. Sheffer, J. Sheffer), seventh place, 1:41.86. 100 backstroke—O. Sheffer (Spotswood), seventh place, 59.74. 400 freestyle relay—Spotswood (J. Sheffer, E. Smith, O. Sheffer, J. Arnold), first place, 3:36.35.
TEAM SCORES (top five and local): 1. Western Albemarle 210, 2. Cave Spring 196, 3. Spotswood 164, 4. Jamestown 142.50, 5. Lafayette 139, 39. Broadway 1.
The Trailblazers’ standout sophomore girls’ swimmer won the 500 free for the second straight year, dusting Cave Spring’s Maggie Harman by almost 10 seconds to lead SHS to a program-best third-place finish at the state meet and send out the retiring Palmer on a high note.
“It felt really good,” Arnold said of the 500. “It was, if not my best, my second-best 500, ever.”
As for the record?
“It would have been nice to have gotten it,” Arnold said. “But I just wanted to win.”
Arnold finished in 4 minutes, 56.92 seconds, hacking almost eight minutes off her 5:04.19 from last season. Harman swam the 500 free Saturday in 5:05.64, while Arnold missed the state record — 4:54.95, held by Hidden Valley’s Lauren Gray since 2009 — by just under two seconds.
Arnold also finished second to York star Mary Elizabeth Warhol — who has committed to swimming power Auburn — in the 200 free with a 1:51.48 to Warhol’s 1:50.95 and anchored Spotswood’s state champion 400 free relay team.
Freshman Julia Sheffer, junior Emily Smith, senior Olivia Sheffer and Arnold won with 3:36.35. Western Albemarle, anchored by star Remedy Rule (she, like Warhol, competed in the Olympic Trials), was second with a 3:39.84.
“My strategy’s always been to put my two strongest people first and last,” said Palmer, who started Spotswood’s swim program 10 years ago.
Spotswood never trailed in the relay, with Julia Sheffer starting strong — despite being a reluctant leadoff.
“I even talked to Ms. Palmer to try to convince her to get me off the leadoff,” said Sheffer, who missed all-state honors (the top eight swimmers in each event are considered all-state) by one spot in the 50 free but went under 25 seconds for a second time with a 24.80. “... Just that I’m usually a good person to bring it home, but, you know, on a relay like that, I’m happy to [lead off].”
SHS dropped about five seconds off its Region III-winning 400 free relay time of 3:41.15, and Saturday was the first time the Blazers have won a relay at the state meet.
Western Albemarle won the girls’ state title out 84 teams with 210 points. Cave Spring finished second with 196 points, followed by Spotswood (164), Jamestown (142.50) and Lafayette (139). Broadway was the only other Harrisonburg/Rockingham County high school to score on the girls’ side, earning one point to finish 39th.
The Blazers’ previous best finish at a state meet was fifth. They finished fifth last year and took third this season with just six swimmers, five of whom scored. Western Albemarle had 16 swimmers.
“It’s such a big deal, especially going out with a bang like this — third place — especially with how many people we had,” Olivia Sheffer said.
Palmer’s retirement also made this state meet extra special.
“I think she’s been a great motivator for us,” Smith said. “I think she’s kept us together as a team. I think this is a great way to end her career.”
Hidden Valley won the boys’ title with 195 points, and Turner Ashby, led by Tanner Clark who made all-state in two events, finished 12th with 75 points. The Spotswood boys finished 37th with 13 points; Harrisonburg was 43rd with three points.
Clark, a junior, finished fourth (21.99) in the 50 free behind champion Zachary Dehli of Staunton River (21.56) and seventh in the 100 free (49.13). Hidden Valley’s Jacob Gibbs won the 100 free in 47.61.
TA’s Aaron Glick made all-state in the 100 breaststroke. The senior finished sixth with a 1:01.82. Tabb’s Trevor Jones won in 59.15.
Olivia Sheffer made all-state with a seventh-place finish in the 100 backstroke, swimming the event in 59.74. Warhol won in 56.23. She also was on the all-state 200 free and 200 medley relay teams.
The 200 free relay — Smith, senior Savannah Hepner, Olivia Sheffer and Julia Sheffer — was seventh with a 1:41.86 (Cave Spring won in a state record 1:36.92, breaking its 1:37.12 record from last year) and the 200 medley relay of Arnold, Olivia Sheffer, Julia Sheffer and Smith was fourth (1:52.16). Cave Spring won that relay, too, with a 1:48.31.
For Palmer, though, the 400 free relay win was a nice way to cap her career.
“I’ve never won a relay before,” she said, “so that was a nice way to go out.”
Group A/AA Swimming & Diving Meet Results
Distances in yards
Harrisonburg/Rockingham Co. All-State (top eight in each event):
BOYS
50 freestyle—T. Clark (Turner Ashby), fourth place, 21.99. 100 freestyle—T. Clark (Turner Ashby), seventh place, 49.13. 100 breaststroke—A. Glick (Turner Ashby), sixth place, 1:01.82.
TEAM SCORES (top five and local): 1. Hidden Valley 195, 2. Lafayette 185.50, 3. Western Albemarle 147.50, 4. Tabb 123.50, 5. Grafton 123.50, 12. Turner Ashby 75, 37. Spotswood 13, 43. Harrisonburg 3.
GIRLS
200 medley relay—Spotswood (J. Arnold, O. Sheffer, J. Sheffer, E. Smith), fourth place, 1:52.16. 200 freestyle—J. Arnold (Spotswood), second place, 1:51.48. 500 freestyle—J. Arnold (Spotswood), first place, 4:56.92. 200 freestyle relay—Spotswood (E. Smith, S. Hepner, O. Sheffer, J. Sheffer), seventh place, 1:41.86. 100 backstroke—O. Sheffer (Spotswood), seventh place, 59.74. 400 freestyle relay—Spotswood (J. Sheffer, E. Smith, O. Sheffer, J. Arnold), first place, 3:36.35.
TEAM SCORES (top five and local): 1. Western Albemarle 210, 2. Cave Spring 196, 3. Spotswood 164, 4. Jamestown 142.50, 5. Lafayette 139, 39. Broadway 1.