GREENSBORO–Taking a step away from Central Conference meets, Orange High swimmers Katie Belle Sikes and Luke Roman set school records during one of the largest regular season competitions just before Christmas.
Sikes set two school records at the event inside the Greensboro Aquatic Center that included 547 other swimmers from 25 schools, most of which were private schools and 4A institutions. Sikes won the championship of the 200 yard individual medley, setting the new event record of 2:06.43. Sikes also shattered the school record, which had been on the books since 2011.
Sikes shattered the meet record by a full three seconds. It was previously held by Mckenzie Campbell of Greensboro Page, who completed the event in 2:09.76. Campbell would go on to swim at Georgia Tech, where she qualified for the NCAA Championships twice in the 200 butterfly, along with the 200 individual medley and the 400 individual medley.
Sikes also set the school record for the 500 yard freestyle, an event she only occasionally competes in during the regular season. She finished at 5:11.02, breaking her own mark set last year at the Orange County Sportsplex. Overall, Sikes finished second behind Clarke Neace of Charlotte Providence Day, which competes in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association. Neace touched the wall at 5:02.06. Like Sikes, Neace has committed to swim with the Georgia Bulldogs starting next August.
In the men’s ranks, junior Luke Roman established a new school record in the 500 yard freestyle. Roman won the event at 4:47.39. Vaughn Muir of Southwest Guilford finished second at 4:51.52. Roman has qualified for the 3A state championships in each of his first two years. Last February, Roman finished 7th in the 500 at the 3A State Championships. Roman also finished 4th in the NCHSAA Championships in the 200 yard freestyle.
Roman automatically qualified for the Central Regionals in the 500 freestyle, which will be held at the Greensboro Aquatic Center on February 3. In addition, Orange junior Alex Andre also qualified for regionals in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:08.49. The benchmark for the 500 yard freestyle by the NCHSAA is 6:15.99. Last year, Andre finished 3rd in the state in the 500 at 5:05.20.
Orange freshman Jason Spey also earned a trip to regionals at 5:45.47.
Roman also earned a trip to regionals in the 200 individual medley at 2:05.21, a personal best. Bence Burton of Ronald Reagan High School won the event at 1:52.42. Nick Baczara of Orange qualified for regionals at 2:16.42.
Baczara earned a trip to regionals in the 100 yard butterfly at 1:00.54.
Andre also qualified for regionals in the 200 yard freestyle when he touched the wall at 1:54.54, good enough for seventh place. Muir finished first at 1:46.73.
Once again, the Orange women’s swimming 200 yard freestyle relay team of Sikes, Riley White, Piper White and Ainsley Rasinske qualified for the regional championships. They finished at 1:44.63, good enough for second place. Grimsley’s Gracie Hunt, Maeren McGonigal, Anna Davidson and Ellie Hunt finished first for the event at 1:42.76.
Last year, Sikes, White Rasinske and White won the 3A 200 freestyle state championship. They became the first Orange swimming relay team to ever win a state crown.
Piper White and Riley White each qualified individually for the 200 freestyle. Riley finished 5th (2:03.01) while Piper came in 17th (2:13.00).
Riley White also earned a trip to regionals in the 100 butterfly with a new personal best of 1:02.69, good enough for fifth overall. Brooke Bourn of Northern Guilford came in first.
Piper White qualified in the 500 yard freestyle at 6:01.82, 14th overall. It was a new personal best.
In the 100 freestyle, Rasinske earned a trip to regionals with a time of 1:02.41. It’s the first time that Rasinske has qualified for regionals in the event.
In addition to Sikes, Orange junior Zoe Jones also earned a spot in regionals in the 200 individual medley. She established a new personal best of 2:34.82.
The Orange men’s 400 yard freestyle relay team of Roman, Andre, Baczara and Ayden Twiddy qualified for regionals with a time of 3:46.59, finishing 13th.
In the overall men’s team standings, Orange finished 13th overall, which was highest among any other 3A school. Reagan High won the men’s team championship.
The Orange women’s team finished 10th overall at 169 points. Grimsley finished first with 407 points.