With one event to go, the boys' 1A/2A West Regional swim title was still up for grabs last Saturday at Huntersville Family Fitness & Aquatics Center.
And the event host, Lake Norman Charter, was in position to secure it.
LNC already had the girls' championship locked up for the second straight year — the Lady Knights won by a comfortable 325-194 margin over runner-up Shelby — and a large group of LNC swimmers had already qualified for this week's state championships by finishing in the top 12 in their events.
But the LNC boys needed a strong performance in the 400-yard freestyle relay to secure an LNC regional sweep. The LNC boys were leading the field by just 4.5 points as the final event began, and LNC coach Alison Pick made sure relay members Chris Cardwell, Brian Davis, Austin Jones and Brian Piccirilli knew the situation.
"You guys gotta win it, and I want you to leave no doubt," she told them.
The LNC quartet made its coach and teammates proud. The Knights won by almost 25 yards, posting a time of 3:20.65 and helping LNC edge Shelby 318-307.5 for the boys' championship a year after the Knights finished four points off the lead as regional runner-up.
"It was close," said Cardwell. "We all had to do our part."
The Knights, led by a group of 19 seniors who helped start the program, won nine events, including seven of the final eight. All eight swim event wins were regional records.
Cardwell, Piccirilli, Davis and Jones combined to also win the 200 freestyle relay (1:31.69) while Cardwell won the 100 backstroke in 53.98, and Davis won the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:02.73.
Gabi Osterholz (100 freestyle, 55.96), Emma Rubel (100 backstroke, 1:00.92) and Adyson Lowe (1-meter diving, 402.30) won individually for the Lady Knights. Osterholz, Rubel, Abbey Joiner and Lauren Davis joined forces to win the 200 (1:43.17) and 400 (3:45.95) freestyle relays.
LNC supplemented its event victories with multiple top-three finishes, including Osterholz in the 200 individual medley (3rd) and Erin Lee in diving (2nd), and then Cardwell in the 100 freestyle (3rd), Nathan Lane in diving (3rd) and Piccirilli with runner-up swims in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly.
LNC was especially strong in the 100 breaststroke event, with Drew Queen and Jake Koferl taking third and seventh behind Brian Davis' win, respectively, and LNC girls Joiner, Lauren Davis and Gabbie Monroe finishing 3-4-5.
The state championships will begin Thursday with diving at the Pullen Aquatic Center in Raleigh. The swimming events will be held Friday at Cary's Triangle Aquatic Center.
Pick expects defending champions Raleigh Charter (girls) and Carrboro (boys) will likely provide the most competition. LNC's boys and girls were both second last year.
"We'll have a fight on our hands," she said.
Osterholz said it will be an exciting environment in which to swim.
"We're just ready to go," she said.
For more regional results, see Stat Sheet – updated soon.
