The Class 1 and 2 South State Championship will host the top swimmers in Mississippi this Saturday, Oct. 15, in Biloxi.

The Pearl River Central Blue Devils swim team will feature 30 of their total 36 swimmers in the South State meet. The Pearl River Central swim teams have performed well this season winning all home meats and placing top 5 in all the invitational meets for boys and girls.

Head Coach Beverly Griffing said her swimmers success through the season has been phenomenal especially placing 30/36 swimmers to South State.

“They have worked hard, trained hard, been through adversity… all of them, they’re amazing.”

For the state championship qualification, swimmers must qualify in the north/south meet, finish in the top six of their north/south meet, or be in the next fastest top four of either meet, and all must have achieved the north/south half qualification standard. Only four swimmers from each team and one relay team may advance to State Championship. The Mississippi State Championship will be next Saturday, Oct. 22 in Tupelo.

The following swimmers will compete in the championship events. Each swimmer achieved a specific qualifying time in their respected races to make it into the South State meet.

 

Men Blue Devils

Fourteen male swimmers will compete on Saturday.

Kasen Adams will compete in the 500 free and 100 back races. He qualified with a 6:33.32 time in the 500 free and 1:18.33 in the 100 back. Jared Bryson will compete in the 100 fly. His qualifying time was 1:00.35. Wesley Garner will complete in the 200 IM and 100-breast, with qualifying time of 50.25 and 1:25.88. William Jarvis will compete in the 50 free and 100 free races. His qualifying times clock in at 27.65 and 1:05.75. Zak Kennedy will compete in the 100 free, where he clocked in at 51:04 and the 100-breast race clocking in at 1:21.25. Andrew Molasion will compete in the 100 fly and the 100-breast. His qualifying times were 1:07.97 and 1:21.25.

Thomas Molasion will compete in the 50 free and 500 free races. His qualifying times were 31.81 and 7:12.31. Jack Rogers will compete in the 100 free and 100-breast. His time for the 100 free was 58.26 and his 100-breast time was 1:15.62. Michael Montes, Cameron Reggio, Brandt Stewart, Alex Stuart, Wyatt Waltman and Austin Woods will also compete in the 50 free race. They all swam in under the required 33.70 times to qualify. Waltman has the fastest time with 24.32. Montes will also compete in the 100 free races where he clocked a 1:15.07 time. Reggio will also race in the 100-breast where he clocked a 1:29.13 time. Stewart and Stuart will also race in the 100-breast. Stewart’s qualifying time was 1:28.50 and Stuart’s was 1:28.57.

 

Lady Blue Devils

Sixteen swimmers will compete on Saturday, 15 excluding Kaeylynn Malley will compete in the 50 free races. They all swam under the required time of 36.65. Malley will compete in the 200 IM and 100 back, her times were, 2:53.07 and 1:14.90. Adline Albritton, Madilyn Berry, Alana Goss, Ayden Jones and Addelynne Verge will only compete in the 50 free races. In addition to the 500 free, the following swimmers will compete in said races. Angelina Britt will compete in the 100-breast, with a time of 1:43.31. Nia English will compete in the same event. Her time was 1:36.88. Makayla Gauthier will compete in the 100 free, her time was 1:16.54. Maelin Harvey will race in the 100-breast, her time was 1:25.04.

Charlotte Jarvis will be racing in the 100 free, her time was 1:20.87. Shalynn Lee will also complete in that race, her time was 1:01.23. Avery Martin and Andie McMahon will race in the 100 free also well. Martin’s time was 1:05.25, McMahon’s time was 1:18.20.

Gigi VanVaerenberg and Hanna Wall will swim in the 100-breat. VanVaerenberg’s time was 1:37.59, Wall’s time was 1:45.90.

PRC will also race in the 200 medley, 200 Free and 400 free relays for boys and girls.

Griffing said the swimmers are excited for this meet but are still maintaining a competitive spirit.

“They’re excited but they’re trying to strategize, they’re looking at results to see who were the other swimmers that beat them or are just below them, and finding out what they have to do to try and stay in that first, second or third position.”