Swimmers Make Splash In First Meet

BERLIN- Stephen Decatur’s varsity swim teams dominated in its season-opening meet last week against Pocomoke, taking first in the team competition and sweeping first place in every individual race.

The Decatur boys outscored the Warriors in team points, 109-20, while the Decatur girls rolled past Pocomoke, 136-7. Both teams took first place in every individual event and in the relays.

On the boys’ side, Richard Poist took first in the 100-yard butterfly and in the 500-yard freestyle. Caleb Vaxmonsky also swept two individual events, taking first in the 200-yard freestyle and the 200-yard individual medley. Gavin Stearn took first in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle, while Nick Cardamone took first in the 100-yard backstroke and Jack Slaysman took first in the 100-yard breaststroke.

In the relays, the Decatur boys team including Vaxmonnsky, Poist, Slaysman and Stearn took first in the 200-yard individual medley. The Decatur boys team of Vaxmonsky, Patrick O’Halloran, Jonathan Franklin and Luke Bahlman took first in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Poist, O’Halloran, Slaysman and Stearn took first in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

On the girls’ side, Gracie Coker took first in both the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly. Farrah Brown took first place in the 500-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke. Mikayla Denault took first in the 200-yard freestyle, Natalie Canham took first in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard breaststroke, while Kayden Hamby won the 100-yard freestyle.

In the relays, the Decatur team of Denault, Canham, Coker and Emma Sperry took first in the 200-yard individual medley. Hamby, Sperry, Coker and Emma Coyman won the 200-yard freestyle relay, while Brown, Canham, Coyman and Denault won the 400-yard freestyle relay.

About The Author: Shawn Soper

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Shawn Soper has been with The Dispatch since 2000. He began as a staff writer covering various local government beats and general stories. His current positions include managing editor and sports editor. Growing up in Baltimore before moving to Ocean City full time three decades ago, Soper graduated from Loch Raven High School in 1981 and from Towson University in 1985 with degrees in mass communications with a journalism concentration and history.