The Salina South swim team hosted a major divisional meet on Tuesday, finishing fourth overall with 278 points in a field dominated by Hays High School (431), Dodge City (413), and Wichita Northwest (374).
Salina South got off to a strong start in the 200-yard medley relay, with the team of Sean Iselin, Nicolis Adams, Cale Hammond, and Carter Malbrough placing second with a time of 2:05.82, just half a second behind Dodge City.
Nicolis Adams continued his strong performance with a second-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:17.86), while teammate Sean Iselin placed fifth in the 100-yard butterfly (1:18.58).
The Cougars showed their depth in the freestyle events, with Damon McDonald taking seventh in the 50-yard freestyle (29.10) and Cooper Hutton placing ninth (29.75). In the distance events, Cooper Hutton earned a third-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 7:03.38.
The meet also featured strong performances from area swimmers, including Matthew Whelchel of Southeast of Saline, who won the 50-yard freestyle in 23.81 seconds and tied for first in the 100-yard freestyle (53.70). Clayton Shamburg of Bennington also impressed, winning the 200-yard individual medley (2:20.36) and sharing first place in the 100-yard freestyle.
The diving competition was won by Giani Benoit of Wichita Northwest (253.45 points), with Salina South's Damon McDonald taking third (112.10).
The meet concluded with the 400-yard freestyle relay, where Salina South's team of Malbrough, Adams, Rector, and Iselin placed fourth with a time of 4:38.61.
