Undermanned Trojans edge Tipton in Williamsburg

WILLIAMSBURG ? Illness and no diving event left the Fairfield swim team severely undermanned at Monday?s Raider Invite in Williamsburg.

The Trojans were just six members strong and able to compete in eight off 11 events, yet they still edged Tipton by one point in the four-team field. Fairfield?s 24 points placed them behind both host Williamsburg (97) and Vinton-Shellsburg (76).

?This was a meet that we could have been competitive had we been a healthy squad,? Fairfield head coach Lisa Greenig said. ?For only having six girls competing I am very pleased with how well they did.?

Junior Baylee Bowman claimed the lone victory for Fairfield, which also took runner-up in two events. Bowman won the 100-backstroke by almost seven seconds with a clocking of 1:05.34, and she was second in the 200-individual medley by a little over one second (2:29.62). Junior teammate Jade Greiner earned a second-place finish in the 100-butterfly, narrowly missing the win with a swim of 1:04.17.

Fairfield?s 200-medley relay team of Hanna Kerr, Paige Palmer, Greiner and Bowman started the night with a third-place finish (2:18.75). Williamsburg won the race with a time of 2:05.04.

Kerr, a senior, also scored for Fairfield with a fourth-place finish in the 100-backstroke (1:18.46). Along with Palmer, Shea Malloy and Greiner, she helped the 200-freestyle relay to fifth (2:18.59).

Times continued to fall for Palmer, a junior, and the two freshmen newcomers in individual events. Palmer shaved four seconds off her previous best in the 200-IM, finishing sixth in a time of 3:08.81. Malloy trimmed four seconds in the 100-freestyle (1:37.76) and Macy Unkrich swam a personal best in the 100-backstroke (1:56.68).

The Trojans? next meet will be Monday in Tipton. Once again, there will be no diving competition.

Fairfield Individual Results

200 medley-relay ? 3. Fairfield (Kerr, Palmer, Greiner, Bowman, 2:18.75)

200-IM ? 2. Baylee Bowman (2:29.62), 6. Paige Palmer (3:08.81)

50-freestyle ? 9. Hanna Kerr (33.42), 15. Shea Malloy (42.62), 16. Macy Unkrich (43.43)

100-butterfly ? 2. Jade Greiner (1:04.17)

100-freestyle ? 14. Shea Malloy (1:37.76)

200-freestyle-relay ? 5. Fairfield (Palmer, Malloy, Greiner, Kerr, 2:18.59)

100-backstroke ? 1. Baylee Bowman (1:05.34), 4. Hanna Kerr (1:18.46), 8. Macy Unkrich (1:56.68)

100-breaststroke ? 7. Paige Palmer (1:35.72)