The final set of Mideastern All-Conference honors were released this week for the winter sports season and Topsail High School took top accolades in swimming as Gabbie Black was named player of the year alongside Pirates’ coach Shannon Crate.
Black turned in a strong performance in the 3A state tournament with fifth-place honors in the 100 butterfly and also helped guide the Topsail 200 freestyle relay team to an eighth-place finish. The Lady Pirates took second in the Mideastern Conference Championships held in late January.
Hoggard’s Jimbo Short took home player of the year honors in boys swimming after qualifying for the state championships and leading the Vikings to a Mideastern Conference title. The senior placed 13th in the 100 yard butterfly during the 4A state meet.
Among other notable first-team all-conference selections were South Brunswick’s 200 yard freestyle relay team of Adam Calero, Chris Anselmo, Ryan Goodson and Tyler Bowersox. The quartet took eighth-place at the 3A state meet in 200 yard freestyle relay and 400 yard freestyle relay. Bowersox also placed eighth in the 100 breaststroke.
Laney’s Anthony Balkus was named first-team in the 200 individual medley, while New Hanover’s Rihanne Hsu (200 freestyle) and Hailey James (200 IM) joined the first-team list.
South Brunswick’s Sam Jennings was also named Mideastern Conference Boys Co-Coach of the Year, with Crate from Topsail.
Boys swimming
Player of the year: Jimbo Short, Hoggard
Co-coaches of the year: Shannon Crate, Topsail, and Sam Jennings, South Brunswick
Team sportsmanship award: Topsail
First-team all-conference
200 Medley Relay – Thomas Heffron, Cole Beck, Jacob Hannum and Raymond Samuel, Hoggard
200 freestyle – Dustin Ruppart, West Brunswick
200 individual medley – Anthony Balkus, Laney
50 freestyle – Anthony Messina, New Hanover
100 butterfly – Jimbo Short, Hoggard
100 freestyle – Case Marshall, Topsail
500 freestyle – Dustin Ruppart, West Brunswick
200 freestyle relay – Adam Calero, Chris Anselmo, Ryan Goodson and Tyler Bowesox, South Brunswick
100 backstroke – Jimbo Short, Hoggard
100 breaststroke – Tyler Bowersox, South Brunswick
400 freestyle relay – Raymond Samuel, Thomas Heffron, Carter Howe and Jimbo Short, Hoggard
Girls swimming
Player of the year: Gabbie Black, Topsail
Coach of the year: Shannon Crate, Topsail
Team sportsmanship award: Ashley
First-team all-conference
200 medley relay – Charlotte Jones, Aleta Jewell, Helen Duffy and Ali Collins, New Hanover
200 individual medley – Hailey James, Topsail
50 freestyle – Gabbie Black, Topsail
100 butterfly – Gabbie Black, Topsail
100 freestyle – Rihanne Hsu, New Hanover
500 freestyle – Aleta Jewell, New Hanover
200 freestyle relay – Abbey Narayan, Carter-Leigh High, Clara Bay and Meghan Hannum, Hoggard
100 backstroke – Clara Bay, Hoggard
100 breaststroke – Helen Duffy, New Hanover
400 freestyle relay – Abbey Narayan, Carter-Leigh High, Meghan Hannum and Clara Bay, Hoggard
Joe Catenacci is a sports writer for Port City Daily and host of The Sports Connection on 103.7 FM at 6 p.m. Mondays and 11 a.m. Saturday. Reach him at [email protected].
