The Prince Edward County High School (PE) varsity boys swimming team placed 10th out of 27 teams in the Virginia High School League Group 2A state championships last week at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center. The Lady Eagles placed 20th out of 27 girls teams.

“We only had a team of 17 high school swimmers, and nine swam in states,” Prince Edward Head Coach Sarah Fulcher said. “So that automatically means that half my swimmers made it to states, so that’s great.”

Medals at states went to individuals or relay teams that finished in the top eight of a given event.

PE freshman Renee Stimpert placed fifth in the girls 100-yard backstroke, finishing in one minute, 7.16 seconds, a new school record. The previous record of 1:08.94 had stood since 2008.

“I was confident she would medal,” Fulcher said. “But I just didn’t know where she’d fall in the top eight.”

The PE boys 200-yard freestyle relay team placed seventh with a time of 1:42.56. The squad featured seniors Craig Burns and Henry Lutz and juniors Connor Stimpert and Aaron Weese.

The boys 200-yard medley relay team of Burns, Connor Stimpert, Weese and junior Niklas Carolus also claimed seventh, finishing with a time of 1:57.90.

Though the girls 200-yard medley relay team did not medal, it did set a new school record with a time of 2:15.89, good for 11th place. The previous record of 2:18.90 was set in 2008.

The 2017 relay squad included Renee Stimpert, juniors Laura Bisaillon and Jayden Comer and sophomore Kaitlynn Faircloth.

Connor Stimpert finished ninth in the boys 100-yard backstroke with a 1:01.31 time.