ROANOKE RAPIDS — Friday afternoon was alive with the sounds of splashing water as the Vikings of Halifax Academy and the Roanoke Rapids Yellow Jackets took to the pool.

Anthony Gainey | The Daily Herald Roanoke Rapids swimmer Mia Wesner takes to the pool during a Yellow Jackets seven-team swim meet Friday. Advertisement

When the waves settled, the Lady Vikings had secured first place with the Lady Jackets swimming in second place. The Jacket men took first place with the Viking men taking fourth. The Lady Vikes 200-medley relay team of Tori Ladendorf, Morgan Heath, Angela Page and Kaela Gardiner took first edging out a strong Rocky Mount Academy team with the Jackets team of Mia Wesner, Jenna Wesner, Rebecca Gordon and Magen Medlin following in third. Keeping things going in the 200-yard freestyle was Halifax Academy swimmer Magen Ezzell, as she took first over Jacket standout Magen Medlin in second.

The 200-yard individual medley saw Vikings’ swimmer T. Ladendorf get edged out for top honors, as she finished a fast second place with Jacket sisters Mia and Jenna Wesner placing third and fourth for the home team. Just before intermission, Viking swimmers Gardiner and Page took first and third place respectively in the always fast 50-yard freestyle.

After the break, Page just got out touched in the 100-yard butterfly for second place. Gordon took fourth to support the Jacket tally. The 200-yard freestyle showcased Viking swimmers T. Ladendorf, first and K. Gardiner, third, as the Vikings continued the surge.

The 500-yard freestyle saw Lady Viking standout M. Heath take first with her best time ever with support from her teammate Amanda Clark in third place.   The Viking women continued their hot streak by winning the 200-freestyle relay with swimmers Robin Grant, M. Ezzell, T. Ladendorf and K. Gardiner. Viking swimmers M. Heath and R. Grant marched on with first and second place in the 100-yard backstroke with senior Jacket swimmer Mia Wesner getting a third place finish to add to the Jacket score. Roanoke Rapids freshmen Nina Frommel just got edged out in the 100-yard breaststroke as she took third. Halifax Academy swimmer Stephanie Beasley managed a fourth place in the breaststroke. True to form the last race of the meet for the women, the 4 x 100 freestyle relay, saw the Viking girls and Jacket girls race down to the finish. The Lady Viking team of Page, Grant, Ezzell and Heath triumphed over the Jacket girls team of Gordon, Abigail Harrell, J. Wesner, and Medlin for the win.

The Jackets men started this meet as they usually do with a rattling win in the 200-medley relay. The team of Bruce Jenkins, Hall Mebane, Ben Harrell and Alex Snyder set the stage for a strong finish.

Jacket senior Bruce Jenkins coasted to a strong second place finish in the 200-freestyle.

Fellow Yellow Jacket senior Ben Harrell decided to turn the heat back on as he flew to a strong first place finish in the 200 individual medley. Bryan Baker ably backed him with a second place finish.

With good competition, comes good times and Alex Snyder showed his strength by sprinting to first in the 50-yard freestyle.

Garrison Gordon took a supportive third place and Vikings’ swimmer T.J. Curl took fourth.

After intermission, Jackets swimmer Gordon showed his dominance in the tough 100-yard butterfly.

Teammate Jonathan Hayes backed him up with a third place finish.

To keep the Jacket onslaught going, senior Snyder edged Viking swimmer J.W. Thomas for first place in the 100-yard freestyle. Thomas took second for the Viking’s effort.

The 500-yard freestyle saw a Rocky Mount Academy swimmer take first, with Jackets strongman Harrell finishing second, Bryan Baker third and Viking T.J. Curl fourth.

The Jackets men’s team of G. Gordon, Rudy Draper, B. Baker and A. Snyder won the 200-yard freestyle relay with the Viking men’s team of Thomas, Matt Kessinger, Curl and Travis Browder following with a strong second.

With the meet’s end in sight the Jacket duo of Bruce Jenkins and Will Patterson, stepped up to take first and second in the men’s 100 backstroke. 

Jacket H. Mebane, who has been injured most of the season, stepped back up for the Jackets and finished second in the 100-yard breast stroke.

The last event of the day was the men’s traditional strong point. The team of Harrell, Jenkins, Patterson and Gordon added to their total by winning the 4 x 100 freestyle relay.

The Vikings’ team of Curl, Kessinger, Browder and Thomas closed to a third place finish.

The Jackets men cruised to another first place finish with the Viking men swimming to a fourth place finish.