Published: Feb 17, 2009 04:36 PM
Modified: Feb 17, 2009 04:51 PM
RALEIGH — While the Charlotte powerhouse high schools dominated the team portion of this year’s NCHSSA 4-A state swimming championships at N.C. State, there were bright spots for local swimmers.
Cary’s Torrey Bussey won the 200 individual medley and the 100 breast stroke and Panther Creek’s Henriette Stenkvist set a new state record in the 200 freestyle, and finished second in the 100 backstroke, outdone by another state record performance.
On the men’s side, Athens Drive’s Andy Lamb took second in both the 50 and 100 free and Green Hope’s Dominick Glavich took third in the 100 fly and 100 breast stroke.
Despite being able to help their entire team squeeze on to the podium, swimmers like Bussey were excited about individual performances.
“It meant a lot to me,” Bussey said. “I’m so excited to come here and do well.”
Bussey said she didn’t expect to grab a state record but that she knew if she was prepared for the meet, she would do well.
“That was my best time yet, so it’s great to drop my overall time,” she said.
Bussey’s next stop will be the sectional meets, but the junior said she is looking forward to more success next year.
“I have year-round meets, so I’ll be busy,” Bussey said.
All of Stenkvist’s friends told her she could get a win at her first state meet. The freshman had dominated the 200 freestyle most of the year, and she was confident heading into Saturday.
“There was always a little voice in the back of my head saying, ‘You can do it,’” Stenkvist said. “I knew if it gave it my best then I could probably win.”
Despite being only a freshman, Stenkvist wasn’t intimidated by the loud environment in N.C. State’s Willis Casey Natatorium. She’s been around competition before and believes she swims better when it’s there.
“Usually at high school meets I’m not racing anyone,” she said. “But now that I get to race people, it’s a lot different and it helps me a lot.”
Stenkvist, along with many of the winners from Saturday night, will move on to All-American competition.
Other Cary swimmers, such as Glavich, will be swimming throughout the off-season with elite trainers.
Glavich is one of several swimmers at Saturday’s competition who plans to work out at the U.S. national swimming headquarters over the offseason.
But for the young Stenkvist, she just hopes to use the next meet to improve times and keep getting stronger in her freestyle and backstroke events.
“I just want to get better and really keep lowering my times,” she said.
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