Viking swim teams sweep Okaloosa Co. Championships

For a second year in a row, Fort Walton Beach’s boys and girls swim teams were crowned County Champs following the Okaloosa County Championships at the Fort Walton Beach YMCA.

The victory marked a sixth straight county title for the Viking boys and a third straight for the girls following a one-year break in 2007.

In both fields, it was Choctawhatchee that came closest to unseating the Vikings, as Fort Walton Beach’s girls won by a 127-107 margin while the boys’ winning spread was much closer at 125.5-118.

Niceville finished third in both the boys and girls field.

Wednesday’s finish also marked the second consecutive season that the Vikings were forced to edge the Indians — in both boys and girls — before being fitted for their county crowns.

Last season, the margins were much wider for Fort Walton Beach, with the girls winning by a 121-97 spread and the boys cruising to a 136-98 win.

Fort Walton Beach’s ladies were led by first-place finishes from Brooke Arrington (50 free, 400 free relay), Samantha Laughlin (100 free, 100 backstroke, 400 free relay), Natalie Lenderman (500 free, 400 free relay) and Linsi VerSteeg (400 free relay).

The Vikings received second-place finishes from their 200 medley relay team, Lenderman (200 free), Megan Drake (200 IM) and Paige Regelman (100 butterfly).

On the boys’ side, the Vikings followed the lead of their 200 medley relay team, which took the day’s second event, edging Choctaw, to set the tone for the remainder of the competition.

Joshua Williams, Daniel Craig, Joseph Mackenzie and Cody Conant edged the Indians quartet by just over a second. Fort Walton Beach also notched wins from the foursome in the 200 free relay.

The Vikings made the meat of their scoring in second-place finishes by Mackenzie (200 free), David Stevens (200 IM), Williams (100 butterfly), Conant (100 free) as well as their ‘B’ team in the 200 free relay and their ‘A’ team in the 400 free relay.

Choctaw’s boys were led by Christian Johnston (200 free), Michael Whitehurst (200 IM, 100 breaststroke), Patrick Whitehurst (100 butterfly) and Alex Strom (100 free), who all placed first.

The Indians’ 400 free relay team of Michael Whitehurst, Patrick Whitehurst, Strom and Ryan Adams also clinched a first-place finish.

The day started on a high note for the Indians as their girls’ 200 medley relay team of Jacque Schlageter, Olivia Strom, Cheryl Corvo and Jaide Lewis edged their Fort Walton Beach counterparts in the day’s first event. Strom earned first-place finishes in the 200 free and 100 butterfly as well as in the 200 free relay.

Choctaw also received winning efforts from Lewis (200 IM), Corvo (100 breaststroke) and its 200 free relay team of Corvo, Strom, Lewis and Hannah Totten.

Niceville’s lone first-place performer came on the boys’ side where Ross Spock swam to wins in the 50 free and 100 backstroke.

Last season, Fort Walton Beach parlayed county championships into district and regional titles on the boys’ side while the girls finished as district runner-up.