The Paul Laurence Dunbar boys and the Lafayette girls defended their team titles at the KHSAA Region 8 Swimming and Diving Championships, which wrapped up Jan. 25 in Barbourville. The win marked Dunbar’s sixth straight boys team title, and the Bulldogs notched their 18th straight combined title with their girls team’s second place added in.
Dunbar’s Kennedy Brooks earned Most Outstanding Female Swimmer honors with a record pace in the 100-yard backstroke and wins in the 50-yard freestyle and 400-yard freestyle team relay. Lafayette’s Jimmy Rogers was named Most Outstanding Male Swimmer for wins in the 200-yard individual medley, 100-yard breaststroke, and 200 free team relay.
Girls Team Standings: 1. Lafayette, 2. Dunbar, 5. Tates Creek, 6. Bryan Station, 7. Frederick Douglass, Henry Clay
Winners:
- 200-yard Medley Relay: Lafayette (Riley Shaw, Lauren Wedeking, Myla Phelps, Lydia Dever)
- 200-Yard Freestyle: Lauren Wedeking, Lafayette
- 50-Yard Freestyle: Kennedy Brooks, Dunbar
- 500-Yard Freestyle: Lauren Wedeking, Lafayette
- 100-Yard Backstroke: Kennedy Brooks, Dunbar
- 400-Yard Freestyle Relay: Dunbar (Amelia Jones, Mallory Jones, Duncan Hornback, Kennedy Brooks)
Boys Team Standings: 1. Dunbar, 2. Henry Clay, 3. Lafayette, 5. Tates Creek, 8. Frederick Douglass, 12. Bryan Station
Winners:
- 200-yard Medley Relay: Henry Clay (Nick Johnson, Hayes Doolin, Jack Liau, Charlie Kidder)
- 200-Yard Freestyle: Charlie Kidder, Henry Clay
- 200-Yard IM: Jimmy Rogers, Lafayette
- 50-Yard Freestyle: Isaac Barrow, Lafayette
- 100-Yard Butterfly: Jack Liau, Henry Clay
- 100-Yard Freestyle: Nick Johnson, Henry Clay
- 500-Yard Freestyle: Sammy Nunez, Dunbar
- 200-Yard Freestyle Relay: Lafayette (Isaac Barrow, Jimmy Rogers, Colton Brewer, Joseph Schmidt)
- 100-Yard Backstroke: Isaac Barrow, Lafayette
- 100-Yard Breaststroke: Jimmy Rogers, Lafayette
- 400-Yard Freestyle Relay: Henry Clay (Jack Liau, Charlie Kidder, Hayes Doolin, Nick Johnson)
The first round of the 2025 state competition is Feb. 8, with the finals set for Feb. 20-22.
Source: Herald-Leader