Suffolk News-Herald

As the wee hours of Saturday morning swept across Suffolk, Tiffany Buckley and Brittany Voltin were absolutely exhausted. The Nansemond-Suffolk Academy (NSA) swimmers had helped their team to a 59-35 victory over Norfolk Collegiate (NC) on Friday afternoon at the Suffolk YMCA, with Buckley swimming in four races and Voltin three (the Lady Saints also lost 54-40 to Walsingham).

Most young athletes would be all too eager to get a great night’s sleep. But the two Lady Saints and the rest of their team had a special reason to stay actively awake for a few more hours. The team was holding its seventh annual American Cancer Society Swim-A-Thon at the YMCA, and the girls couldn’t wait to hop into the pool once again.

&uot;We’re swimming for a cure,&uot; said Buckley, in her third year of &uot;swim-a-thonning.&uot;

&uot;It’s great to raise money for cancer patients. I’m exhausted from the meet, but I’ll be fine as long as I keep drinking soda.&uot;

Voltin, who had raised over $100 for the event on her own, hoped she wouldn’t need any artificial arousal. &uot;I’ve a very energetic person, so I don’t think I’ll need any help,&uot; she said. &uot;I’m going to practice my freestyle and backstroke, so I can get better in the meets.&uot; The event was estimated to have raised over $4,000.

Danielle Waller, Anna Cotton, Tess Smith and Britney Bishop opened the NC meet by winning the 200 medley relay, while Buckley, Kelly Ruland, Kristen MacKinnon and Maggie Standing took third (For MacKinnon, the win was a 16th birthday present from the rest of the team).

Jade Bishop won the 200-freestyle and her sister Britney grabbed the 50 event. Britney then won the 100-freestyle, and she, Jade, Waller and Smith took the 200-freestyle relay. Jade won the 100-backstroke and Cotton the 100-breastroke, and Britney, Smith, Waller and Standing ended the meet by taking the 400-freestyle relay.

Jade and Britney also won the 50-free and 100-backstroke in the Walsingham meet, and they teamed with Smith and Waller to win the 200-freestyle relay. Britney, Smith, Cotton and Waller won the 200-medley relay, and Cotton won the 100-breastroke.

The boys were slightly less successful, falling 47-45 to NC and 59-35 to Walsingham.

Michael Miller finished first in the 50- and 100-freestyle in both meets, and Brandon Wilder won the 100-butterfly twice and the 200-medley against NC. Wilder, Miller, Joe Lewinski and Ryan Hanson won the 200- and 400-freestyle relays against both teams.

The Saints have their final home meet Feb. 6 against Stonebridge and Norfolk Chri-stian. For seniors Britney, Lewinski, Sarah D’Haem, Made-lyn Kukula and Nikki Moore, it will be their farewell match.