Saints go fast in home finale

Published 8:21 pm Saturday, January 29, 2011

Backstroke: Nansemond-Suffolk’s Jeff Ruland won the 100-meter backstroke in 1:06.40 and the 200 individual medley in 2:28.43 as both Saint swimming teams went 2-0 over Bishop Sullivan and Norfolk Collegiate at the Suffolk Family YMCA Friday.

Nansemond-Suffolk’s swim teams swept their Senior Day meet with victories over Bishop Sullivan Catholic and Norfolk Collegiate at the Suffolk Family YMCA Friday afternoon.

Jeff Ruland won two individual events and led two victorious Saint relay teams, giving NSA’s boys team 14 wins in head-to-head meets this season. The Saints beat Bishop Sullivan 61-30 and Norfolk Collegiate 70.5-23.5.

Meredith Davis and Gabrielle Bishop won two events each for the Lady Saints. The Lady Saints beat the Lady Crusaders 62-31 and the Lady Oaks 51-43.

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Ruland, Ben Wilson, Matt Lee and Kevin Joseph started the meet by edging Bishop Sullivan’s top relay team in the 200-meter medley relay.

Ruland went on to win the 200 individual medley in 2:28.43 and the 100 backstroke in 1:06.40.

Joseph won the 100 butterfly in 1:10.12. Lee won the 100 breaststroke in 1:19.46. Graham Wagner won the marathon, the 400-meter freestyle, in 5:16.06, 50 seconds better than the runner-up.

Bishop Sullivan’s Connor McMahon edged Joseph in the 50 freestyle, the sprint event of a swim meet, by 0.37 seconds.

The Lady Saints won six of the eight individual races. Davis easily won the 50 freestyle, in 30.85 seconds, almost three seconds clear of two Norfolk Collegiate swimmers. Davis won the 100 backstroke in 1:17.54.

Bishop topped the field by eight seconds in the 200 individual medley, winning in 2:29.66, and won the 400 free in 4:40.01, 1:09.9 faster than her closest competitor.

Bishop, Davis, Emily Neuburg and Laura Wild teamed to win the 200 free relay in 2:00.31.

Neuburg won the 200 freestyle in 2:26.32 and Taylor Berard won the 100 free in 1:10.15.

NSA has one more tune-up before the conference and state championship meets. The Saints travel to The Seton School in Manassas for the Division II (Virginia Independent School, Div. II) Invitational Saturday. The Tidewater Conference meet is Feb. 12 in Newport News.