This past Saturday the Picayune Maroon Tide swim team competed in the South State championships and clinched more than a dozen state championship qualifying times.

“The Picayune Swim Team has had a very successful season. All the swimmers showed up to South State and all swam their best. Out of the 16 we took to South State, 14 will be taking the trip up to Tupelo this Friday,” said Head Coach Rachel Rutherford.

Relay events

Along with 14 individual swimmers, Picayune will send relay swimmers to the State Championship. Swimmers Lauren Stevenson, Victoria Vloedman, Addison Taggard and Heidi Hill will compete the 200 Medley relay after coming in fourth place at South State. The boys 200 Medley relay, featuring Steele Sheasby, Parker Helton, Ryder Burge and Ian Herring, also finished South State in forth place and will compete at State.

The girls 200 free relay finished 7th at South State, featuring swimmers Lauren Stevenson, Victoria Vloedman, Addison Taggard and Heidi Hill.

The boys 200 free relay finished 6th, they featured swimmers Morgan Craft, Parker Helton, Ryder Burge and Ian Herring.

Individual events

All the listed swimmers qualified to race in State Championships in their respected events. The following is where they placed during the South State Championships;

Lauren Stevenson placed fifth in the girls 200 free. In the girls 200 IM, Victoria Vloedman placed 8th and Jacey Luckie placed 9th. The boys 200 IM featured sixth place Ryder Burge and 7th place Steele Sheasby.

Heidi Hill came in sixth during in the girls 50 free.

Addison Taggard also came in sixth place but in the girls 500 free race. She also came in sixth place for the 100 back.

For the boys 100 back, Steele Sheasby came in fifth place and Ryder Burge came in 7th place. In the girls 100 breast, Lauren Stevenson finished in fourth place, and Allie Bond finished in 9th.

The State Championships will be at Tupelo Aquatic Center Friday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 22.