Local swimmers help PHS finners take third at State

Five local area swimmers wrapped up the season with the Powell High School boys swimming team at the 3A State Swimming and Diving Championships Thursday through Saturday in Gillette.Rocky Mountain High School senior Seth Fuller concluded his high school swimming career by placing second in the 100-yard backstroke, swimming in at 55.99 seconds, and placing third in the 200-yard IM, touching the wall in 2:05.48. He also participated on the 200-yard medley relay team that placed second with a time of 1:43.77, and on the 400-yard freestyle relay team that placed third with a time of 3:29.55.“Seth Fuller added his name or improved his times in our swimming hall of fame,” coach Jerry Rodriguez said. “He moved into fourth place in the 200 IM and a third-place finish. He also moved into third place in the 100 free as leadoff in the 400 free relay prelims. His third hall of fame swim came in the 100 back where he placed second and jumped into the second fastest time in PHS history.”[caption id="attachment_10991" align="alignright" width="285"] Rocky Mountain High School senior Seth Fuller competes in an event for the Powell Panther boys swimming team during the 3A State Swimming and Diving Championships Thursday through Saturday in Gillette.
Dustin Fuller photo[/caption]RMHS sophomore Jared Fuller placed 13^th in the 100 backstroke, swimming in at 1:06.99, just .88 seconds short of qualifying for the finals, and placed 20^th in the 200 freestyle, finishing the event in 2:12.43.Lovell High School sophomore Hudson Wilkerson placed second in the one-meter dive with a score of 322.4 points.“Although it is not a record PHS score, sophomore Hudson Wilkerson’s second-place finish in diving is the best for a Powell diver in many years,” Rodriguez said.LHS sophomore Dillinger Wilkerson placed 18^th in the 100 breast stroke, finishing the event in 1:16.24.As a team, the Panthers finished third with 167 points, just eight points behind second-place Lyman with 175 points and ahead of fourth-place Rawlins by 41 points. Lander won the state title with 350 points.Worland dualCompeting in a dual meet against Worland Friday, Feb. 19, in Powell, Seth Fuller won the 200-yard freestyle, swimming in at 1:58.52, and won the 100-yard breaststroke, touching the wall in 1:10.12. He also participated on the 200-medley relay A team that won the event in 1:49.85 and on the 200 freestyle relay A team that also won the event in 1:39.62.Jared Fuller placed fifth in the 100 freestyle, swimming in at 1:01.91, and placed ninth in the 50 freestyle, finishing the event in 28.73 seconds. He also participated on the 400 freestyle relay B team that finished second with a time of 4:23.22 and on the 200 freestyle relay C team that finished fourth with a time of 1:54.28.Hudson Wilkerson placed third in the one-meter dive, scoring 156.95 points, and placed seventh in the 50 freestyle, swimming in at 28.07 seconds. He also participated on the 200 freestyle relay B team that placed third with a time of 1:51.42.Dillinger Wilkerson placed fifth in the 100 breast stroke, swimming in at 1:19.44, and placed sixth in the 200 freestyle, finishing the event in 2:21.62. He also participated on the 400 freestyle relay C team that finished third with a time of 4:52.01 and on the 200 freestyle relay D team that finished fifth with a time of 2:05.3.LHS freshman Chris Lopez placed third in the 100 freestyle, finishing the event in 1:01.11, and placed sixth in the 50 free, touching the wall in 27.46 seconds. He also participated on the 400 freestyle relay A team that won the event in 4:02.87 and on the 200 freestyle relay B team with Hudson Wilkerson.As a team, Powell defeated Worland 114-59.

By Sam Smith