Falcons’ relay flies
- Updated: November 20, 2016
Donoho’s 200 freestyle relay team shaves six seconds off previous day’s time, qualifies for state championship; County MVPs Angell, Balma among 4 individual qualifiers
Marshall Twigg (top) waits for Pitts Angell to touch before springing into his anchor leg of the 1A-5A 200 freestyle relay in the AHSAA Central Sectional Meet. On the cover, the qualifying relay team of (left to right) Angell, Slade Haney, Twigg and Camden Kitchen. (Photos courtesy of Johnnie Pearson)
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
BIRMINGHAM (Nov. 19) – Pitts Angell was never so happy to find a place to sit. It was the most comfortable seat in the house.
The Donoho senior inspired his 200 freestyle relay teammates to give their absolute all in Saturday’s Class 1A-5A Central Sectional swim meet at the Birmingham Crossplex. They couldn’t have given much more, and now they’re going to the state championships in Auburn.
The team, together for the first time, swam the sectional final in 1:59.84, shaving an incredible six seconds off their Friday qualifying time, to finish fourth and earn a spot in the state meet. They beat Prattville Christian to the wall by three seconds for the final qualifying spot.
“It was definitely a pleasant surprise to qualify in the 200 relay,” Angell said. “We went in there yesterday and I wasn’t very happy with the time. I told them if you can walk (at the end of the race), you’re not going fast enough. I told them their legs should be dead at the end of the race if they put everything into it – and they did. I’m really proud of the whole relay team.”
All four swimmers shaved time off Friday’s 2:05.98 run. Sophomore leadoff Camden Kitchen, seventh-grade No. 2 Slade Haney and seventh-grade anchor Marshall Twigg were all two seconds better than their previous best times. Even Angell was two-tenths of a second faster.
Angell said all four of them “could barely walk” when they got out of the pool, but they still had a little left in the tank. A short time later they qualified third in the 400 freestyle relay (4:41.18).
“They got together as a team and decided they could do it and they executed,” Falcons swim coach Johnnie Pearson said. “They were in sudden death to make it … and they were just dropping time like crazy to make it happen. You make the assumption the day before you’re giving everything you’ve got and to come out and this, it’s just amazing.”
Angell, the boys high-point getter in Monday’s Calhoun County Meet, was already state qualified in the 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly, but finished second in both sectional finals (53.37 in the free, 57.66 in the fly).
Weaver’s Lucia Balma, the girls high-point getter in the county meet, had already qualified in the 200 and 500 freestyle. She finished fifth in 200 sectional final (2:19.40) and fourth in the 500 final (6:12.18).
White Plains’ Jacob Heath grabbed a spot in the boys 200 freestyle, finishing third in 2:14.18.
Oxford’s Cade Hilbun also had previously qualified in the boys 6A-7A 100 freestyle, and was sixth in the sectional final (54.50).
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