Published: Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009 / Updated: Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009 08:58 AM

Nation Ford's Ashcraft leads local contingent

COLUMBIA -- Evan Ashcraft won one individual state title and was part of two winning relay teams to help the Nation Ford boys' team to a fifth-place finish at the 2009 Class AAAA State Swim Meet on Saturday at South Carolina. The Fort Mill boys' and Northwestern girls' teams came in sixth to lead Herald-area schools.

Ashcraft, a junior, won the 200 individual medley race. He outdistanced the competition in the breaststroke portion of the event to win by three seconds. The win was Ashcraft's first individual title. He finished second the last two years, losing to his older brother, Justin, and another former teammate, Jordan Berry.

Nation Ford coach Meredith Cataldo said Ashcraft can swim in any event and be successful. That's why he is so good in the 200 IM.

“That race is perfect for him,” Cataldo explained. “Breast is his best event. It's his powerhouse. He is a great team leader; great with the young kids and very encouraging.”

Nation Ford won the 200- and 400-meter freestyle relays. The 400 win was a repeat of last year when the Falcons won the Class AAAA team title. Winning the 200 was the ultimate goal for the team, according to Cataldo.

The Fort Mill boys' team of Al Lim, Sam Van Buskirk, Alex Huffman and Kyle Patterson won the 200 medley relay.

“Were we hoping to win that race? Yes,” said Fort Mill coach Cindy Van Buskirk. “Were we expecting it? No.”

Patterson swam the final leg of the race and edged out Dorman's swimmer by four-hundredths of a second.

“(Patterson) is a sprinter. He's always been a sprinter,” Fort Mill coach Lindsey Hawkins said.

Northwestern junior Danielle Alcorn came home with the 100 freestyle title. She entered the event with the second seed. She trailed by about 4 feet as she made the final turn but made up the difference in the 25-yard sprint. She win came just the way she envisioned it would.

“I really thought about my finish before the race,” Alcorn said. “I wanted to finish strong.”

Susan Snyder is Northwestern's coach. She said Alcorn won the race by reaching out at the right moment.

“She has always had a good kick but she waits until the final 25 to show it,” Snyder said.

Class AAAA state swim meet results

School name key

(Aiken – AKN; Beaufort – BEU; Blythewood – BLY; Boiling Springs – BOS; Byrnes – BYR; Carolina Forest – CAF; Clover – CLO; Dorman – DOR; Dutch Fork – DUF; Fort Dorchester – FOD; Fort Mill – FM; Greenwood – GRW; Hillcrest – HLC; Irmo – IRM; James Island – JIS; Lancaster – LAC; Lexington – LEX; Mauldin – MLN; Nation Ford – NF; North Augusta - NOA ; Northwestern – NOW; South Florence – SOF; South Pointe – SOP; Spartanburg – SPT; Spring Valley – SPV; Stratford – STF; Summerville – SUM; Sumter – SMT; T.L. Hanna – TLH; Wando – WAN; West Ashley – WEA; West Florence – WEF; Westside – WES)

GIRLS TEAM SCORES

1. Mauldin 350; 2. Spartanburg 333; 3. Dorman 287; 4. Wando 224; 5. Irmo 212; 6. Northwestern 200; 7. Lexington 176.5; 8. Spring Valley 167; 9. North Augusta 162; 10. Summerville 123; 11. Fort Dorchester 120; 12. South Pointe 103; 13. Fort Mill 93; 14. Byrnes 81; 15. James Island 80; 16. Hillcrest 68; 17. Sumter 65; 18. Dutch Fork 64; 19. Nation Ford 60; 20. West Ashley 53; 21. Carolina Forest 46; 22. Boiling Springs 42; 23. Greenwood 41; 24. Blythewood 25; 25. West Florence 25; 26. Westside 23; 27. Aiken 19; 28. Lancaster 15.

Individual winner (name, school, time); local finishers (place, name, school)

200 medley relay – 1.Dorman 1:51.14; 2. Northwestern; 9.Fort Mill; 10. South Pointe; 14. Nation Ford. 200 freestyle – 1. Samantha Kluttz, JIS, 1:56.11; 10. Paige Conrad, SOP; 20. Michelle Case, FM; 22. Veronica Mobbs, FM; 24. J. Bartlett, NFD; 26. Leanna Martin, NOW. 200 IM - 1. Carolina Fore, BOS, 2:09.94; 12. Allie Barilla, FM; 14. Leanne Egan, SOP; 16. J. Aeschbacher, LAC; 25. Tori Herron, FM; 28. Sydney Heaton, NOW; 29. B. Sullivan, NOW. 50 free - 1. Lauryl Williams, DOR, 23.93; 2. Danielle Alcorn, NOW; 25. Sarah Bird, FM; 26. Madison Little, FM; 27. Kati Morris NF. 100 butterfly - 1. Chrissy Oberg, SPT, 58.57; 7. Conrad, SOP; 12. Ashley Martin, NOW; 16. Case, FM; 27. Jamie Huffman, FM. 100 free - 1. Alcorn, NOW, 54.04; 9. Alex Vezetti, NOW; 18. Meg Wiggins, FM; 23. Morris, NF; 24. Izzi Woodard, SOP; 25. Bird, FM. 500 free - 1. Klutts, JIS, 5:11.43; 7. Ellen Cannon, SOP; 17. Aeschbacher, LAC; 18. Mobbs, FM; 20. Herron, FM. 200 free relay - 1. Dorman, 10.08 * 11. South Pointe; 14. Fort Mill; 17. Northwestern; 18. Nation Ford. 100 backstroke - 1. Oberg, SPT, 57.96; 4. A. Martin, NOW; 7. Vezetti, NOW; 18. Egan, SOP; 22. Wiggins, FM; 29. R. Peterson, NF. 100 breaststroke – 1. Williams, DOR, 1:05.20*; 7. Sullivan, NOW; 8. Woodard, SOP; 11. Barilla, FM; 16. Heaton, NOW; 27. Huffman, FM. 400 free relay - 1. Mauldin, 3:38.53; 10. Northwestern; 12. Fort Mill; 15. Nation Ford; 18. Lancaster.