Aqua Valks Win Regionals

The Sacred Heart Swim Team took the Region Five swimming title on Thursday afternoon at the Region Five Swimming and Diving Championships at the University of Louisville’s Ralph Wright Natatorium.

The Valkyries swept the board, winning 10 of 12 events and taking home the team title.

SHA has won four straight state titles, but lost 12 seniors from last year’s graduating class. The team is a much younger team this year, requiring underclassmen to fill the big shoes of those 12 seniors.

Junior Ellie Masterson says the upperclassmen “didn’t really know what to expect going into regionals, but the younger girls have really stepped up and filled those places that we lost.”

The Aqua Valks finished with 663 points, beating runner-up Christian Academy with 342.5 points, followed by Assumption in third place with 236 points.

Senior Brooke Forde took first place in the 200 and 500 yard freestyles, while also beating her own Region Five record in the 200 free. Forde’s time of 1:47.68 beat her past record of 1:48.46.

When asked about breaking her own record, Forde says “it was my own record from last year so I’m just excited to be heading into state with a faster time than last year.”

Junior Tonner DeBeer won the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke, while freshman Claire Donan took home first in the 200 individual medley. Sophomore Allison Bauer was also an individual winner in the 100 free. SHA took first place in the 200 medley and 400 free relay.

Catch the Aqua Valks battle for their fifth straight state title at the Swimming State Championships Feb. 23-25 at U of L’s Ralph Wright Natatorium.