Marietta’s Kipplyn McNeal competes in the 100 breaststroke during Saturday’s Penguin Invitational at the Parkersburg YMCA. (Photo by Kerry Patrick)

PARKERSBURG — The Parkersburg swimmers representing the senior class received their due after all.

Despite a delay because of the weather, the eight individuals – seven boys and one girl – who gave four years to the Big Red swim program were recognized during Saturday’s Penguin Invitational at the Parkersburg YMCA.

The meet was originally scheduled for Jan. 11, but a snowstorm and the frigid temperatures which followed, meant a three-week layoff between meets for PHS.

Similar to past outgoing senior classes, this particular day tugged at the emotions of Big Red coach Emily Martin. Martin and her staff spent countless hours trying to make sure the tradition of the Penguin Invite continued.

“Leading into the original meet, we kind of knew the meet would be cancelled – but we still had to do all the work as if it wasn’t going to be cancelled because if the snowstorm missed us we had to have the meet,” Martin said. “We had to be ready. So when it was cancelled it was a lot of leg work turning around and finding the date that worked for everybody, and getting people here. It’s been a long three weeks, but it was important to have this meet and honor our seniors, and give them the sendoff they deserve.

“These seniors have become the spirit of the team. They’ve stepped up and become leaders for this team. Today is always the hardest part of the season for me. Watching them grow, both as swimmers and as people, and becoming young adults is my favorite part of this job.”

A total of seven schools scored in the girls division to go with the five in the boys field. Bridgeport came hungry for bear and claimed both titles. The Indians, who won eight of 11 events on the girls side, scored 330 points compared to 245 for the runner-up Big Reds. Parkersburg South followed in third place with 231.5 points, while Marietta took fourth with 134.5 points.

On the boys side, pretty much a duplicate showing as Bridgeport won with 473 points on the strength of wins in seven events. The Big Reds took second place with 383 points, while Parkersburg South settled into third place with 254 points. Marietta was fourth with 68 points.

PHS and South accounted for wins in the remaining seven events. The Big Red girls captured the 200 free relay behind Jaelyn Kalika, Lily Jones, Lily Farinash and Delaney Snodgrass. Snodgrass also won the 100 backstroke.

South senior Quade Harris was a double-winner after taking the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke, while PHS freshman Levi Morr captured the 200 individual medley. The Big Red foursome of Andrew Shafer, Daniel Martin, Cooper Morris and Levi Morr turned in the fastest time in the 200 freestyle relay.

PHS had not competed in a meet since Jan. 4. But now its crunch time with the Mountain State Athletic Conference Meet scheduled for Friday followed by regionals eight days later.

“Getting a meet in today has the kids really fired up,” Martin said. “We trained them so hard this past week. We’re not starting to rest those muscles yet, and I’m still making sure that they are dog tired. Some of them came up to me and mentioned their legs died, but we still had some really impressive times that should have them fired up and ready to go for the championship season.

“Both the boys and girls can make a run at MSACs. Obviously, it will be a lot harder for the girls because we only have seven swimmers so that puts us at a disadvantage. But like I’ve said before, these girls surprise me at every turn and anything can happen. For the boys, you have defending state champion Huntington. It’s not going to be easy at all, but I think both teams can definitely make a run for it.”

As for Parkersburg South, the Patriots were coming off a second-place finish in the boys division and third in the girls at last week’s OVAC Championships. Several girls are on the mend from what coach Ryan Radcliff termed “maintenance” issues and did not compete at the Penguin Invite. He expects his program to be at full strength when the schedule resumes in two weeks for regionals at Brooke High School.

“At OVACs, it went really well – the guys swam out of their minds,” Radcliff said. “They overcame like 80 points from where they were seeded. That’s a lot. The girls gained a lot as well.

“Obviously, this meet today wasn’t on our schedule, but we wanted something to have a last chance to get some good times,” Radcliff said. “We had some kids try some new events. Levi Benton is a freshman who tried the 500 free for the first time and did really well. KInd of wish I would have put him in earlier.”

After having a good chuckle about Benton’s status, the coaching staff touched on the contribution Marie Silvis is making in the breaststroke. The transition was fluid after she joined the swim team following a lengthy soccer season. On Saturday, the sophomore placed fourth and only two tenths of a second behind third place.

“Marie has come a long way this year,” Radcliff said. “In every single meet we’ve had, she has dropped time. And that’s hard to do.”

Marietta’s top performers included Smith Oliver placing second in both the 200 freestyle and 100 backstyle, Madi Lovejoy placing runner-up in both the 50 free and 100 free, and Estella Styer taking third in the 200 IM.

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com