Boys Claim OVAC Swimming Title
Girls Team Runner-up
Press Release
By Danielle Holskey Anderson
WELLSBURG – The Barnesville High School swim team delivered a historic performance at the 2026 OVAC Swimming Championships this past weekend, coming home with the program’s first-ever Boys’ Small School title and the Girls’ Small School Runner-Up trophy. In a revamped meet format that saw the top 30 swimmers from all divisions (1A-5A) competing together before being scored by school size, the “small but mighty” Shamrock squad of 11 athletes proved their resilience.
The girls team consists of five swimmers: Leia Grear, Liv McCrate, Bonita Passmore, Kierra Phillips and Adalyn Spangenburg.
The boys team is made up of six swimmers: Jack Carpenter, Antoni Schuerle, Aiden Starr, Mason Starr, Brock Trigg and Maddox Whaley.
The team’s dedication resulted in several podium finishes and three new school records. Below are the results from Friday and Saturday.
- Girls 200 Medley Relay: 1st place for the girls team consisting of Leia Grear, Liv McCrate, Bonita Passmore and Keirra Phllips. Time – 2:06.30.
- Boys 200 Medley Relay: 1st place for the boys team consisting of Jack Carpenter, Antoni Schuerle, Maddox Whaley and Mason Starr. Time -1:52.26.
- 200 Free Style: Leia Grear – 4th place with a time of 2:25.06.
- 200 Individual Medley: Maddox Whaley – 2nd place with a time of 2:01.84 200.
- 200 Individual Medley: Liv McCrate – 2nd place with a time of 2:18.44 setting a new school record.
- 50 Freestyle: Antoni Schuerle – 1st place with a time of 2:14.38 50.
- 50 Freestyle: Adalyn Spangenburg – 5th place with a time of 31.27; Kierra Phillips – 6th place with a time of 31.57 100
- 100 Butterfly: Bonita Passmore – 4th place with a time of 1:12.14.
- 100 Butterfly: Brock Trigg – 2nd place with a time of 1:14.07.
- 100 Freestyle: Adalyn Spangenburg – 3rd place with a time of 1:10.38
- 100 Freestyle: Maddox Whaley – 1st place with a time of 52.52
- 500 Freestyle: Kierra Phillips – 2nd place with a time of 6:58.01
- 500 Freestyle: Aiden Starr – 3rd place with a time of 6:40.36.
- Boys 200 Freestyle Relay: 1st place with a time of 1:39.77 with a team of Mason Starr, Jack Carpenter, Antoni Schuerle, and Maddox Whaley
- 100 Backstroke: Bonita Passmore – 1st place with a time of 1:08.79
- 100 Backstroke: Jack Carpenter – 2nd place with a time of 1:06.02
- 100 Breaststroke: Liv McCrate – 1st place with a time of 1:08.66 and setting a new school record; Leia Grear – 5th place with a time of 1:24.51
- Antoni Schuerle – 1st place with a time of 1:04.55 and setting a new school record.
- 400 Freestyle Relay: 2nd place with a time of 4:18.47 with a team of Kierra Phillips, Leia Grear, Bonita Passmore, and Liv McCrate
- 400 Freestyle Relay: 3rd place with a time of 4:11.86 with a team of Brock Trigg, Aiden Starr, Mason Starr, and Jack Carpenter
[Barnesville Summer Swim Team photo]
In Friday competition, Liv McCrate broke her personal 200 Individual Medley record with a time of 2:18.44.
[Barnesville Summer Swim Team photo]
In Saturday action, Ant Schuerle reset his personal 100 Breaststroke record with a time of 1:04.55.
The following Shamrock swimmers qualified for the OVAC Championships at Brooke High in Wellsburg.
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