BRIDGEPORT – Despite their small numbers, the Buckhannon-Upshur Buccaneer and Lady Buc swim teams came up big individually in the Region III Swim Championships held this past Saturday in Bridgeport.

The teams will combine to send five swimmers for nine events in the state championships in 10 days in Morgantown.

“The work everyone put in this year really showed at regionals,” remarked Buckhannon-Upshur head coach Kelly Terhune. “Almost everyone dropped their times in their respective events at this meet.”

For the Lady Bucs, Lillian Fetty advanced to states in the 200-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle, Mallory Hughes advanced in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle while Rylee Yardley will go to states in the 100-yard backstroke.

Those three girls along with Sammie Shay, will compete at states in two relay events, the 200-yard medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay.

Hughes finished third in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 26.54 and fourth in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 59.86 to automatically qualify.

Fetty, in the two events she qualified for, placed eighth in the 500-yard freestyle with a clocking of 6:14.97 and placed ninth in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 36.75.

Yardley placed eighth in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:13.91.

Both Fetty and Yardley advanced to states based on their times.

The foursome of Yardley, Shay, Hughes and Fetty finished third in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:57.65 and placed fifth in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 2:12.59.

The other top 10 finish for the girls was Shay taking ninth in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:31.90.

The girls finished sixth out of 15 teams with 33 points. Elkins won the team title with 138 points while Herbert Hoover was second with 78.

On the boy’s side, Carter Zuliani automatically qualified for states in two events, the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle.

For Zuliani, he advanced in the 50-yard freestyle placing third with a time of 22.83 and in the 100-yard freestyle finishing third with a time of 52.78.

The other top 10 finish for the boys belonged to Aiden Squires finishing 10^th in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 1:03.34.

Bridgeport won the boy’s title with 138 points while Robert C. Byrd was second with 92 points.

The Bucs finished sixth out of 11 teams with 12 points.

The state swim meet is scheduled for Feb. 15 and 16 at Morgantown’s Mylan Aquatic Center.