Seniors pace B-U swimmers to four state titles in record-breaking season finale

Brian Bergstrom
February 21, 2023

MORGANTOWN — Despite featuring just eight swimmers, the Buckhannon-Upshur High School swim teams turned in a banner performance at the West Virginia State Swim Meet last weekend, winning four state titles. Each team also placed in the top five statewide, with the girls finishing third and the boys fifth.

Seniors Cadence Vincent and Preston Bennett paced Buckhannon-Upshur with a pair of wins each.

Vincent, who will swim for the University of Alabama next year, claimed individual gold medals in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events while setting new state records in each. Her new times of 22.95 and 49.91 are now the marks to beat.

Vincent also brought home a silver medal as part of the 200-yard medley relay team, where she was joined by Rylee Yardley, Alayna Whitehair and Lillian Fetty. The quartet placed second with a time of 1:57.71.

The same group earned bronze medals in the 200-yard free relay with a time of 1:44.88.

Rounding out the girl’s side, Whitehair finished third in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:09.89) and fourth in the 200-yard IM (2:17.90).

For the B-U boys, Bennett captured a solo gold in the 200-yard freestyle after rallying in the finals, where he dropped five seconds off his preliminary time to win in 1:42.81. He then claimed silver in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:45.30.

Bennett will swim for WVU next year.

The Buccaneers also brought home gold in the 200-yard freestyle relay, where Bennett joined Carter Zuliani, Owen Caynor and Reis Leonard to win in a time of 1:31.91.

The same squad finished third in the 200-yard medley relay, turning in a time of 1:42.69.

Zuliani added a fourth-place swim in the 50-yard free (22.38), while Leonard finished fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:03.51).

Overall, the Lady Bucs finished fourth out of 26 teams with 105 points. George Washington won the girls division with a commanding 207 points, while Morgantown was second with 138.