Staff report
SALISBURY — The Rowan County Championships were held on Friday at the Hurley YMCA.
Carson’s boys won a balanced meet with 246 points. Next were East Rowan (232), South Rowan (182), Salisbury (175) and North Rowan (32).
West Rowan doesn’t have a team this year.
Carson’s depth gave the Cougars the second team title in program history. Carson also won in 2020.
Carson had no individual winners, but had second places from Jack Smith, Ethan Fortin and Dylan Alexander and was runner-up in two relays. The Cougars put three swimmers in a lot of events and those sevenths, eighths and ninths added up.
South Rowan had an individual winner in freshman Guy Deal in the 100 backstroke. The Raiders also took the 200 free relay, with Deal teaming with Davis Kemp, Ethan Overby and Jared McElhannon.
North Rowan had an individual winner as Rylan Furr edged East’s Will Kesler in the 100 breaststroke.
East swimmers won two relays and six individual events. Brett Steelman and Rodney Hawkins had 4-for-4 days for the Mustangs, swimming on two winning relays and taking two individual titles apiece.
East had won the county meets in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Winners
200 medley relay — East. 1:59.16. Clayton Lowe, Will Kesler, Rodney Hawkins, Brett Steelman.
200 freestyle — Will Kesler, East. 2:23.01.
200 IM — Rodney Hawkins, East. 2:21.58.
50 freestyle — Brett Steelman, East. 26.15.
100 butterfly — Clayton Lowe, East. 1:08.59.
100 freestyle — Brett Steelman, East. 59.23.
500 freestyle — Rodney Hawkins. East. 5:30.61.
200 free relay — South. 1:47.25. Davis Kemp, Ethan Overby, Jared McElhannon, Guy Deal.
100 backstroke — Guy Deal, South. 1:05.67.
100 breaststroke — Rylan Furr, North. 1:16.37.
400 free relay — East. 4:04.75. Clayton Lowe, Will Kesler, Brett Steelman, Rodney Hawkins.
County team champs
Boys
1998 Salisbury
1999 East
2000 South
2001 South
2002 West
2003 South
2004 South
2005 South
2006 South
2007 South
2008 South
2009 South
2010 South
2011 South
2012 South
2013 —-
2014 South
2015 South
2016 South
2017 Salisbury
2018 Salisbury
2019 South
2020 Carson
2021 ——
2022 South
2023 East
2024 East
2025 East
2026 Carson
