Pinewood Preparatory School’s swim team opened the season with a splash at the Newberry Academy Invitational.

Pinewood’s boys took first place overall and the girls placed second. The boys dominated the relays, finishing first across the board.

Leading the way was Michael Tibbs, who earned the high-point award with two first-place finishes.

Tibbs won the 200-yard IM with a 2:18.68 time and the 100 Breast with a 1:14.12 time.

Florian Vogt and Alex Grossman tied for second. Vogt cleared the pool with a first in the 50 Free (24.65) and second in the 100 Fly –(1:04.73).

Grossman followed up with a first in the 100 Free (58.90) and a second in the 200 Free (2:12.76).

Brooks Bowen and Taylor Greene battled it out for second and third place finishes in the 500 Free.

Bowen placed second with a 6:20.19 time and Greene finished third with a 6:20.56 mark. Greene also brought in points with a third in the 200 Free (2:19.31). Sophomore Darien Hernandez placed third in the 100 Fly (1:13.47) and fourth in the 200 IM.

Marty Liner dropped time to place second in the 100 Back (1:12.00).

Liner also brought in points with a sixth place in the 500 Free. David Soyka contributed with two fifth-place finishes in the 200 IM and the 500 Free.

Pinewood’s young girls’ team shows promise. Seventh-grader Kasey Grossman dropped 24 seconds to take second in the 200 Free (2:44.37). Shelby Lemons took third in the 100 Fly (1:23.22) and fourth in the 100 Back.

Penny Sharpe scored with a fourth in the 500 Free and a fifth in the 100 Back. Cassidy Latham brought fifth-place finishes in the 200 IM and the 100 Breast. Elizabeth Soyka placed fifth in the 200 Free and sixth in the 500 Free.

Also contributing points were Ashleigh Littlewood with a fifth in the 100 Fly and Emily Pelcher with a sixth in the 100 Fly.

Swimming newcomer Samantha Hillesheim made her presence known with a sixth-place finish in the 200 Free.

Tibbs, Vogt, A. Grossman and Bowen swept their relays with first-place finishes in 200 Medley Relay (2:00.65) and the 200 Free Relay (1:45.50).

Taking first place in the 400 Free Relay (4:26.10) was the team of Greene, Hernandez, Liner and D. Soyka.

Placing second for the girls in the 200 Free Relay (2:14.77) were Sharpe, E. Soyka, Lemons and K. Grossman. The young team of Pelcher, Hillesheim, Littlewood and E. Soyka placed third in the 400 Free Relay (5:27.00). Sharpe, Latham, Lemons and K. Grossman took a fourth in the 200 Medley Relay.

Volleyball

The Pinewood Volleyball team opened its 2009 season Aug. 15 at the SCISA Challenge in Sumter. The Panthers finished the preseason tournament with a 6-1 overall record and were named Co-Champion of pool play.

he only loss the Panthers had was to Cardinal Newman early in the tournament. Coach Tracy Orvin was pleased with the Panthers' debut and is looking forward to an exciting season with this new squad.

The Panthers are led by senior captains Bailey Mennetti and Jasmine Simmons and returning players Monet Scott, Katie Hickok, Kelsey Orvin and Noelle Clower. Rounding out the team from last year's JV squad are Zoe Holman, Patrice Matthews and Julianne Watson. New to the Panthers this year is Sarah Edwards. Addie Clower and Maria Corella will see playing time from both junior varsity and varsity squads this year.

The team traveled to Hilton Head Christian last week and recorded their first conference win of the season by defeating HHC 3-1.

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