Hudsons lead Patriot tankers

CONNERSVILLE - Aaron and Mary Hudson aren't twins. But they may as well have been Saturday.

Aaron won the 100-yard breaststroke and placed second in the 100 butterfly to lead the Jay County High School boys swim team to a runner-up finish at the Connersville Invitational. Mary, Aaron's younger sister, finished in the same positions in the same two events as she paced the Patriot girls to a second-place finish.

The JCHS boys scored 270 points, finishing just five behind champion New Castle in the six-team event. The host Spartans were third with 253.

Jay County's girls scored 273 points, also finishing behind New Castle (283.5). Connersville was third at 218.

Aaron Hudson turned in a narrow win in the breaststroke, fighting off Matthew Stoughton of Centerville by 13 hundredths of a second in 1 minute, 6.86 seconds. Mary won the girls race by nearly four seconds in 1:11.08.

In the butterfly Aaron was the runner-up Centerville's Brett Stoughton by just 17 hundredths of a second in 59.21. Mary turned in a time of 1:05.32 for the runner-up spot in the girls butterfly.

Mary Hudson also teamed with Michelle Landfair, Marissa Murrell and Martyna Gajewska for a winning time of 1:52.66 in the 200 freestyle with Landfair reaching the wall just three hundredths of a second ahead of Lauren Warner of New Castle.

Jared Valentine was third for the boys team in the 200 freestyle in at 2:11.34, and also placed fourth at 5:59.76 in the 500 freestyle le. Neal Fennig was third in the 50 freestyle in24.45 and fifth with a time of 1:03.42 in the 100 backstroke.

For the girls team Eme Miller finished in 5:58.66 for third in the 500 freestyle and also took fifth in the 50 freestyle in 27.59. Megan Taylor placed third in diving with 280.9 points.

Miller, Murrell, Mary Hudson and Elaine Hemmelgarn were third in the girls 200 medley relay in 2:05.44, and Miller, Landfair, Jocelyn Mann and Caitlin Ruchgy placed third in the 400 freestyle relay in 4:12.72.

Aaron Hudson joined Valentine, Fennig and Charles Burress for a third-place time of 3:55.84 in the 400 freestyle relay.

Other top event finishes for Jay County came from Lucas Holcomb (fourth - 100 freestyle) and Alex Sutton (seventh - 200 individual medley) for the boys and Landfair (fourth - 100 freestyle, fourth - 200 freestyle) and Laura Bowen (fifth - 200 individual medley, fifth - 100 backstroke) for the girls.[[In-content Ad]]