Monroe places 2nd

Josh Monroe cut nearly two seconds from his preliminary time.

It wasn’t quite enough.

Monroe placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke Saturday, posting the best finish for the host Jay County High School boys swim team in the sectional meet.

The Patriots placed eighth out of 11 teams with 151 points, 18 ahead of ninth-place Bellmont and 27 behind seventh-place Huntington North.

Norwell, which won five events, repeated as the sectional champion with 395 points, topping runner-up Delta by 82.

Monroe was the highest seeded Patriot heading into Saturday’s finals at No. 2 in the 100 breaststroke, trailing Kody Coyne of Burris by 1.36 seconds.

With a trip to the state finals on the line — the winner of each swimming event advances — he sliced 1.96 seconds in the sectional championship race. But Coyne’s cut of just under a second was enough to keep him in the No. 1 spot as he finished in 1 minute, 2.91 seconds, compared to Monroe’s 1:03.22.

Monroe also placed sixth in the 200 individual medley in 2:14.74.

Wyatt Kunkler was the only other Patriot to compete in a championship race Saturday, finishing seventh in the 100 freestyle in 54.17.

Matthew Fisher, Peyton Yowell, Monroe and Kunkler turned in the top relay effort for Jay County, finishing in 1:41.86 for sixth place in the 200 freestyle relay. Joseph Dow, Yowell, Monroe and Kunkler were seventh in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:48.66.

Also competing in Saturday’s consolation finals races for the Patriots were Kunkler (ninth – 50 freestyle), Dow (ninth – 500 freestyle), Fisher (12th – 100 backstroke), David Keen (14th – 6:20.19) and Yowell (16th – 50 freestyle). Brasen Glassford scored 225.55 points to finish ninth in diving.

Lincoln Clamme, Fisher, Keen and Dow were ninth in the 200 medley relay.