Hirata breaks swimming document | Davie County Enterprise Record

Hirata breaks swimming document

Published 12:35 pm Monday, December 29, 2025

By Brian Pitts
Enterprise Record

The Davie boys swim group completed sixth out of 24 groups within the hardest meet of the common season, and Zach Hirata was the largest purpose.
And the Lady War Eagles have been a not-too-shabby tenth within the annual Robert Sawyer Invitational in Greensboro on Dec. 17.
The solely groups that topped the Davie boys (206 factors) have been DeMatha Catholic (734.5), Northwest Guilford (483), Grimsley (386.5), Northern Guilford (293) and Page (291).
“Our team was excited to have another opportunity to swim at the Greensboro Aquatic Center,” coach Tak Hirata stated. “It is such a beautiful facility and one of the best venues in the country. We’re lucky to have it so close to home, but due to our regionals being at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center this year, we knew this would be the only opportunity to swim there. They came in jovial and relaxed, swam with a purpose and had a great time doing so as a team. Our relays swam well and individually we had lots of time drops. Seeing many of those who have put in the hours swim their personal bests was so exciting to see and quite rewarding.”
Hirata completed third within the 200 yard freestyle with a scorching time of 1:43.98, breaking a faculty document that had stood for 10 years. Nick Sinopoli went 1:45.73 in 2015.
The junior threatened the Davie document within the 100 yard butterfly, going 52.18 to put fourth.
“Once again coming close to breaking the record soon after swimming the 200 free and leading off the 100 free at 47.74,” the daddy/coach stated.
The Davie boys’ 200 free relay was fifth at 1:34.18. The foursome in that occasion: junior Xaiden Groff, senior Logan Zuleger, sophomore Josh McBride and Hirata. The identical foursome was fifth within the 400 free relay at 3:28.92. In that one, Hirata led off with a blazing 47.74 – “the first time anyone has gone 47’s in over a decade,” coach Hirata stated.
The Davie ladies, who tallied 172 factors, have been led by the 200 free relay group’s fourth-place efficiency. Sophomore Emory Butler, junior Samara McDaniel, junior Kayden Richardson and junior Olivia Dufur went 1:51.65 in that occasion.
“Every year at this meet we see some big-time swims, and it gives us a gauge of where they are physically about halfway into the season,” coach Hirata stated. “I was really pleased with how they showed up and raced.”
McBride, who went a personal-best 1:51.92 within the 200; the boys 200 free relay group, with Groff main off with a career-best 23.95; and the boys 400 free relay group met regional {qualifications}.
There have been a number of extra highlights on a day when Davie achieved 29 personal-best swims. Zuleger had PBs within the 50 free at 23.49 and the 100 breast at 1:05.82. Dufur had a 26.92 PB within the 50 free. Groff had a 57.51 PB within the 100 fly. Lily Wright was thirteenth within the 100 fly at 1:08.99 regardless of coming into that occasion for the primary time. She additionally had an enormous drop within the 100 breast. McBride almost had a PB in his 51.58 100 free. And George Crowley had a powerful 1:08.76 time within the 100 breast.
“Zach and Josh were able to put together some good performances,” the coach stated. “Lily was my breakout star at this meet. She was not certain about my choice to put her in the 100 butterfly, but swam a beautiful race and surprised us with the top time finish among the girls from our team at 1:08.99. With some minor adjustments in race strategy, I told her that I think she has a 1:06 in her if she swam it again. I’m not sure that she was excited to hear the possibility of swimming it again, but she’s been working diligently outside of the practices on her own, and it showed on this day in both of her individual swims, as well as in her relay splits.
“We had to cancel one meet due to inclement weather, so we only have one more regular-season meet left. We’ll have to figure out the best relay and individual combinations before our conference meet on Jan. 16. With the boys adding some automatic regional cuts, I’m excited to see how many will make the new regional championship coming up on Jan. 30.”