BILL KISER

sports@newstopic.net

South Caldwell swim coach Brent Tomberlin expected a close head-to-head battle whenever the Spartans are in the same pool with county rival Hibriten.

But Tomberlin didn't expect Tuesday night's Caldwell County swim championships to come down to the final events.

The Spartans pulled out two close victories over the Panthers at the Lenoir Aquatic and Fitness Center, with South's boys winning by just seven points. The girls' point spread was even closer -- a two-point edge in favor of South Caldwell.

South wound up sweeping the three-team meet in head-to-head competition. The Spartans boys beat Hibriten 51-43 and West Caldwell 81-6, while South Caldwell's girls edged the Panthers 48-46, and beat the Warriors 83-4.

Hibriten took two from West Caldwell, with the boys winning 81-6 and the Panthers' girls winning 75-9.

"I knew they would have a better back half,' Tomberlin said. "I knew we needed to come out strong tonight ... but that was pretty close. I knew that meet was going to come down to the last relay."

South Caldwell and Hibriten split the 24 events down the middle, each winning 12 events _ six each in the boys and girls divisions. That put the deciding factor in the second- and third-place finishers.

The Spartans girls had five runner-up finishes to six for the Panthers, but South had a 7-4 edge in third-place finishes. It was more pronounced in the boys meet, with the Spartans holding a 6-5 edge in second-place finishes and a 7-4 margin in third places.

While Hibriten's Kyle Hites, the defending state champion in the 100-yard breaststoke, won two events -- the 100 breast and 200-yard freestyle -- and contributed to two Panthers relay wins, South got a double-win from Michael Santos in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle.

The Spartans boys also got event wins from Devin Abernathy in the 200-yard individual medley, Johnny Lok in the 100-yard butterfly and Carson Shields in the 100-yard backstroke. South also won the 200-yard medley relay, which had Abernathy, Lok, Santos and Nathan Diehl swimming the legs.

In addition to Hites' two wins, the Panthers boys picked up event wins from Gray Beane in the 500-yard freestyle, and relay wins in the 200- and 400-yard freestyle.

South Caldwell's girls had two double-event winners -- Amanda Bolick in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly, and Rachel Ponti in the 100 and 200 freestyle -- as well as a win by Emily Benfield in the 500 freestyle and by South's 200 medley relay team, composed of Benfield, Jana LaBrose, Casey Murphy and Brittany Dula.

Morgan McCuen had two event wins for the Panthers girls, in the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke, a win by Elizabeth Gantt in the 100 breaststroke, and relay wins in the 200 and 400 freestyle. Gantt and McCuen were on both relay teams, as was Sam Vonnegut and Julie Bottoms.