Freedom’s boys’ swim team was determined to go out with a bang despite its 99-78 loss to Liberty last Thursday, so Colin Burnette, Spencer Smith, Danny Connell, and Al Bell gave the 400 free relay everything they had in the last event of the day with a first place finish in 3:34.22.

“I figured it would be a good way to cap off the season, and it’s the last dual meet, so we might as well end it on a decent note,” said Bell, who swam a strong last leg.

Burnette led off in the last event of the meet, and was neck-and-neck with Liberty’s Sam Capwell, but then came Smith for Freedom who pulled the Patriots ahead.

“I just started going, and I was going, and I was going, and I was trying my hardest,” said Smith. “I swam the 500 before that so I was kind of tired, and I got to that last lap, and I was like, this is it. This is my last season. I just need to go. I never felt power like I did in that moment ... and we had gotten the lead, and I was like, I did what I needed to do, and it felt really good because I was there for my team. That mattered the most.”

In individual events, Bell won the 200 IM in 2:01.97 and the 100 butterfly in 56.55, and Burnette came in first in the 100 backstroke in 57.93.

Individual event winners for Liberty were Jake Evert in the 200 free in 1:57.01, and in the 100 free in 47.15, Jase Smith in the 50 free in 23.45, Chris Chambers in the 500 free in 5:18.29, and Dylan Zukawski in the 100 breaststroke in 1:08.46. Andrew Layne finished right behind Zukawski in 1:08.99.

Kellen Rogers placed first in diving with a score of 182.00 for the Hurricanes.

In relays, Evert, Chambers, Omar Mohammed, and Smith won the 200 medley relay in 1:45.27, and Mohammed, Chambers, Smith, and Evert won the 200 free relay in 1:33.73.

“It was exciting. We were trying to keep up with them, and it was close, so that was good to be close with Liberty. Their 200 free relay is good,” said Bell.

“[The season] feels like it went by really fast. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone and racing everyone [at districts]. It should be really fun, and to just go fast because that’s what it’s about.”