Last February, Woods Smith became the first Lincoln County High School swimmer to qualify for the state swimming championships, earning berths in both the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle events.

Fast forward a year, and the LCHS junior has qualified again – and in the same events.

Smith’s strong performance in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle events in the Region 6 Championships at the Falling Springs Center in Versailles was good enough to make the cut in at-large times in each race and earn him a spot in the 2019 KHSAA State Swimming and Diving Championships. It also earned him his second straight spot on the KHSAA Region 6 All-Region Team.

The top two finishers in each swim event at region qualifies for the state meet. In addition to the top two finishers, the next 22 at-large times from each event also advance to state, and that is how Smith earned his return trip to state.

Smith, who qualified automatically last year in the 50-yard freestyle event as runner-up, bested his time at this year’s region meet but finished a spot back in third place. Smith earned a spot in the region finals with a 23.19-second finish in the preliminaries. His third-place time in the championship race was 22.46 seconds.

Will Tarvestad, a senior from North Oldham, repeated as champion in the event in a time of 21.17 seconds and Campbell Coyle, a sophomore from Boyle County, finished as runner-up in 21.66 seconds.

Those same two swimmers would touch the wall ahead of Smith in the 100-yard freestyle event as well. Travestad, who set a record (46.32 seconds) when he won the race last year, broke his own record to repeat, finishing in 46.20 seconds. Coyle came in second in 47.13 seconds. Smith, who was timed at 51.60 in the preliminaries, finished in 50.93 seconds in the finals to place fifth overall.

Xavier Moore, an eighth-grader from Woodford County, claimed third in the 100 in 49.14 seconds and Harrison Albright, a junior from North Oldham, was fourth in 49.84 seconds.

Smith’s season reaches its end today at the state championships at the University of Louisville’s Ralph Wright Natatorium. In the 2018 championships, he placed 20thoverall in the 50-yard freestyle event in a time of 22.53 seconds and was 25th in the 100-yard freestyle in 49.84 seconds.

Smith was not the sole Lincoln swimmer competing in the regional championships with three other Patriot swimmers and six Lady Patriot swimmers all hitting the pool at Falling Springs.

Lincoln’s overall results follow by event:

Girls 200-Yard Medley Relay: 9) Lincoln Co. 2:18.57 (Katie Beth Smith, Emmalee Patterson, Sydney Brown, Mayci Godbey).

Boys 200-Yard Medley Relay: 10) Lincoln Co. 2:07.29 (Kade Bandura, Dalton Patterson, Woods Smith, Daniel Pence).

Girls 50-Yard Freestyle Prelims: 25) Katie Beth Smith 30.07; 31) Mayci Godbey 31.49; 33) Molly Viands 32.90; 39) Kennedy Kirkpatrick 35.20.

Boys 50-Yard Freestyle: 3) Woods Smith 22.46.

Boys 50-Yard Freestyle Prelims: 21) Kade Bandura 27.30; 50) Daniel Pence 35.81.

Girls 100-Yard Butterfly: 11) Sydney Brown 1:12.90.

Girls 100-Yard Freestyle Prelims: 22) Emmalee Patterson 1:09.56; 39) Molly Viands 1:18.10; 42) Kennedy Kirkpatrick 1:21.97.

Boys 100-Yard Freestyle: 5) Woods Smith 50.93.

Boys 100-Yard Freestyle Prelims: 23) Dalton Patterson 1:02.78; 43) Daniel Pence 1:22.01.

Girls 200-yard Freestyle Relay: 8) Lincoln Co. 2:03.80 (Katie Beth Smith, Sydney Brown, Emmalee Patterson, Mayci Godbey).

Boys 200-Yard Freestyle Relay: 11) Lincoln Co. 1:53.07 (Woods Smith, Kade Bandura, Dalton Patterson, Daniel Pence).

Girls 100-Yard Breaststroke Prelims: 29) Mayci Godbey 1:33.97.

Boys 100-Yard Breaststroke: 14) Dalton Patterson 1:15.54.

Boys 100-Yard Breaststroke Prelims: 29) Kade Bandura 1:25.34.

Girls 400-Yard Freestyle Relay: 10) Lincoln Co. 4:44.05 (Katie Beth Smith, Molly Viands, Emmalee Patterson, Sydney Brown).