Columbus East High School

ST. LEON — The Columbus East boys and girls swimming and diving teams hit the road Thursday to compete against the East Central Trojans in a dual meet, with the hosts sweeping both contests. The East Central boys edged out Columbus East 92-78, while the girls’ team claimed a 93-52 victory. In the boys' competition, standout performances came from several Olympians. Josh Pendleton delivered wins in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1 minute, 51.17 seconds, and in the grueling 500 freestyle, clocking in at 4:55.68. Teammate Keaton Stephenson showed his speed, capturing the 50 freestyle (23.19) and 100 freestyle (50.22). Misha Machavariani added to the team’s success by securing the 100 butterfly title with a time of 55.44. Columbus East also notched a win in the 400 freestyle relay, finishing in 3:26.97. On the girls' side, Connelly Furnish led the way for the Olympians, claiming two victories. She triumphed in the 200 freestyle, completing the race in 2:02.52, and followed up with a win in the 500 freestyle, posting a time of 5:31.17. Despite the team losses, several strong individual and relay performances highlighted a competitive outing for Columbus East as they continue to build momentum for the rest of the season.