The Ashley boys swim team won a conference championship Jan. 23. Meet two swimmers who helped power the Screaming Eagles to the title.
Winter weather may have wiped out parts of North Carolina's high school swim calendar, but the Ashley boys' team did not need extra motivation.
The Screaming Eagles surged to a Carolina Coast Conference championship on Jan. 23, becoming the first program besides Hoggard to claim a league title since the conference was renamed. Hoggard dominated the fall season, winning every available conference title while securing another league crown in the pool on the girls side this season.
That momentum carried through a chaotic stretch statewide. On Jan. 29, the NCHSAA canceled the high school swim and dive regionals due to severe winter weather, advancing all regional qualifiers directly to the state meet, now scheduled for Feb. 11-13
Technically, this was not Ashley's first league title in recent years. After snowfall blanketed the Wilmington area in 2025, conference championships were canceled, and the Screaming Eagles were named league champions by default on the boys side. This time, there was no ambiguity.
Ashley piled up 343 points, finishing more than 30 points clear of second place to secure an official conference championship on Jan. 23.
“Everything worked out perfectly for us to win the conference this year,” Ashley senior Ryker Eder said. “Having to really step up, it was really exciting for all of us.”
Eder has been at the center of Ashley's success all winter, logging at least 10 first-place finishes. At the conference meet, he captured titles in the 100-yard breaststroke and butterfly.
The Salisbury signee expects that momentum to carry over to the NCHSAA 7A state championship, both for himself and his teammates.
Another key piece has been senior Bryson Edwards, whose path back to the top has been far from simple.
During his sophomore season, Edwards injured a disc in his back while deadlifting. Though it did not fully rupture, the injury stalled his development and left him dealing with daily pain for months. At one point, he was forced to abandon the butterfly entirely because of the strain it put on his back.
“I had enough pain consistently that walking around was painful,” he said. "I thought if I can't do this, how am I going to be able to swim?”
There were stretches when Edwards wondered if he would ever return to form. He described moments when “negative thoughts" crept in, but steady support from his coaches, parents, and doctors helped guide him through the worst of it.
Nearly two years later, Edwards is back on top, winning conference titles in the 100 backstroke and the 200 individual medley relay.
“It was just about trying to keep myself from thinking negatively about (the injury) and looking on the bright side that once I come out of this, I'll be stronger.”
With state races approaching, Ashley still has goals ahead. No matter what happens next, the Screaming Eagles already know this season has left a mark.
“The most important part isn’t the conference victories or anything like that," Eder said. "Ashley practices are as fun as it gets. Obviously we're working hard, but just being able to see an atmosphere of such enjoyment in the sport … it’s so cool.”
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: How Ashley boys swim team claimed first Carolina Coast Conference title
Category: General Sports
