Exciting State Swim Meet Results!

Athletics

1/29/2019

The swim teams excel in the final meet of the year!

And that’s a wrap! JV and Varsity swimmers came home last night (err, early this morning) decorated in bling and best times. It was a late night, but there’s no better way to end a season. For Ashlyn Dawkins, this was her last meet and we are lucky to have had her as a teammate. Each swim was excellent, and she finally got that breaststroke time she’s been working for, placing 1st in the event!

Of the 29 teams present:

• Varsity girls placed 3rd! With outstanding swims by Elizabeth Rucker, Katelyn and Ashlyn Dawkins, and Lily Hartenburg (who dropped 10 seconds in the 200 free, a best time she had already just scored last weekend!). Elizabeth was a beast in her 500 free, and Katelyn managed to muster best times despite goggles falling off - a swimmer’s nightmare. Seriously, super uncomfortable.  All of these ladies landed themselves on the podium led by two State Champions, Ashlyn (100 Breast) and Elizabeth (200 Free)! 
• Varsity boys placed 5th! Ogden and Jack Tabb both saw major drops in time, such as Ogden’s 2 second drop in the 50 free. Short races rarely see that kind of time shaved! John David swam some races outside of his normal selection. We may be seeing some more distance swimming from him in the coming years! Sam Williamson and Brad Joiner made best times in all their events. Harrison Rucker medal-ed several times, most excitingly, in the 200 IM as he crept up on his competition in the breaststroke and finished third. This move during the breast stroke is not surprising as he took 2nd in the 100 yard breast. We are excited to see the boys stretch out of their comfort zone and build versatility, seeing that their strengths may be in unexpected places!
• JV Girls and Boys both placed 7th. The coaches look forward to continuing to work with this awesome group of swimmers. Brock Hastings and Adam Lippe both dropped over a second - Brock in his 50 free, Adam in 50 fly. Benjamin Malzer boldly swam the 100 free, holding a fantastic pace and dropping a second of time. Patrick Joiner nailed his flip turns and shot off of the walls, catching up to those who crepted ahead in the swims. Jack Durrell was faithfully ready and behind the blocks for each swim, focusing for his races. He too saw seconds drop! Ben Scott shaved time and helped keep team spirits together, using the two monkey wrenches he packed in his bag “for fun.” I’m still scratching my head on that one. But it worked! Leah McReynolds, Bethany Williams, Cassie Joiner and Hannah Case are a group to continue watching. These girls maintained and improved their times. As young middle schoolers, they have only started their journey! 

Swimming is no easy sport. There are endless laps, days where the water is freezing, and months (sometimes years) when times won’t seem to drop, despite our best efforts. It was encouraging to see hard work pay off last night. But even more encouraging to know that we still have a long way we can go! Coach Shillingsburg and Coach Jess look forward to continuing working with each of our swimmers (and awesome team managers- shout out to Ben B. And Charlotte!) so this can be a lifelong sport that lasts long after the competition season is over - providing exercise, wellness, and laughs for years to come. Great job everyone!