Only five weeks into the season and the team has already made big steps moving forward. They have had many successful sponsorships with big companies, along with events such as spirit night at Panera and a team outing at Coldwater Gardens. Also, many more planned events including running the water stand at Taste of the Beach. The team helped teach young Sea Turtle Triathlon racers how to swim and transition to the swimming portion of the race during their practice. The diving team is also taking steps to unite swimming and diving. Half of the dive team showed up to help clean cars, for the team’s first fundraiser.
The swim team has also won the first two meets of their season and placed runner up in the recent Choctaw Freestyle meet at Destin; bringing home a trophy, despite missing about half the team due to sickness or work. The team placed second behind Booker T. Washington High School.
The team is currently swimming at the YMCA Hunter Pool in Pensacola and will be able to host home meets now because the pool has finally finished reconstruction. Last swim season the team was forced to relocate to the Salvation Army pool ten minutes away, due to Hunter pool building locker rooms and forcing them out. The Salvation Army only had 4 lanes, making the team cramped. The dive team is also having problems because they lost half of its members this year with one graduating and one other quitting, so the dive team is actively looking for new members.
At the 7th Annual Choctaw Freestyle Invitational, the boys’ and girls’ 400 Free relay placed 1st and 2nd respectively. The girls’ relay being Alexis Montgomery, Abby Ashford, Rigby Whiteley, and Lily Walker. The guy’s relay being Kevin Herr, Addison Lee, Tristan Seeley, and Josh Hartig.
In the girls’ 50 Free, Caroline Smith placed 2nd with a time of 28.36 seconds, followed by Alexis Montgomery who placed 4th with a time of 29.88 seconds, immediately after, Rigby Whiteley placed 5th with a time of 29.92 seconds.
In the guys’ 50 Free, Tristan Seeley placed 3rd with a time of 24.62 seconds, immediately after, Kevin Herr placed 4th with a time of 24.71 seconds, followed by Josh Hartig who placed 5th with a time of 25.06 seconds.
In the girls’ 200 Free, Lily Walker placed 1st with a time of 2:08.13. Kylee Seeley placed 7th with a time of 2:37.03.
In the guys’ 200 Free, Addison Lee placed 3rd with a time of 2:00.44. Alki Hansen placed 8th with a time of 2:22.02.
In the Mixed 200 Free relay, the team placed 2nd with a time of 1:46.34, involving Kevin Herr, Caroline Smith, Tristan Seeley, and Alexis Montgomery, having swam in that order.
In the girls’ 100 Free, Caroline Smith placed 5th with a time of 1:03.50, followed by Rigby Whiteley who placed 7th with a time of 1:05.46.
In the guys’ 100 Free, Kevin Herr placed 3rd with a time of 53.87 seconds, followed by Tristan Seeley who placed 7th with a time of 56.43 seconds, immediately after, Josh Hartig placed 8th with a time of 56.96 seconds.
In the girls’ 500 Free, Lily Walker placed 1st with a time of 5:43.86. Abby Ashford placed 8th with a time of 8:16.88.
In the guys’ 500 Free, Addison Lee placed 1st with a time of 5:20.86.
The girls’ 200 Free relay placed 3rd with a time of 2:06.39, involving Caroline Smith, Rigby Whiteley, Faith Schwarting, and Lily Walker, having swam in that order.
The guys’ 200 Free relay placed 7th with a time of 2:04.09, involving David Grosso, Derek Smith, Mathew McChesney, and Troy Lee, having swam in that order.