Swim Team tuning up in final meets before Regionals

Mary Grace Thompson waits on the blocks during the 50 freestyle event at the Owensboro Health Park Dec. 7., while Sofia Bayer (top) and Delaney Miller wait to exit the pool. Photo: Tona Walker

Opening the season Nov. 16 at Hopkinsville, the Marshall County Swim Team followed that up with a meet at the Paducah Athletic Club on Nov. 23,  in Owensboro on Dec. 7 and at Madisonville on Dec. 10.

In the Dec. 10 meet hosted by Madisonville-North Hopkins, the girls finished second and the boys finished 3rd to combine for a second place overall finish behind first place Madisonville. Ohio County placed third, Hopkins County Central fourth and Crittenden County fifth.

Top finishes for the girl’s team at Madisonville came from Delaney Miller with two individual first place finishes in the 200 yard individual medley and 100 yard Butterfly. Another individual first place went to Anne-Marie Atkins in the 200 yard freestyle and a second place finish in the 200 yard individual medley. Mary Grace Thompson finished second in both the 50 yard freestyle and 100 yard butterfly.

The top individual finishes for the boys came from Bryan Nikalai who took third in the 100 yard butterfly and a third place finish by Josh Rushing in the 100 yard backstroke.

The team is competing again in Madisonville Thursday, Jan. 9 then will have one last meet at Paducah Athletic Club on Jan. 20 before the Feb. 7-8 Regionals at PAC.

Girl’s results from Madisonville:

200 yard medley relay: 2nd Erbacher, Bayer, Miller, Thompson (2:10.93)
200 yard freestyle: 1st Anne-Marie Atkins (2:31.97), 4th Kaylee Adamson (2:56.93), 7th Kelsey Thompson (3:21.75)
200 yard IM: 1st Delaney Miller (2:40.36), 2nd Anne-Marie Atkins (2:55.87)
50 yard freestyle: 2nd Mary Grace Thompson (27.91), 4th Carlen Whirley (34.26), 7th Gabby Gibbs (35.85)
100 yard butterfly: 1st Delaney Miller (1:09.77), 2nd Mary Grace Thompson (1:17.87), 6th Gabby Gibbs (1:41.41)
100 yard freestyle: 3rd Jaden Topper (1:07.25), 4th Chelsea Erbacher (1:13.49), 5th Carlen Whirley (1:18.35)
200 yard freestyle relay: 2nd Bayer, Miller, Atkins, Thompson (1:55.82)
100 yard backstroke: 3rd Chelsea Erbacher (1:19.32), 6th Jaden Topper (1:26.05), 10th Lola Powell (1:56.38)
100 yard breaststroke: 3rd Sofia Bayer (1:29.50), 11th Lauren Thompson (2:12.68)

Boy’s results from Madisonville:

200 yard medley relay: 3rd Rushing, Wilson, Bryan, Parker (2:02.94)
200 yard freestyle: 4th Andrew Wilson (2:37.26)
50 yard freestyle: 4th Garrett Parker (27.21), 5th Andrew Wilson (27.98), 6th Josh Rusing (28.96)
100 yard butterfly: 3rd Bryan Nikalai (1:14.06)
100 yard freestyle: 4th Garrett Parker (1:04.29), 5th Clint Walker (1:04.56)
200 yard freestyle relay: 3rd Wilson, Rushing, Bryan, Parker (1:53.75)
100 yard backstroke: 3rd Josh Rushing (1:29.43)
100 yard breaststroke: 4th Nikalai Bryan (1:30.21), 6th Clint Walker (1:40.25), 8th Skylar Winsett (1:43.72)

MCHS swim team members (top) Garrett Parker, Nikalai Bryan and Josh Rushing getting last minute instructions from Head Coach Monica Bayer in Owensboro. Photo: Tona Walker