Gilmer High swimmers have hit the homestretch of their season.
The GHS Bobcats and Lady Cats were in Canton last Saturday for the Water Warrior Invitational. Ten teams were in attendance, and the Bobcats placed seventh with 67 points while the Lady Cats claimed ninth on their side with six.
The 400-yard freestyle relay team of Law Lykins, Ian Berry, Larz Fowler and Jacob Kucera posted a time of 3:43.33, which was good enough to qualify for the upcoming state meet and landed them in second place.
In the 200-yard medley relay, the quartet of Lykins, Fowler, Berry and Cheyne Smith clocked in at 1:58.39 for seventh. Kucera, Smith, Hayden Morrison and Tanner Attebery finished 10th in the 200 free relay at 1:51.33.
Lykins also went on to secure a runner-up finish in the 100-yard butterfly (56.81) and landed in fourth place in the 200 free (1:57.49). Kucera competed in the 100 fly as well and placed fifth (1:05.79) to go with a ninth-place time of 1:09.12 in the 100-yard backstroke.
Bobcat times and placements in the 100 free were posted by Berry (56.71, eighth place), Fowler (58.67, 10th), Smith (59.56, 12th), Morrison (1:04.04, 23rd) and Attebery (1:21.82, 41st).
In the 50 free finals, Berry (25.51, 10th) led the way and was followed by teammates Fowler (26.14, 18th), Morrison (26.83, 24th) and Attebery (31.27, 48th). Smith also swam the 100-yard breaststroke and placed 14th (1:21.78).
The Lady Cats’ top finish came in the 400 free relay. Taylor McCormick, Elizabeth Kucera, Yana Jones and Evan May teamed up for ninth place in 5:10.41. They swapped Jones and McCormick for Addison Emond and Esther Bowman in the 200 medley relay and finished in 2:38.29 for 10th.
Bowman, Jones, Emond and McCormick placed 11th in the 200 free relay at 2:20.77. Kucera also claimed 11th in the 100 fly (1:35.82). In the 200 free, McCormick placed 11th (2:20.77) and Bowman was 15th (2:43.21). Bowman turned in a time of 1:34.51 in the 100 breast for 15th.
Gilmer’s times and placements in the 50 free belonged to McCormick (31.30, 38th), May (31.72, 42nd), Jones (33.59, 56th) and Emond (43.00, 79th). In the 100 free, Jones finished in 57th (1:22.17) and Emond was 71st (1:36.41).
Woodstock finished first in the girls standings with 217 points ahead of Sequoyah (215) and Etowah (165) in the top three. Sequoyah (213) was first on the boys side, and Carrollton finished second ahead of Woodstock, 175-129.
Next up is the North Georgia Championships Jan. 21 at Dalton High.