The annual Battle of Dalton was Gilmer High’s first swimming engagement of the season.
GHS made the trip last Saturday for the five-team event, and the Bobcats finished third in the boys standings with 176 points. The Lady Cats claimed fourth place among girls teams and topped out at 196 points.
The Bobcat quartet of Larz Fowler, Jacob Kucera, Law Lykins and Cheyne Smith were the top 200-yard freestyle relay team. They clocked in at 1:42.61, which was more than a second and a half faster than Dalton in second. For the 200 medley relay, they swapped Smith for Michael Sexton and took second place in 2:03.86.
The Lady Cats also had a high finish in the 200 freestyle relay. Addison Emond, Alyson Guidry, Yana Jones and Taylor McCormick landed in third with a time of 2:22.30.
Kucera also secured second place in the 50 free in 25.06 and third in the 100 backstroke (1:12.89). Fowler posted a time of 1:01.20 in the 100 free for fourth. Smith went on to finish sixth in the 100 free (1:03.74) and eighth in the 50 free (26.65).
Bobcat Hayden Morrison nabbed a trio of top 10 placements in the 100 free (1:07.2, seventh), 100 breaststroke (1:43.16, eighth) and 50 free (26.80, ninth).
Gilmer’s Macca Teeranangsu placed sixth in the 100 back (2:14.75), 13th in the 100 free (1:21.56) and 26th in the 50 free (34.81).
Sexton was 15th in the 100 free (33.23) and 24th in the 50 free (1:25.43), while teammate Tanner Attebery had respective times and placements of 1:29.93 for 16th and 37.47 for 30th.
Lady Cats Esther Bowman, Elizabeth Kucera, Sophia Lykins and McCormick finished fourth in the 400 freestyle relay in 5:09.10. In the 200 medley relay, Emond, Guidry, Jones and Elizabeth Kucera turned in a time of 2:56.04 for fifth.
In individual events, Bowman scored team points in the 100 breaststroke (1:35.84, fourth), 100 free (1:10.58, fourth) and 50 free (30.53, eighth). McCormick landed in fifth place in the 100 free (1:14.56) and 10th in the 50 free (31.04).
Emond finished seventh in the 100 breast (2:00.22) and 23rd in the 50 free (44.59). Elizabeth Kucera came in 11th in the 100 backstroke (1:34.20) and 14th in the 50 free (35.44). Olivia Lykins went on to take ninth in the 100 freestyle (1:21.67), 11th in the 50 free (32.84) and 12th in the 100 back (1:34.68).
Jones secured 11th in the 100 free (1:28.90) and 17th in the 50 free (36.81). Guidry’s time of 39.79 in the 50 free led to a 20th place finish.
GHS will make its way to Calhoun High School Saturday for its next meet.