The park and rec summer swim season got rolling in Canton.
Three teams gathered at the Cherokee County Aquatic Center last Thursday as the host Pelicans welcomed the Pickens Sea Dragons and Cartersville Cobias.
Gilmer swam under the Pickens banner, as its swimmers have made their way south for practices because Gilmer’s pool is still under construction.
Lady Cat Esther Bowman found herself vying for the top finish in five events in the 15-18 age division. She was No. 1 in the 50- breaststroke (42.92) and 50-yard freestyle (30.35). She turned in a runner-up time of 1:09.51 in the 100-yard free.
Bowman joined up with Gilmer’s Reece Smith, as well as Pickens’ Angelina Matos and Nate Townsend for second place in the mixed 200-yard freestyle relay (2:09.74). The quartet also nabbed second in the mixed 200 medley relay in 2:30.50.
Elizabeth Kucera secured three individual runner-up placements in the 14-13-year-old age bracket. Those events included the 50 backstroke (40.30), 50 butterfly (37.02) and 100 individual medley (1:27.39).
Her fourth second-place finish came in the 200 free relay (2:25.29) with teammates Mya Dowland, Ariel McCarver and Valentina Matos. They landed in third place in the 200 medley relay at 2:43.22.
Lilly Jones was the top swimmer in the 9-10 division when it came to the 50 free (50.47). She was also part of the first-place 100 free relay team in 1:30.63. Her remaining individual placements included a runner-up time in the 25 free (21.92) and fourth-place finish in the 25 breast (33.35).
Among 15-18 aged swimmers, Bobcats Cheyne Smith and Jacob Kucera joined forces with Annebell Jordan and Savannah Retford in the mixed 200 free (1:55.13) and medley (2:07.33) for a pair of top relay finishes.
Smith also claimed first in the 50 breast (35.32) and 100 individual medley (1:09.49) and was third in the 50 free (25.60). Kucera was the fastest swimmer in the 50 fly (28.59) and turned in runner-up times in the 50 free (24.26) and 50 back (31.11).
Reece Smith also placed second in three individual events. His runner-up finishes were in the 50 free (36.97), 50 breast (52.39) and 100 free (1:25.61).
Bobcats Jacob Watson and Rylee Fountain joined up with Andrew Carroll and Trip Davis for second in the 200 medley relay (3:37.50). Watson was also second in the 50 back (52.57), third in the 100 free (1:28.13) and fourth in the 50 free (38.11) among 11-12-year old swimmers.
Fountain placed fourth in the 50 back (1:02.77) and was fifth in both the 100 free (1:34) and 50 free (43.37).
Gilmer will travel to Cartersville Thursday for its next meet.