Gilmer swimmers were back at their home away from home.
The Cherokee Aquatic Center played host to the Cherokee Summer League Championship last Thursday. The Cartersville Cobias and Pickens Sea Dragons joined Gilmer and the host Pelicans for the meet. The Gilmer Bobcats and Lady Cats each placed third in their respective standings.
Competing in the top 15-18 age group were Lady Cats Esther Bowman, Yana Jones, Evan May and Elizabeth Kucera and Bobcats Clifford Defoor, Conner Defoor, Jacob Kucera and Ronald Sturgis.
Jacob Kucera snagged four first-place times. In relays, he joined the aforementioned Bobcats for the No. 1 spot in the 200-yard medley (2:31.54). He led the way in the 100 free (56.17), 50 free (24.21) and 50-yard butterfly (26.66).
Sturgis was victorious in the 100-yard individual medley in 1:07.11. He was second behind Kucera in both the 100 free (1:00.08) and 50 free (27.65).
Clifford Defoor placed fourth in the 50-yard backstroke (52.37), fifth in the 100 free (1:43.07) and sixth in the 50 free (45.53). Conner Defoor swam the 100 free (fourth place, 1:17.53) and 50 free (fifth, 34.34).
The Lady Cat quartet won both the 200 medley (2:41.12) and 200-yard freestyle relay (2:17.44). Bowman clocked in at 1:23.33 in the 50-yard breaststroke for first place (30.57), while she was second in both the 50 free (30.57) and 100 IM (1:23.33).
Kucera was a runner-up in the 50 fly (38.81), and she finished third in the 100 IM (1:34.31) and fifth in the 50 free (34.64). Jones took second in the 50 back (42.32) fourth in the 50 free (33.75) and 50 breast (47.14).
Gilmer’s 13-14-year-old aged swimmers were Addison Potter, Rylee Fountain and Jacob Watson. In the mixed 200 medley relay, they were joined by Silas Wilson and finished second in 3:18.08. Potter, Watson, Wilson and Emmett Patterson were also second in the 200 free relay (2:36.66).
Fountain secured second place in the 100 free (1:17.02), third in the 50 fly (49.95) and sixth in the 50 free (33.65). Watson also swam the 50 back (third, 45.14), 50 free (33.53) and 50 breast (50.12). Potter was in the pool for the 50 fly (fifth, 59.51), 50 back (eighth, 52.70) and 50 free (11th, 46.88).
Gilmer continued to have success in relays among 11-12-year olds where Lilly Jones, Saylor Cinard, Kaley Best and Sophia DeMarco won the 200 free in 2:45.42. DeMarco was the fastest swimmer in the 50 breast (40.57) and 50 back (36.53) and second in the 50 fly (37.86).
Cinard competed individually in the 50 free (fourth, 43.05), 50 back (sixth, 57.30) and 100 free (seventh, 1:51.46). Jones nabbed fourth in the 100 free (1:37.39), sixth in the 50 breast (1:01.38) and seventh in the 50 free (44.77).
Best swam the 100 free (sixth, 1:39), 50 back (seventh, 58.66) and 50 free (eighth, 48.95).
Patterson placed sixth in the 50 breast (1:12.55) and 50 back (1;03.32) and eighth in the 50 free (51.09). Wilson swam the 50 free (fifth, 43.72) aside from mixed medley relays.
Gilmer’s Kathryn Edelson, Braylee Green, Sawyer Sullivan and Ava Williamson won the 9-10 age division’s 100 free relay (1:37.24). They swapped Breelin Coleman for Sullivan in the 100 medley relay and placed second in 1:59.78.
Williamson competed in the 25 free (second, 20.02), 25 back (sixth, 25.96) and 25 breast (eighth, 52.20). Edelson participated in the 25 breast (third, 28.71), 25 free (fifth, 22.47) and 25 back (10th, 34.73). Green swam the 25 breast (fourth, 29.97), 25 back (eighth, 29.94) and 25 free (ninth, 25.27).
Bobcats Ryland Homan, Ryder Johnstone and Grayson Patterson competed in the 9-10 age bracket, and they were joined by Asher Faulk for first place in the 100 medley (2:01.94) and second in the 100 free (1:41.13). Johnstone finished third in both the 25 back (25.90) and 25 fly (26.75) and placed fourth in the 50 free (42.07).
Homan was in the pool for the 25 back (sixth, 31.15) and 25 free (ninth, 33.52).
Harper Hoover (7-8 age group) was a three-time winner in the 50 free (1:02.72), 25 free (28.49) and 25 back (35.76). Coleman placed second in the 25 back (38.35) and third in the 25 breast (35.88). Tiffany Tang competed in the 25 free (fifth, 54.45) and 25 breast (fifth, 49.31) and was sixth in the 25 back (50.00).
Faulk was the winner of the 25 free (30.75) and 25 back (33.67) and placed second in the 25 breast (44.93). Jackson Dana finished fifth in both the 25 free (51.59) and 25 back (51.19).
Gilmer’s 6-under swimmers included Laken Johnstone and Scarlett Edelson. Johnstone took first in the 25 free (44.20) and Edelson was third (54.73). In the 25 back, Johnstone was the runner-up (49.73) and Edelson finished third (1:01.21).
Cherokee was first int he boys standings with 914 points. Next up were Cartersville (848), Gilmer (594) and Pickens (540). The girls standings were the same With Cherokee (956) leading the way over Cartersville (937), Gilmer (894) and Pickens (434).