Six teams met in Dalton as the high school swim season hits the homestretch.
The North Georgia Championships were held last Saturday, and the host Catamounts won the boys and girls divisions. The Gilmer High Bobcats finished fifth in the boys standings with 76.5 points while the Lady Cats scored 89 to place sixth on their side.
Gilmer’s Payton Woodring continued to dominate the competition in individual races. She once again notched first-place times in the 100-yard backstroke (58.05) and butterfly (58.61).
Including the two aforementioned events, Woodring has also qualified for state in the 200- and 100-yard freestyle.
Law Lykins claimed the Bobcats’ top finals placement in the 50-yard freestyle in 23.24 for third, and that time was fast enough to punch his ticket to the state meet.
Woodring, Esther Bowman, Addison Emond and Lyra May secured a runner-up finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay in 5:09.12. Woodring, Bowman and May teamed up in the 200-yard medley relay and were joined by Lillie Martin. The foursome took fourth in 2:25.52.
Hannah Lowman, Emond, Bowman and Martin claimed eighth in the 200-yard freestyle relay at 2:26.03.
Martin nabbed fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:41.83), and Bowman took 10th in the 50 free (32.34). In 50 free preliminaries, Martin was 16th (37.32) and Emond placed 20th (41.83).
For the Bobcats, Lykins, Jacob Kucera, Kaden Little and Ian Berry clocked in at 1:40.61 in the 200 free relay for third. Their time was 0.61 seconds shy from a state-qualifying mark.
They swapped Larz Fowler for Kucera in the 200 medley relay and turned in a time of 2:06.31 for fourth.
Kucera finished fourth in the 200 individual medley in 2:43.79. Lykins placed fifth in the 100 free (58.78), and Fowler claimed the same position in the 100 breaststroke (1:22.15).
Little was eighth in the 100 back (1:28.33), as was Hayden Morrison in the 100 free (1:03.43), and Berry finished 11th in the 50 free (26.09).
In the 50 free preliminaries, Morrison ended up in 17th (27.32) and Fowler took 22nd (28.02).
Gilmer swimmers were in Cartersville last Thursday, and the Bobcats secured a win over host Woodland. The Lady Cats placed third.
The Last Chance Meet will be held in Adairsville Thursday beginning at 5 p.m.