The summer swim season got rolling last week for the county’s youth.
Gilmer was at the Cherokee Aquatic Center Thursday for a four-team meet, and the Bobcats and Lady Cats came away with numerous top placements.
Ronald Sturgis (15-18 age group) led the way in the 50-yard breast stroke (33.22) and 100 individual medley (1:05.89), while he was third in the 50 free (25.78). He also helped the 200 medley relay team of Jacob Kucera, Cheyne Smith and Conner Defoor take first in 2:06.72.
The 200 free relay team of Sturgis, Kucera, Clifford Defoor and Smith finished third in 2:18.72.
Kucera landed in third place in a trio of events including the 100 free (55.02), 50 free (24.84) and 50 butterfly (26.65).
Clifford Defoor finished sixth in both the 100 free (1:48.78) and 50 backstroke (52.15) and eighth in the 50 free (45.13). Smith turned in a runner-up time of 36.63 in the 50 breaststroke and was fourth in the 50 free (26.33).
Conner Defoor placed fifth in the 100 free (1:18.83) and seventh in the 50 free (39.63).
Gilmer’s Rylee Fountain, Jacob Watson, Ryder Johnstone and Reece Smith won the 13-14 age group’s 200 free relay in 2:25.38. Fountain, Reece Smith, Watson and Silas Wilson also won the 200 medley relay in 3:04.41. Fountain placed third in the 50 back (48.21), fifth in the 100 free (1:19.11) and seventh in the 50 free (34.66).
Reece Smith was third in the 50 breast (43.50), fourth in the 100 free (1:16.10) and sixth in the 50 free (33.94). Watson placed fourth in the 50 back (48.89) and clocked in fifth place times in both the 50 free (33.91) and 50 breast (89.66).
Johnstone competed in the 9-10-year-old age group individually and claimed runner-up placements in the 25 free (17.53) and 25 back (24.47) and was third in the 50 free (50.51).
Wilson swam in the 11-12 age division and placed fifth in the 100 free (1:58.69), seventh in the 50 free (60.06) and eighth in the 50 back (1:00.40).
Asher Faulk finished second in the 25 back (39.84) and third in the 25 free (34.97) among 7-8 year olds. In 6-under, Fritz Sullivan placed fifth in the 25 free (1:44.97).
Lady Cats Esther Bowman, Elizabeth Kucera, Evan May and Yana Jones were Gilmer’s swimmers in the 15-18 group, and they won the 200 medley relay in 2:32.80. They went on to take second in the 200 free relay (2:13.30).
Bowman won the 50 breast (43.21) and was the runner-up in both the 50 free (30.66) and 100 IM (1:24.45). May secured second in the 50 back (37.82) and third in the 100 free (1:11.92) and 50 free (31.66)
Kucera finished third in the 100 IM (1:30.74) and 50 back (41.22), while she placed fifth in the 50 free (34.18). Jones had a pair of fourth-place times in the 100 free (1:19.82) and 50 breast (48.03) and was sixth in the 50 free (34.35).
Addison Potter swam in the 13-14 age group and placed in the 100 free (seventh, 1:57.64), 50 back (ninth, 56.46) and 50 free (10th, 54.25).
Sophia DeMarco, Kaley Best and Lily Jones competed with 11-12-year-old swimmers. DeMarco won the 100 free in 1:11.62 and was second in both the 50 back (38.30) and 50 butterfly (41.31).
Best placed in the 100 free (fourth, 1:54.25), 50 back (sixth, 1:05.50) and 50 free (eighth, 49.69). Jones was third in the 50 breast (59.25) and fifth in the 50 free (43.03).
Gilmer’s trio of swimmers in the 9-10 age group were Ava Williamson, Braylee Green and Sawyer Sullivan, and they were runners-up in the 100 free relay in 2:03.60. Williamson snagged second in the 25 back (26.83), third in the 25 free (21.87) and fifth in the 50 free (53.83).
Green was in the pool for three events that included 25 back (fifth, 28.20), 50 free (55.03) and 25 free (seventh, 28.09). Sullivan claimed seventh in the 25 back (30.63) and ninth in both the 50 free (1:15.95) and 25 free (30.28).
Breelin Coleman won the 25 back (37.63) and was the runner-up in the 25 free (31.82) among 7-8-year-old swimmers. Laken Johnstone competed in the 6U division and had the top time in the 25 free (41.31) and took second in the 25 back (59.29).
Gilmer was back in Cherokee Saturday for the 27-team Georgia Games.
Sturgis was the champion of the 50 breast (33.28) and 100 IM (1:05.92). He was a runner-up in the 100 free (56.99) and 50 back (31.48), and placed third in the 50 free (25.98).
Gilmer and Pickens swam under the same banner at the event. Bobcats Cheyne Smith and Clifford Defoor were members of a mixed 200 medley relay team who placed first in 2:24.32. Smith competed in three individual events that included the 50 breast (second, 53.05), 100 free (third, 58.21) and 50 free (fourth, 26.12).
Clifford Defoor swam three individual strokes as well in the 50 back (seventh, 54.36), 100 free (eighth, 1:39.90) and 50 free (ninth, 43.69). Conner Defoor placed seventh in the 100 free (1:18.63) and eighth in the 50 free (32.96).
Fountain and Ryder Johnstone were members of a 200 mixed relay team, and they finished second in 2:56.37. Fountain also took sixth in the 50 back (50.45) and placed eighth in the 100 free (1:17.37) and 50 free (35.38).
Johnstone’s three individual finishes came in the 50 free (sixth, 41.30), 25 back (seventh, 25.30) and 25 free (ninth, 18.43).
Three Lady Cats made the trip, and Yana Jones claimed sixth in both the 100 free (1:22.29) and 50 breast (48.00), while she landed in seventh in the 50 free (33.82). Lily Jones went on to place ninth in the 50 breast (1:02.34) and 18th in the 50 free (40.95).
Laken Johnstone was fourth in the 25 back at 51.29.