All eight Gilmer Swim Team members who attended district will continue their seasons at the state meet.
The Georgia Recreation and Park Association’s District 5 meet was held last Saturday at the Calhoun Aquatic Center and four teams were in attendance.
Four Gilmer swimmers were crowned district champions and included Ryder Johnstone, Jacob Watson, Ty Cox and Jake Kucera.
This marks Johnstone’s first summer swim season and he was a two-time district champion. He took first in the 7 and 8-year old division’s 25-yard backstroke (34.34) and 25-yard butterfly (35.32).
Kucera secured three individual state qualifying placements in the 15-18 age bracket. He was the winner of the 50-yard butterfly (32.53), second in the 50 freestyle (27.64) and third in the 100-yard individual medley (1:21.47).
Watson finished first in the 10U 25 freestyle (21.62) and secured a runner-up placement in the 25 backstroke (30.65).
Cox competed in the 15-18 age division as well and was the top swimmer in the 100 freestyle at 1:11.88. He placed third in the 50 backstroke in 42.22.
Gilmer’s Elizabeth Kucera, Cadence Mohon, Kady Dennis and Alyson Guidry also qualified for state and combined for 10 top-three placements.
Kucera (12U) finished second in both the 50 backstroke (58.79) and 50 freestyle (39.65) and added a third-place time of 1:27.54 in the 100 freestyle.
Mohon (15-18) was a runner-up in the 50 breaststroke (45.15). She took third in both the 100 individual medley (1:35.66) and 50 butterfly (42.00).
Dennis (12U) came away with a second-place finish in the 50 breaststroke (56.00) and was third in the 50 backstroke (50.48).
Guidry (14U) turned in a pair of third-place times in the 50 freestyle (40.42) and 50 butterfly (51.72).
Cox, Mohon, Jake Kucera and Guidry teamed up to qualify for state in the 200-yard mixed freestyle relay.
The Calhoun Blue Barracudas were the top team at district and claimed first place in 60 events. Gilmer High alum David Brown, who was the school’s first swimmer to receive a college swimming scholarship, is a Calhoun assistant coach.
Gilmer residents Cheyne Smith and Reece Smith swim for the Dalton Dolphins and combined for six state qualifying times in Class A.
Reece (10U) was a member of the first-place 100-yard mixed relay team. Individually he was second in the 25 freestyle (15.80) and third in both the 25 breaststroke (23.25) and 50 freestyle (35.81).
Cheyne (14U) was a member of the top 200-yard medley relay team and secured runner-up placements in the 50 freestyle (26.91) and 50 breaststroke (37.75).
Gilmer Swim team members will attend a meet at the Cherokee Aquatic Center Thursday. The Class C state meet will be held July 16-17 in Fort Oglethorpe.