Seasonal illness hit the Gilmer High Swim team hard as they attended last week’s meet shorthanded.
GHS made its way to the six-team meet at the Cherokee County Aquatic Center Friday and came away with two first-place finishes and more personal best times.
“Both Payton Woodring and Isaiah Sharp had impressive finishes,” said coach Hope George. “Isaiah is a real rising star. The girls medley relay was strong, and we had personal bests with Connor Richards (31.79), Ty Cox (38.76), Larz Fowler (28.55) and Cole Ellis (27.56) in the 50-yard freestyle. Aniston Fowler is joining in after finishing cheer and is showing remarkable potential and proving to be a leader on the team.”
Woodring continued her stellar season with victories in both of her individual events.
She won the 100-yard freestyle in 55.60, more than three seconds ahead of second place. In the 500-yard freestyle, she left the runner-up nearly 10 seconds in her wake as she finished in 5:12.94.
Sharp took third in the 100 free at 58.21 and the 100 backstroke in 1:12.84.
The girls 200 medley relay team of Angel Guidry, Emma Schramm, Aniston Fowler and Woodring placed third with a time of 2:18.52.
Gilmer’s other top-five placement was secured in the 400 free relay. Kaitlyn Grice, Aniston Fowler, Sadie Bryan and Woodring landed in fourth at 4:49.19.
Remaining GHS point scorers included Cadence Mohon’s seventh-place finish in the 200 free (3:05.24) and Guidry in the 100 backstroke (1:31.59). Aniston Fowler was sixth in the 100 free (1:08.73) and 12th in 50 free 30.79.
The 200 medley relay team of Sharp, Larz Fowler, Cole Ellis and Kaden Little (2:11.91) claimed sixth.
Larz Fowler took 10th in the 100 free (1:02.30). Schramm was 10th in the 100 breaststroke (1:37.79) and finished 13th in the 50 free (30.96).
The 200 free relay team of Grice, Schramm, Mohon and Mary Parks (2:21.21) placed 10th, while Bryan was 12th in the 100 breaststroke at 1:42.63, and Ellis placed 16th in the 50 free (27.56).
Next up for Gilmer swimmers will be the Candy Cane Invitational, Saturday, Dec. 7 in Murphy, N.C.