Seasonal illness, injuries and no-shows plagued the Gilmer High School swim team last Saturday.
GHS made its way to the North Georgia Championships at Dalton High School and had to make some last-minute adjustment to its lineup, according to coach Hope George.
The Bobcats and Lady Cats in attendance were able to help GHS finish 10th in the field of 14 schools. In the girls standings, the Lady Cats were fifth and the Bobcats landed in eighth place on the boys side.
Lady Cat Payton Woodring won the 100-yard butterfly, supplanting her own pool record with a personal best time of 57.83. Woodring also took first in the 100-backstroke at 25.10.
Senior Aniston Fowler was Gilmer’s next highest individual placer. She earned a sixth-place finish in the 100 fly (1:22.85) and was ninth in the 200 freestyle (2:34.7).
Gilmer’s remaining top-12 finals participants included eighth-place Connor Mohon, 100 fly (1:04.04) and Isaiah Sharp, who placed ninth in the 100 free (56.09) and 12th in the 100 back (1:14.25).
The Bobcats’ 200 medley relay team of Sharp, Larz Fowler, Mohon and Cole Ellis placed seventh in 2:02.67. The quartet set a seasonal best time in the 200 free relay for ninth at 1:45.49.
Lady Cats Angel Guidry, Aniston Fowler, Kaitlyn Grice and Woodring posted a season best time of 2:00.33 in the 200 free relay and finished seventh.
Sadie Bryan joined Guidry, Woodring and Fowler in the 200 medley relay. They also secured a seasonal best time of 2:22.61 for ninth place.
Woodring has qualified for the state swim meet in the 50-, 100-, and 500-yard freestyle events, as well as the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke. The state meet will be held Feb. 6-8 at Georgia Tech’s McAuley Aquatic Center.