Swim Devils 2nd in season opener

Published 3:00 pm Monday, October 31, 2022

TIFTON — Swimmers braved the elements Oct. 29 at the Baldwin Drive Aquatic Center. Host Tift County earned a pair of second place team finishes and everyone needed a blanket.

Saturday’s temperature was a chilly 62 degrees. The pool is heated, but received no help from the sunshine, which refused to out from behind the clouds.

Tift was the least affected by the weather. The Swim Devils have never had an indoor facility and have to brave even cooler temperatures when winter truly arrives. Other teams shivered, gravitating to the appropriately named warm-up section of the pool and to the pockets of steam rising off its surface.

Richmond Hill swept the meet, the Wildcats scoring 765 points to Tift’s 350. The girls competition was much closer, with Richmond Hill at 564 points to Tift’s 515. Nine schools sent representatives to Tifton, including some of their new Region 1-6A rivals Veterans, Houston County, Lee County and Thomas County Central. Coffee and Colquitt County made the short drive over. The other school to participate, Peach County, only sent male swimmers.

Brynna Burke earned Tift’s first 1st place finish of the morning in the 200 freestyle. At 2:05, Burke was 10 seconds ahead of the closest competitor. It was one of two victories for Burke, who kept up the squad’s strong tradition in the 500 freestyle. Her win was even more dominant in that event, 5:30 to the runner-up’s 6:10.

Anna Lupo won the 100 butterfly in 1:02 and later was 2nd in the 100 backstroke.

Lupo, Ava Wilson, Burke and Kendall Sasser were 2nd in the 200-yard medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay. Hayden Roberts earned 2nd in the 200 individual medley and within a half-second of winning the race. Wilson swam 2nd in the same event. Wilson earned 2nd in the 100 breaststroke.

Rachel Walker, Kate Marie Womack, Raegin Walker and Raylee Walker combined for 2nd in the 400 freestyle relay.

Others scoring points for the Swim Devils

Boys 200 medley relay: Tucker Dowdy, Ethan Stalnaker, Roberts and Landon Parrish (4th).

Girls 200 medley relay: Raegin Walker, Raylee Walker, Leighellyn Bengston and Brianna Domagala (5th) and Jude Hawsey, Shiloh Wyatt, Sierra Wyatt and Haley Hooks (10th).

Boys 200 freestyle: Chase Walker (5th), Aiden Thrasher (7th), Trey Dorminey (8th) and Parrish (9th).

Girls 200 freestyle: Bengston (5th).

Girls 200 individual medley: Raylee Walker (3rd) and Spurlin (5th).

Boys 50 freestyle: Karson Ponder (10th) and Rocky Faw (12th).

Girls 50 freestyle: Sasser (3rd), Domagala (8th), Hawsey (11th), Hooks (13th) and Sierra Wyatt (15th).

Boys 100 butterfly: Roberts (5th).

Boys 100 freestyle: Dowdy (4th), Thrasher (9th), Eli Pate (13th) and Faw (14th).

Girls 100 freestyle: Raegin Walker (3rd), Bengston (6th) and Womack (14th).

Boys 500 freestyle: Stalnaker (4th).

Boys 200 freestyle relay: Dowdy, Parrish, Stalnaker and Roberts (5th); Abram Miller, Dillan White, Aaron Patel and Pate (9th) and Maitrey Patel, Connor Hysmith, Cason Flowers and Bill Nguyen (12th).

Girls 200 freestyle relay: Bengston, Domagala, Spurlin and Womack (5th) and Gabby Montalvo, Sara Johns, Sierra Wyatt and Shiloh Wyatt (8th).

Boys 100 backstroke: Ponder (4th), Dowdy (6th), Walker (9th) and Aaron Patel (10th).

Girls 100 backstroke: Sasser (5th), Raegin Walker (7th), Raylee Walker (8th) and Domagala (9th).

Boys 100 breaststroke: Stalnaker (3rd), Dorminey (11th), Parrish (13th) and Miller (14th).

Girls 100 breaststroke: Spurlin (11th), Sierra Wyatt (12th), Womack (13th), Hooks (14th) and Shiloh Wyatt (16th).

Boys 400 freestyle relay: Ponder, Walker, Thrasher and Dorminey (4th) and Nguyen, Maitrey Patel, Flowers and Hysmith (6th).

Girls 400 freestyle relay: Montalvo, Johns, Hooks and Hawsey (4th).