Pool Panthers compete at state meet
Published 11:00 am Wednesday, February 5, 2025
ATLANTA — Tiftarea Academy’s Lady Panthers earned 10th at the GIAA state swim meet Saturday.
The Lady Panthers scored 14 points to tie with Westfield. Tiftarea’s boys had six points at state to place 14th.
Jase Hendricks’ third in the 200 freestyle was the top finish for anyone with a TA swim cap. Hendricks’ time was 1:57. A time of 52.23 seconds later gave him ninth place in the 100 freestyle and he was 10th in the 100 breaststroke in 1:11.
Saturday’s first event was tied the Lady Panthers’ best, a sixth-place finish in the 200 medley relay. Maci Shoultz, Chloe Sercer, Coley Beth Croft and Madi Shoultz earned sixth, swimming in 2:13.
The same group had the same result — sixth — in the 200 freestyle relay. Their time there was 1:59.
Individually, Croft was eighth in the 200 freestyle in 2:11, 12th in the 50 freestyle in 26.44 seconds and eighth in the 100 freestyle at 58.43 seconds.
Madi Shoultz later was 10th in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:15. Maci Shoultz was 15th in the 100 freestyle in 1:02, with Madi 11th in the 500 freestyle in 6:10 and Maci 16th in the 100 backstroke in 1:15.
Maci Shoultz also turned in an 18th place in the 50 freestyle. Madi Shoultz was 17th in the 100 breaststroke.
More impressive for the Lady Panthers swimmers, the Shoultz sisters spent the previous night playing basketball for Tiftarea against Valwood.
The boys were 12th in the 200 medley relay in 2:02 and 13th in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:50 with Parker Hobbs, Hendricks, Logan Floyd and Rhett Rogers. Hobbs had a 15th in the 200 individual medley and was 14th in the 500 freestyle.
In middle school, Charlee McKellar, Alee Mae Roberts, Rowyn Croft and Shiver Barnard were 18th in the 200 medley relay. The group of Ella Clair Johnston, Peyton Golden, Emeri Golden and Addison Senkbeil were 12th in the 200 freestyle relay.
Johnston swam 16th in the 100 individual medley and was 14th in the 50 breaststroke.