Pool Panthers dominant at own meet

Published 3:00 pm Friday, November 18, 2022

TIFTON — Four divisions, three wins for Tiftarea Academy swimmers Wednesday, Nov. 16. Competing at the Tiftarea YMCA facilities, the Pool Panthers won boys and girls high school and dominated middle school girls portions of their meet.

Tiftarea’s middle school Lady Panthers again left no doubt in their victory. They scored 536 points at the meet, with everyone else combining for 424. The closest team was 391.5 behind, that being Deerfield-Windsor.

The high school Panthers won just as easily, accumulating 402 of the 661 available points. Fitzgerald was 2nd at 119.5. The Lady Panthers won a squeaker in the high school ranks, 213-210 over Fitzgerald.

The one division that was not won by Tiftarea was middle school boys, going to Deerfield-Windsor at 187 points.

Seven schools were in attendance for the morning competition, though not all had swimmers in each age group. Frederica Academy made the longest trip, bussing all the way over from St. Simons Island. The other schools were much closer, Deerfield-Windsor, Westfield, Citizens Christian, First Academy of Douglas and one public school, Fitzgerald.

John Michael White, Jase Hendricks, Logan Floyd and Jacob Joyner won the high school boys 200 medley relay in 2:07 and later the 200 freestyle relay in 1:56.

Hendricks had individual victories in the 200 individual medley in 2:30 and 100 backstroke in 1:13. White won the 50 freestyle in 25.23 seconds, two seconds ahead of a 2nd place swimmer from Fitzgerald. Floyd won the 100 butterfly, his time being 1:18.

Gigi Kendrick earned first in the 200 freestyle in 2:56. Hallie Haggard was the only swimmer — male or female — in the endurance race, the 500 freestyle. She was still quick, going the 20 laps in 7:57.

Middle school victories saw Maci Shoultz, Madi Shoultz, Coley Beth Croft and Lizzie Hendricks win the 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay.

Andrew Connell won the 100 individual medley n 1:33. At 1:10, Croft won individually in the 100 freestyle, with a 10-second margin. Tiftarea swimmers made up the top four places. Croft earned another victory, this time in the 50 backstroke at 37.66 seconds.

Parker Hobbs had the top spot in the 50 backstroke in 39.06 seconds.

Others pointing for Tiftarea in high school:

Girls 200 freestyle: Annaliese Hester (3rd) and Abbi Richter (4th).

Girls 50 freestyle: Haggard (6th), Kendrick (9th) and Hester (13th).

Boys 50 freestyle: J.R. Walker (4th), Rhett Rogers (5th), Maxwell Reed (6th), Joyner (95th), Lars Sims (13th), Griffin Lee (14th) and Caden Grier (16th).

Girls 100 freestyle: Alexa Maag (6th), Kendrick (9th) and Hester (15th).

Boys 100 freestyle: White (3rd), Rogers (5th), Floyd (6th), Reed (8th), Walker (9th), Sims (11th), Joyner (13th) and Lee (16th).

Girls 100 backstroke: Maag (2nd).

Boys 100 backstroke: White (2nd) and Floyd (3rd).

Girls 100 breaststroke: Maag (3rd), Lexi Connell (4th) and Haggard (7th).

Boys 100 breaststroke: Hendricks (3rd), Rogers (4th) and Joyner (6th).

Girls 200 freestyle relay: Haggard, Kendrick, Richter and Maag (3rd).

Boys 200 freestyle relay: Lee, Walker, Rogers and Reed (3rd).

Others pointing in middle school:

Girls 200 medley relay: Cameron Faulkner, Addilyn Jones, Emeri Golden and Ella Branch (2nd).

Girls 200 individual medley: Madi Shoultz (2nd), Maci Shoultz (3rd), Hendricks (5th) and Branch (6th).

Girls 50 freestyle: Maci Shoultz (2nd), Faulkner (5th), Audrey Paulk (6th), Calla Joyner (12th), Chloe Sercer (13th) and Golden (15th).

Boys 50 freestyle: Hobbs (4th).

Girls 50 butterfly: Madi Shoultz (2nd).

Girls 100 freestyle: Faulkner (2nd), Jones (3rd), Hendricks (4th), Branch (6th), Paulk (7th), Joyner (8th), Sercer (11th) and Golden (12th).

Boys 100 freestyle: Ashton Connell (13th).

Girls 50 backstroke: Madi Shoultz (3rd), Faulkner (5th), Branch (6th) and Jones (8th).

Boys 50 backstroke: Andrew Connell (2nd).

Girls 50 breaststroke: Maci Shoultz (4th), Croft (5th), Hendricks (7th), Jones (8th), Sercer (9th) and Paulk (11th).

Boys 50 breaststroke: Andrew Connell (2nd) and Hobbs (4th).

Girls 200 freestyle relay: Paulk, Sercer, Jones and Joyner (2nd).