Fayette County swim teams traveled to take on Evans County in a large swim meet last weekend and the locals represented the area well. McIntosh’s boys placed first and the girls placed third, giving McIntosh the overall win, while Starr’s Mill placed second overall, Whitewater placed fourth overall and Fayette County placed seventh.

Chiefs senior Thomas Lucak led the men’s team with two individual firsts and a first and a second in relays. McIntosh swept the men’s 200 freestyle, with Lucak in first, followed by sophomore Matt Manley and senior Scott Druskatt. Lucak’s other individual victory was in the 100 backstroke.

First-place finishes for McIntosh also were posted by senior Bryan Mitchell in the 100 breaststroke and freshman Alex Harmon in the 500 freestyle. Second-place finishes were captured by Druskatt in the 100 freestyle, junior Ryan Morton in the 500 freestyle, and Mitchell in the 200 individual medley.

The McIntosh men took first in the 400 freestyle relay (Lucak, Mitchell, Harmon and freshman Josh Day), second in the 200 medley relay (Lucak, Mitchell, Day and senior Matt Lee), and third in the 200 freestyle relay (Lee, Harmon, Adam Otaki and Michael Mediner).

Best finishers for McIntosh women were junior Rose Tortora, second in the 500 freestyle and third in the 200 freestyle; junior Nicole Roddenberry with a second in the 100 butterfly and third in 100 yard breaststroke; and sophomore Keaton Hannon with a second in the 200 individual medley.

The women took third in the 200-medley relay (Caroline Clark, Hannah Williams, Ariane Leblond and Allison Gair), and third in the 200 freestyle relay (Roddenberry, Tortora, Williams and Bailey Abercrombie). They added a fourth-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay (Hannon, Gair, Leblond and Becky Atkinson).

The Starr’s Mill men captured three first place finishes with senior Scott Adams involved in all three events. He placed first in the 50 and 100 freestyle with one state qualifying time and barely missing the state in the other (23.37 state and 52.01 respectively). In addition, he was the lead off man on the first place medley relay team. Others on that relay were junior Austin Ellyson, sophomore Matt Boyle, and senior Danny Clasen. The relay team had already qualified for state. Several other men placed in the top five; Clasen fifth in 50 freestyle and 100 breastroke and Boyle, third in 200 individual medley and fourth in 100 fly.

On the women’s side, the Lady Panthers scored wins in six events (two relays and four individual) with junior Lauren Cartwright winning both the 200 individual medley and the 100 breastroke. Her breastroke time of 1:09.91 is a new state qualifying time (she has already qualified in the 200 individual medley). Other individual winners were sophomore Sarah Larson in the 50 freestyle with a time of 26.47 (a state qualifying time) and senior Mackenzie Garrot in the 100 freestyle. The winning relays were the 200 medley team of Bailey Cartwright, Lauren Cartwright, freshman Lauren Scott and Larson, and the 400 freestyle relay of Larson, Mackenzie Garrot, Bailey Cartwright and Lauren Cartwright. Both relays have previously qualified for state. New state qualifiers are freshman Bailey Cartwright in the 100 backstroke 1:05.96 and Mackenzie Garrot in the 100 breastroke 1:13.60. Other women finishing in the top five were senior Georgia Highsmith, fourth in the 200 free and 100 backstroke, Scott, third in the 200 individual medley and fifth in the 100 fly, junior Bailey Garrot, fifth in the 200 individual medley, Bailey Cartwright, second in the 50 free and 100 backstroke, sophomore Megan Copeland, third in the 500 freestyle and Kelly Adams, fifth in the 100 backstroke.

Whitewater had one state qualifier, Peter Menke, in the 100 breaststroke finishing third in the event. Menke also took third in the 50 freestyle. David Menchinger came in third in the 100 butterfly and second in the 100 backstroke and maintains his state qualifying status in this event. Cassandra Heinmann came in third in the 100 freestyle. The relay of Kyle Friez, Kelly Menchinger, Menke and David Menchinger took third in the boys 400 relay. According to coach Elizabeth Loewecke, Brandon Mason had an awesome meet and posted his best times in both the 50 and 100 freestyle.

“Catherine Groover, Jessica Johnson, Allison Moore and Matt Schreiner all had fantastic improvements,” said Loewecke. “The team continues to improve and I expect phenomenal showings the rest of the season.”

Fayette County, with only 13 swimmers attending the meet was able to score points in individual events and relays. Highlights for the team include the Boys 200 medley relay team consisting of sophomore John Daley, freshman David Gridley, sophomore Sean Phillips, and junior Mark Torre finished fifth with a time of 2:00.94, their best time this season. Daley and Phillips finished fourth and fifth (respectively) in the 200 individual medley. Senior Kaitlin McNally placed ninth in the 200 individual medley with a season best time of 2:51.93. Team captain Katelyn Davis placed third in the 100 fly with a state qualifying time of 1:01.30 and second in the100 breast with a state qualifying time of 1:12.95. Daley placed fourth in the 100 back with a season best time of 1:07.69. Phillips finished sixth in the 100 fly with a 1:08.36. Sharon Hayes had a season best time of 1:31.16 in the 100 breast placing 10th.

Swimmers participating in the meet included freshman Jason Hartley, junior Patrick Griffin, freshman Jeff Teubl, freshman Chris Crittenden, freshman Zach Carden and senior Ryan Grant,
The Chiefs and Panthers will swim today at Douglasville, while Fayette County and Whitewater head to Athens this Saturday.

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