Athletics News
TFS varsity swim team finishes second in first meet
In the first meet of the season, the Tallulah Falls School varsity swim team placed second and the middle school placed third overall at the Hawaiian Luau-themed event.
With 417 middle and high school swimmers from 14 different schools, TFS had 63 swimmers competing, some swimming in a meet for the first time, according to head coach Annette Cochran.
Both the boys and girls varsity teams placed second within their division, Cochran said.
The girls' team was led by senior Virginia Griswold of Clarkesville with 54 points. Followed by junior Reid Kafsky of Clarkesville and senior Norah Griswold of Clarkesville each with 48 points and junior Sarah Edwards of Sautee Nacoochee finishing in the top four with 47 points.
The boys' team was led by junior John Nichols of Clarkesville earning 57 points, followed by junior Caden Griffis of Martin, earning 56 points, finishing up the top three was junior Hunter Weyrich of Alto, earning 54 points for the team.
“The boys’ A-relay team had great success. They qualified for state in the 200-yard medley relay – a record time for the group dropping four seconds from their previous best,” Cochran said. “And they also qualified in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Individually, John had a personal best and qualified for state in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 57.82. Hunter qualified for state in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5.15; he also qualified in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:05:29.”
The middle school team placed third out of 13 teams. The boys' team placed second overall and was led by eighth-grader Nelson Wilkerson of Cleveland, eighth-grader Daniel Shin of South Korea, eighth-grader Matt Cochran of Demorest followed by seventh-grader Henry Rickman of Tiger.
“This group set a personal best in the 200-yard medley relay, dropping eight seconds. In the 200-yard freestyle relay, they dropped just over 10 seconds,” she said. “Individually, they each dropped time in their respective events, setting several PRs yesterday. Matt dropped five seconds in the 100-yard freestyle and in the 50-yard breaststroke. Nelson set PRs in the 100-yard individual medley as well as the 50-yard backstroke. Henry set personal records in the 50-yard butterfly and the 100-yard freestyle.”
The girls' team placed sixth overall, led by eighth-grader Sammi Hartman of Clermont, eighth-grader Emma Jackson of Clayton followed by eighth-grader Layne Kafsky of Clarkesville and seventh-grader Brooke Hayes of Cornelia.
“Sammi had a PR in the 100-yard individual medley with a time of 1:19.75. Brooke set PRs in both her individual events: 35.75 in the 50-yard freestyle and 1:24.72 in the 100-yard freestyle,” she said. “Kate Trotter [eighth-grader of Cornelia] had a PR in the 50-yard freestyle with 36.85. Emma set a new personal best with a time of 1:19.24 in the 100-yard freestyle. Layne Kafsky and Morgan Mullins [seventh-grader of Demorest] both set PRs in the 50-yard butterfly as well as the 50-yard breaststroke.”
All four teams have some new swimmers who looked really strong and within the next few meets will be finishing towards the top of the pack, Cochran added, including high school swimmers Gabe Iluma, Kristian Williams, Nathan Mosley, Halli Weyrich, Emily Wolfe, and middle school swimmers Andrew Woodworth, Jedd Thomas, and Madeline Martin.