Elkin Wet Lightning Swim Team, a summer rec program that competes within the Blue Ridge Swim League, hosted the Dobson Dolphins at Elkin City Pools for the first meet of the season last Thursday. Then the team traveled to the Reeves Community Center to compete with the Reeves Rapids of Mount Airy on Saturday morning. EWL came away with their first two wins of the summer season.
On Thursday evening, the two largest teams in the BRSL faced off in the opening swim match of the season. Both teams, Dobson and Elkin, have picked up a record number of new swimmers. In a battle to the finish, EWL managed to take the win with only 5 points separating the scores in the girls races. The EWL boys gave the team a bit of a cushion as EWL worked hard to take the win with a final score of 661 to 569.
In the grueling 100-meter individual medley event, Elkin’s youngest swimmers set the stage for their team. In the opening race, the girls 8 & under, Carter Algood took a first place finish with a time of 2:45.70. Likewise, teammate Matthew Gentry took the first place finish for the boys with a time of 1:58.64. Ellie Dimmette claimed points for her team with the first place finish in the girls 9-10 race with a time of 1:54.85. Elkin’s Kellan Harris took the top spot in the boys 11-12 race with a time of 2:15.40. Mia Swaim claimed third place in the girls 13-14 event with a time of 1:31.34. Sarika Hatcher finished in second place for the girls 15-18 event with a time of 1:21.77 and Mark Davis claimed a silver finish for the boys with a time of 1:12.69.
With darkness quickly approaching, the meet wrapped up with the butterfly events. Elkin’s Leo Storie grabbed a first place finish in the boys 8 & under race with a time of 34.03. Kellan Harris, finishing as strong for his team as he started, claimed gold with a time of 1:08.65 in the boys 11-12 race. Amara Simmons (36.37) and Paisley Russell (46.72) took the first and third place finishes in the girls 13-14 event. Dylan Zamudio took a second place finish in the boys 13-14 event with a time of 37.29. Sarika Hatcher gave a solid performance with a second place finish in the girls 15-18 event with a time of 37.43 while Mark Davis (30.56), Evan Baker (33.69) and Parker Church (33.89) gave the boys a strong finish with second, third and fourth place finishes in the same event.
Coach Caeson Baker remarked, “we are super proud of all of our swimmers after this first meet of the season. We have a record number of new swimmers, who all competed hard tonight and we are already seeing a lot of progress. Tonight’s finish reminds us that every swim counts. We look forward to a great summer with much progress.”
On Saturday, EWL traveled to the Reeves Community Center where they had a much easier quest for the win as they outnumbered the Rapids, with nearly double the number of swimmers. Both the boys and girls finished ahead of Mount Airy, with a final overall score of 815.5-362.5.
In the girls 6 & under 25-yard freestyle event, Reagann Pendergraft (28.91) and Ember Dobson (43.12) took the top two spots while Jack Gentry (25.18) and Brady Creed (55.68) earned points for the boys with a first and fifth place finish. In the 7-8 age race, Carter Algood (25.03), Teagan Hayes (25.66), Addie Long (26.45), Claire Sisoukrath (33.79) and Lola Salley (34.86) finished in the third, fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth places earning valuable points for EWL. In the same boys race, Matthew Gentry (18.04), Leo Storie (19.34), Jonah Johnson (19.90), and Eli Royall (19.90) took the top third place finishes while teammates Michael Creed (25.13), Ryan St. Cyr (29.80), Luke Johnson (32.50), and Alex Roberts (37.29) placed in sixth, seventh, ninth and eleventh places.
In the girls 9-10 25-yard freestyle event, Ester Dickerson (18.04), Makaila Schosser (18.13), Lucy Willard (18.56), Hadley Gaddis (19.26), Catherine Huff (20.50), Harper Richardson (21.40), Annabelle Lowder (24.25) and Emma Rose Cass (29.01) claimed the first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth and tenth places. Ricky Royall (17.96), James St. Cyr (18.85), and Samuel Boggs (25.08) all earned points in the boys race with second, third and fifth place finishes.
Elkin Wet Lightning will travel next to Bluefield, West Virginia on Saturday, June 15, to compete in the Bluefield Invitational Meet, an all-league contest.
Combined Team Scores:
Elkin Wet Lightning 661
Dobson Dolphins 569
Girls Team Scores:
Elkin Wet Lightning 337
Dobson Dolphins 332
Boys Team Scores:
Elkin Wet Lightning 324
Dobson Dolphins 237
Combined Team Scores:
Elkin Wet Lightning 815.5
Reeves Rapids 362.5
Girls Team Scores:
Elkin Wet Lightning 455.5
Reeves Rapids 171.5
Boys Team Scores:
Elkin Wet Lightning 360
Reeves Rapids 191
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