The Highlands Hurricanes were joined by the Jackson County Swim Team on Thursday, June 13. The Hurricanes scored 726 to JCST’s 195.
The Hurricanes set 55 Personal Records (PR’s), 3 Team Records, 2 Pool Records and 1 Mountain Swim League (MSL) Record.
The Hurricanes were led by Jelehna McKim who scored 28 pts., won 4 events and had 1 team record. Matti Cohen, Dasha Halldin, and Junior Olympians Chase Kenter and Layla Babac all scored 27 pts. and won 5 events. Cohen had 3 PR’s, 1 Team record and 1 pool record. Halldin had a PR, Babac had a PR and a Team Record, while Kenter set a Pool Record and another MSL Record. Kenter now holds 13 Mountain Swim League Records.
At the start of each race, most Hurricane swimmers don’t come up for air until they’ve swam half the length of the pool.
Finneaus Garner, Blake Kenter and brothers, Elias and Aniah McKim, all scored 25 pts. and won 4 events. Garner had 2 PR’s. Kate Haner had 2 PR’s while scoring 24 pts. and winning 4 events. Savannah Byrd and Junior Olympian, Jack Sumner, each scored 23 pts., won 4 events and had a PR. Junior Olympic Qualifier, Jordan Powell, scored 22 pts., won 3 events and had a PR. Justin Powell, Max Jestin and Junior Olympian,Conner Hughes, all scored 21 pts. Hughes and Jestin won 3 events, while Powell had a PR and won 2 events. Brother and sister duo, Timmy and Cassie McDowell, and brothers, Andre and Ben Halldin, all scored 20 pts. The 2 McDowell’s and Andre Halldin all had 2 PR’s. Cassie won 1 event and Timmy won 2. Ben won 4 events and Andre won 1.
JoJo Cohen and Emilina Hernandez both had 2 PR’s en route to scoring 19 pts. Cohen won 3 events, Hernandez 2. Ben Haner, Mark Gross and Asa Garner all scored 18 pts. Haner and Garner won 3 events. Gross had 3 PR’s and won 2 events. Haner had 2 PR’s.
Swimming competitively when everything goes right is great, but handling the situation when things go wrong is what some Hurricanes had to do when things like goggles fell off. Swimmers staiyed cool and kept on racing.
Ansley Hughes and Jayden Hughes each scored 17 pts. Jayden had 2 PR’s and won 2 events; Ansley won 3 events and had 1 PR. Jack Haner and Maddi Symanski scored 16 pts. Haner had 3 PR’s, Symanski had 2 and won 2 events. Lauch Young and Jasmin Abranyi each scored 15 pts. and won 2 events. Abranyi had 2 PR’s. Katya Somov scored 13 pts. and won 2 events. Briella McKim and Alex Barranco scored 11 pts. McKim had 3 PR’s, Barranco 1. Barrett McKim and Anton Halldin scored 10 pts. McKim had a PR and won 2 events, while Halldin had 3 PR’s. Jose-Luis Pinilla Salas scored 8 pts. and had 3 PR’s, Kailyn Taylor scored 4 pts. and had 2 PR’s. Also swimming for the Hurricanes was Clair Haner who had a PR.
The Hurricanes currently have 6 swimmers that have qualified and will be competing in the AAU Junior Olympics to be held in Greensboro, NC July 25-28. Jordan Powell, Matti Cohen, Chase Kenter, Jack Sumner, Elias McKim, Dasha Halldin.
Hurricanes had to time their starts correctly, especially in relay races.
The Highlands Hurricanes are a Highlands Recreation Park Team. They practice at the Highlands Recreation Park Pool Monday through Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. The only requirement to join the team is that you be able to swim 25 yards (one pool length) unassisted. For more information click HERE, visit their Facebook page or call Head Coach, Steve Hott, at 828.421.4121.
Several of the Highlands Hurricanes take a breather between heats.
Article by Steve Hott
Photos by Brian O’Shea
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