As 2018 has drawn to a close, Thunder Radio Sports looks back at some of the highlights of the calendar year for each of the more than 40 prep teams we follow and report on. Today we look back at the year for the prep swim programs at the high school and middle school level.
Three CHS Red Raider swimmers competed at the Tennessee Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (TISCA) state meet in Knoxville as they posted the best finish in program history. Thunder Radio reported on the state meet in a story we brought to you on February 12th
CHS swim team in Knoxville for the state meet(left to right) Coach Mike Ray, Anna O’Connor, Jack Beachboard, Kaylee Williams, head coach Lana Ray) [Photo used with permission]
Anna O’Connor competed in the 100 yard butterfly and the 100 yard backstroke. On Friday, O’Connor swam the preliminary in the butterfly. O’Connor posted a time of 1:06.09 which was 9 hundredths of a second off a personal best time. That result was good enough for 63rd place. Anna came back on Saturday in the 100 backstroke and smashed her personal best by 2.47 seconds as she placed 44th with a time of 1:05.04.
Kaylee Williams competed in the 200 yard Individual Medley(IM) and the 100 yard breaststroke. On Friday, Williams missed a new personal best in the 200 yard IM as she finished in 41st place with a time of 2:23.03. The 41st place finish was the highest finish for a Lady Raider swimmer in the state meet. On Saturday, Williams eclipsed that school record and her personal best time in the 100 yard breaststroke. Williams posted a time of 1:09.98(1.36 seconds better than her personal best) as she placed 22nd in the state at that distance. Both Saturday results are new school records.
Jack Beachboard competed in the 200 IM and the 100 yard breaststroke. Beachboard, already the highest decorated swimmer in CHS Swim history, just missed advancing to the finals on Friday in the IM as he placed 17th overall. Beachboard’s time of 2:00.64 was a new personal best as he shaved more than a half a second off his own school record time. Beachboard’s 17th place finish in the event is the highest finish in Coffee County CHS swim history. On Saturday, Jack was just above his personal best in the 100 yard breaststroke as he posted a time of 1:10.48. This was good enough for 22nd place which is the 2nd highest finish in school history.
All 3 swimmers, plus coaches Lana and Mike Ray will be guests on Saturday’s Coffee Coaches Show to talk about the season. The Coffee Coaches Show is broadcast live each and every Saturday morning beginning at 10 AM at Al White Ford/Lincoln. The Coffee Coaches Show is heard exclusively on Thunder Radio.
Starting with this school year, the middle school swimmers have divided up into their respective schools. Five middle school swimmers, competing as a combined middle school team last year, advanced to the Region Swim Meet in Nashville. Thunder Radio brought you those results is a story we brought to you on January 29th.
Members of the middle school swimmers for Coffee County at the region meet on Saturday. Left to right are Emily Williams, Kennedy Norman-Young, Taylor Wall, Aly Hutchins and William Tobitt[Phptp provided]
Norman-Young, Wall, Hutchings and Williams teamed up to place 14th in the 400M freestyle relay and 16th in the 200 freestyle relay. The 200 relay team broke their season record by 16 seconds and the school record by 8 seconds as they swam the event in 2:10.50. Their 400 relay time of 5:13.18 also set a new school record.
Kennedy Norman-Young advanced to the finals in the 50 freeestyle. Her finals time of 28.36 was a new personal best at that distance. Her finish was also good enough to capture 9th place. Kennedy also finished in 17th place in the 100 breaststroke with a new personal best of 1:26.46 which was just short of advancing to the finals.
William Tobitt reached the finals heat in the 100 freestyle as he finished 9th with a new personal record time of 56.77. He also finished 17th in his preliminary heat of the 50 freestyle with a time 26.44.
Emily Williams captured 16th place in the finals of the 200 freestyle as she cut 4.61 seconds off her preliminary heat time. Williams finished the race in 2:20.84. Emily also finished in 21st place in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:29.52.
Aly Hutchings competed in the 50 freestyle and posted a time on 33.27. She also posted a time of 1:25.50 in the 100 freestyle.
Taylor Wall posted a new personal best in the 50 freestyle with a time of 33.87. Wall also competed in the 100 backstroke finishing in a time of 1:28.45
