Robert Alford picked up 17 individual points to help lead the Big Ridge Raiders to a razor-thin one-point win, 384-383, over Ridgeside in the Dolphins' home pool Thursday evening. The win boosted Big Ridge to the top of the White Division with a 5-1 record. Ridgeside slipped to 3-2.
photo by Dennis Norwood
There have been some really close meets in the Chattanooga Area Swim League regular season this summer, but none any closer than the ones held on Thursday evening.
The Big Ridge Raiders took charge of the CASL's White division with a one-point win at Ridgeside, but that wasn't the closest meet of the day as the Calhoun Blue Barracudas finished in a tie with the Country Club Wavemakers as both finished with 385.5 points.
Big Ridge and Ridgeside both entered Thursday's action with one loss, but the Raiders have the upper hand as both the Raiders and the Red Bank Gators have identical 4-1 records, but the Raiders won the tie-breaker on point differential.
Red Bank won by 17 points on June 15 while Big Ridge won by 40 a week later.
But on a day when it was hotter than blue blazes on the pool deck at Ridgeside, the Raiders proved that their 10-point win two weeks ago wasn't a fluke.
Thursday's meet was indeed a dandy.
The Raiders never trailed as they had a 71-60 lead following the freestyle races. That advantage dipped to two points (117-115) following the breaststroke before a strong medley relay event allowed the visitors to stretch the difference to 177-163, the biggest point spread of the day.
The difference was 215-205 at the halfway point following the individual medleys, but the races were closer than Dick's hatband the rest of the way as Ridgeside had a 66-65 advantage in the backstroke while both teams scored 52 points in the butterfly.
And then in the final event -- the freestyle relays -- the Dolphins finished with a 60-52 advantage, but it just wasn't enough to overcome the earlier lead.
"I really don't know what to say, but that was exciting," said Big Ridge coach Martha Carpenter after her team had improved to 4-1 for the season.
"We beat them by 10 points at our pool and we were nervous the whole time today because we knew it would be close. I spent a lot of time putting our lineup together as we shuffled some people around and put them in new places, but it was a total team effort tonight.
"We had some surprises both ways, but we also won some races I didn't expect us to win and that may have been the difference. But a summer swim league meet doesn't get any closer than that," she concluded with a smile.
Ridgeside coach Rob Parks echoed similar feelings.
"We just lost a heart-breaker. We match up with them better than any team in our division. We were down by 13 points with four races remaining and were only able to make up 12 of those points, but we all swam hard and they learned a good lesson about how to take a tough loss.
"It's all about having fun in this league and I want them all to get passionate about the sport of swimming. All are leaving here with smiles on their faces and that's what matters to me, but you can't always win them all," he concluded.
Mae Mae Powe and Christopher Tate both had the maximum 19 points for the Raiders while Robert Alford and Sierra Haberhern both finished with 17.
Claire Calhoun, Abigail Austin and Liam Runkle finished with 16 points apiece.
Finnegan Fitzsimmons had 19 points to lead Ridgeside while Rowan Fitzsimmons and Meredith Blohm both added 17. Taylor Clarke was next with 15.
While Big Ridge has all but locked up the regular-season title for the White division, Ridgeside still has a chance to finish second as they travel to Red Bank on July 2 for a makeup meet.
BIG RIDGE HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 -- Mae Mae Powe, Christopher Tate
17 -- Robert Alford, Sierra Haberhern
16 -- Claire Calhoun, Abigail Austin, Liam Runkle
13 -- Anna Thomson, Evan Simpson, Aidan Rawlins
12 -- Elizabeth Allen, Abigail Carpenter
11 -- Julie Anna Harris, Robert Bullington
10 -- Austin Rawlins.
RIDGESIDE HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 -- Finnegan Fitzsimmons
17 -- Rowan Fitzsimmons, Meredith Blohm
15 -- Taylor Clarke
14 -- Joseph Danks, Madison Tumblin, Brendan Gaffney, Noah Akins
13 -- Elizabeth Hall
12 -- Adelaide Bond, Andrew Bond, Isabella Blankenbaker
11 -- Madeline Bond, Mary Margaret Haywood
10 -- Kathryn Zeglen.
CALHOUN HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 -- Cal Parker
18 -- Alice Workman
17 -- Brody Bushong, Micah Klingbeil, Bryant Mathis
14 -- Ryder Hood, Kailey Klingbeil, Rucker Reeves
13 -- Cassandra Workman, Katherine Nesbitt, Brandon Webb
12.5 -- Caleb Black
12 -- Eli Tibbs
11 -- Bethany Fromm, Laura Brakebill, Kathryn Russell, Jeremiah Petty, Matthew Petty, Bryn Anderson
10 -- Caitlynne Clardy, William Eickman.
COUNTRY CLUB HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
18 -- Caroline Schenck, Lisa Yates
17 – Cecelia Turner, Margaret Anne Hudson
16 – Erik Buntin
15 – Abigail Markey
14 – Kevin Martinez, Prescott Hampton
11 – Laura Brakebill, Sarah Large, Emelia Richey
10 – Allison Royal, Emma Davenport, Danyal Gork, Yhara Mendonza, William Negus.
CLEVELAND HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Zachary Bianucci, Grayson Officer, Trey Parris, Macie Starr,
17 – Anna Thompson, Gracie Jackson, Benjamin Cooper
15 – Devon Frakes, Luke Belcher, Jacob McDaniel, Blake Odum
14 – Alexia Jackson, Lauren Thompson
13 – Breanna Belcher
12.5 – Jason Chung
12 – Owen Clemons, Ian Frakes, Logan VanHook, Zoe Meyer
11 – Ashlin Harper
10.5 – Jasper Culpepper.
WATERDOGS HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Juliet Bryant
17 – Maya Sharma, Tanya Sharma
13 – Elizabeth Andrews
12.5 – Kyra Nipper
11 – Joseph Arnett
10 – Lillian Blake, Jae Dauphinais.
CUMBERLAND HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Lauren Alexander, Brianne Holsomback, Jeremiah Morris, Jonas Taylor
17 – Esther Morris, Liam Carpenter
15 – Kari Morris, Chloe Vernon
13 – Kimberly Morris, Jackson Schurr
12 – Forest Laudeman
11.5 – Juliana Acosta
11 – Keanu Tun, Evelyn Click, Zachary Schurr
10 – Olivia Suddeth.
RED BANK HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Rebekah Fuller, Allen Watson
17 – Chase Hayman, Austin Camp
16 – Conner Boerschig
15 – Mason Meyners, Asonia Birdsong
14 – Ivey Woolf
13.5 – Virginia Condry
13 – Robert Steele
12 – Samuel Meagher, Bradley Hunt, Henry Martin, Eddie Birdsong
11 – Benjamin Meagher, Tabitha Wilson
10 – Grace Steele, Sarah Garner.
(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)
Ridgeside's Finn Fitzsimmons swam for a team-high 19 points in a one point loss to Big Ridge Thursday evening.
photo by Dennis Norwood