Dalton Holds Off Ooltewah In Blue Division Test, 410-355

 The Ooltewah Tidal Waves put their best foot forward against one the best teams in the Chattanooga Area Swim League Thursday night and although they came up a bit short on the final score, it was an upbeat and positive experience for the Tidal Waves in their first meet of the young season.

The visiting Dolphins, who are the defending Bill Caulkins City Meet champions, headed back home with a 410-355 victory, but they had to work hard and swim some of their best times to pull out their second win against no defeats.

"It's not over yet, but I'm really happy with the way we swam tonight," said Dalton's first-year head coach Jason Mezaros while the freestyle relays were just beginning.

"We lost up here last year and we knew today's meet would be tough, so we showed up really prepared.  Normally we don't start off the season very strong, but we're being way more competitive at this point.  Our times today have been so much better than even at the end of last year, which is amazing since this is still the first week of the season.

"We had a lot of key swimmers missing, but the others rose to the occasion.  We have a new attitude where they're going to race hard, no matter the circumstance, and that has certainly been a key tonight," he added.

The Dolphins had a slim two-point lead following the freestyles races to begin the meet while the difference was only 21 points following the breaststroke event.  The Tidal Waves cut that lead to 172-159 following the medley relays, but that was as close as they'd get against their visitors from Whitfield County.

"We're really happy with everybody's performances as we're dropping times left and right and it's still early in the season," said Ooltewah coach Todd Jones as the meet was winding down.

"We had a few kids who performed better than I expected, but we have a lot of things we can fix and improve on.  We came up a little shy in the final score, but we competed today and that's what I was looking for. Winning close races in a meet like this just reminds them why it's so important to practice so hard.

"Being in a meet like this with one of the league's best teams will certainly inspire us.  Being one of the top teams is surely within our grasp, but we just have to work a little harder.  We went head-to-head with the best team in the league and it can only get better if we keep working hard," he concluded.

Henry Bethel, Julian Hernandez and Ethan Young all scored the maximum 19 points for the winning Dolphins while Alexis Vaughn was next with 18.  Franco Valdez and Jonathan Shaheen added 17 points apiece.

Cameron Martin topped the Tidal Waves with 19 points while Emma Scruggs had 16.  Haley  Grider, Leah Boyd, Jillian Cantrell, Lilian Parr and  Peter Dyr all finished with 15.

Dalton stays in first place in the Blue Division with a 2-0 record and the Dolphins have a bye on Monday before hosting Fairyland on Thursday.

Ooltewah is now 0-1 and will travel to Fairyland on Monday before going to Stuart Heights next Thursday.

DALTON HIGH-POINT SCORERS:

19 -- Henry Bethel, Julian Hernandez, Ethan Young,

18 -- Alexis Vaughn;

17 -- Franco Valdez, Jonathan Shaheen

16 -- Reese Bingham;

15 -- Alex Mashburn, Alexander Withrow, Gavin Ollis;

14 -- James Bingham;

13 -- Gracison Saylors, Carlin Hudson;

12 -- Abby O'Ferrall, Lucien Chenard;

11 -- Mary Pike;

10 -- Kelly Mashburn, Daniela Hannah, Anthony Calderon, Orrin Withrow, Brandt Hudson.

OOLTEWAH HIGH-POINT SCORERS:

19 -- Cameron Martin;

16 -- Emma Scruggs;

15 -- Haley Grider, Leah Boyd, Jillian Cantrell, Lilian Parr, Peter Dyr;

14 -- Jacob Kiemeyer;

12 -- Anna Boyd, Faith Isbell, Aidan Sims; 

11 -- Jaxon Thurman, Madelyn Weathers;

10 -- Michayla Vazquez

FAIRYLAND HIGH-POINT SCORERS:

18 -- Eileen Nash;

17 -- David Horne, Chase Holsonback;

15 -- Ben Bevill;

14 -- Kristen Myers, Meredith Bevill, Victoria Coward;

12 -- Jane Eiselstein, Ethan Bevill;

11 -- Emerick Garrett.

SIGNAL MOUNTAIN HIGH-POINT SCORERS:

19 -- Chase Post;

18 -- Susanna LaRochelle;

17 -- Ben Flasch, Henry Flasch, Nicole Hanson, Charlie Han, Stephanie Xian, Daniel Snyder, Jewel Gordon;

15 -- Cecelia Porter;

13 -- Jason Green;

12 -- Jamee Mitchum, Chapman Varnell, Maggie Stovall;

11 -- Laken Coppinger, Vincent Porter;

10 -- Jenny Daverson, Kaleb Bonastia, Jude Smith, Amelia Willis, Peter Lochmaier.

RED BANK HIGH-POINT SCORERS:

19 -- Dallas Woods, Brianna Rabon, Ian Rabon, Eddie Birdsong, Luke Massey;

17 -- Chase Hayman, Allen Watson;

16 -- Sarah Sapp;

15 -- Mason Meyners, Conner Boerschig;

14 -- Jonah King, Robert Steele;

13 -- Asonia Birdsong;

12 -- Rebekah Fuller, Sarah Garner, William Brooks, Ryan Granberry;

11 -- McCartney Lemay;

10 -- Kathrine Schlegel.

CUMBERLAND HIGH-POINT SCORERS:

17 -- Lauren Alexander, Jeremiah Morris;

16 -- Brianne Holsomback;

15 -- Esther Morris, Keanu Tun;

13 -- Chloe Vernon, Jonas Taylor;

12 -- Kari Morris;

11 -- Juliana Acosta, Bishop Allen;

10 -- Lillana Hatch.

WATERDOGS HIGH-POINT SCORERS:

19 -- Davina Sharma, Julie Bryant;

16 -- John Bryant;

15 -- Jessica Landberg, Anna Garner; Brody Swafford, Tanya Sharma, Brendon Ruckman;

14 -- Joseph Arnett;

12 -- Christian Fetzner;

11 -- Noah Torchick, Kyra Nipper;

10 -- Kailey Ruckman.

COUNTRY CLUB HIGH-POINT SCORERS:

19 -- CeCe Turner, Lisa Yates;

17 -- William Turner;

14 -- Robert Buntin, Edwin Richey;

13 -- William Gratias, Lee Schemel;

12 -- Vivian Vetzel, Benjamin Workinger;

11 -- Kaan Alp, Christian Wiechmann, Zane Smith, Laura Brakebill;

10 -- Ruby McDonald, Koray Alp, Maggie Crump.

CLEVELAND HIGH-POINT SCORERS:

None reported.

RINGGOLD HIGH-POINT SCORERS:

19 -- Pierce Lively;

15 -- Rylee Odonnell;

14 -- Alex Van Alstine, Lindsay Hudson, Regan Wingrove, Easton Odonnell;

13 -- Saulye Nichols, Gabriel Johnson;

11 -- Isabella Sweat, Natalia Celis;

10 -- Alex Grayson.

FORT OGLETHORPE HIGH-POINT SCORERS:

18 -- Morgyn Easley;

17 -- Joshua Carney, Adelyn Tysz;

16 -- Camden Cloud;

15 -- Timothy DeBord, Sky Kim;

14 -- Lance Marshall, Megan Easley, Mariana Easley;

13 -- Brayden Carney, Brandon Edge, Cristian Edge, Arilyn Lee;

11 -- Lily Marshall.

RIDGESIDE HIGH-POINT SCORERS:

17 -- Nicole Blohm

15 -- Elizabeth Hall, Thomas Sell

14 -- Clark Danks

13 -- Sophia Albarakat, Bec Fitzsimmons

12 -- Madeline Bond, Adelaide Bond, Nic Robinson, Noah Akins

11 -- Tajarah Goodman

10 -- Max Wiley, Wyatt Williamson, Asa Hedrick.

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@Comcast.net)