The biggest question of the day for kids in the Chattanooga Area Swim League is who has the best team?
In years past, Signal Mountain has been the dominant team while Dalton has really stepped up in the past few seasons. And what about up-and-coming Ooltewah as they compete in the top-level Blue Division with high hopes of being the best one day.
And you can never forget about Stuart Heights as they continue to make big news in local pools.
For example, Ooltewah went on the road last week and surprised Stuart Heights after losing a close one to Dalton in the first meet of the season. And just this week, Stuart Heights went to Dalton and handed the Dolphins a rare loss at home by a scant two points while Signal Mountain made a statement with a big win at home against Ooltewah.
There are still three regular-season dates left, but it appears this issue won’t be settled until the weekend of July 8-9 with the annual Bill Caulkins City Meet, which will be held at Baylor this summer.
But back to Monday’s results.
The Signal Mountain Green Giants opened its season with a 15-point loss at Dalton, but bounced back to handily defeat Cleveland last Monday.
Swimming at home for the first time this season on Monday, the Green Giants made a strong statement against the Ooltewah Tidal Waves.
Ooltewah may have shocked Stuart Heights, but that wasn’t going to happen a second time as the Green Giants led from start to finish before recording a 59-point victory, winning by a score of 423.5 to 364.5.
Other winners on Monday included Cumberland, Stuart Heights, Calhoun and Red Bank.
Jake Sosna, who is Signal Mountain’s head coach after serving as an assistant for the past seven years, was feeling pretty good as his folks were setting things up late Monday afternoon. But his good feelings starting going elsewhere as he found out that several of his regulars would not be present for the Ooltewah challenge.
Sosna didn’t have to sweat it for very long as an able group of backup swimmers came through in the clutch and swam with intensity and purpose, making sure the Green Giants weren’t going to lose at home.
It really wasn’t ever very close.
A 16-point lead for Signal Mountain after the opening freestyle races really expanded as the Green Giants enjoyed a 66.5-43.5 edge in the breaststroke races.
Ooltewah’s only advantage came at 67-65 in the backstroke, but by that time, the Green Giants had a commanding 53-point lead and were already planning their victory celebration.
Sosna was finally able to relax during the freestyle relays when the overall victory had been determined.
“For the ones who showed up, they did really well. We had a lot of alternates who stepped up and did a great job and the older kids really stepped up too,” he began.
“The relays are where we make our money. We’ve had great success in this league in years past, but we’ve been thin in recent seasons. Right now, we’re trying to put the fun back into the summer league. We have a lot of year-round swimmers and it really helps when they show up.
“We knew that Ooltewah was no joke and they always travel well. They continue to get better and better, but nothing comes easy in this division. I feel a whole lot better now than I did when we first started,” he added.
Ooltewah coach Todd Jones knows that his kids were riding an emotional high following last week’s win at Stuart Heights, but all of that came splashing back down to earth following Monday’s meet at Signal.
“We came in on a high and we didn’t do too bad, but it’s not that close right now,” he said as the butterfly races were wrapping up.
“Our kids travel well and we had most of them here today, but our expectations weren’t real high. We always swim better at home, but give Signal Mountain a lot of credit as they came ready to swim. We keep clawing our way to the top and we’ll eventually get there, but that’s what makes a summer league so much fun.
“This just shows that we have to keep working, but I’ve never seen so many happy faces and proud parents. But Signal Mountain just outswam us tonight. I was hoping it would be closer, but we just got spanked in the breaststroke. It seems like we bring out the best in other teams, but that’s a real compliment to our team,” he added.
Jewel Gordon and John Smith scored the maximum 19 points to lead the Signal Mountain effort while KaraLin Hoover scored 18 and the trio of Laken Coppinger, Will Tippett and Peter Lochmaier all chipped in with 17 points each.
Leah Boyd was the only Ooltewah swimmer with 19 points.
Brighton Smith was next with 17 while Elijah Martin and Taylor Reyes were next with 16.5 and 15 points, respectively.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Green Giants as they host Stuart Heights on Thursday while Ooltewah is home on Thursday as they host Cleveland.
OOLTEWAH HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Leah Boyd
17 – Brighton Smith
16.5 – Elijah Martin
15 – Taylor Reyes
14 – Anna Boyd, Cameron Martin, Noah Holliman
13 – Jedidiah Holliman, Emma Scruggs
12 – Autumn Suchy, Hardy Jones, Jillian Cantrell
11 – Aidan Sims, Merrin Allen
10 – Josie Martin, Peter Dyr, Garet Gipson, Amber Isbell.
SIGNAL MOUNTAIN HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Jewel Gordon, John Smith
18 – KaraLin Hoover
17 – Laken Coppinger, Will Tippett, Peter Lochmaier
15 – James Johnson
14 – Vincent Porter
13 – Chase Post, Charlie Han
11 – Megan Hanson, Jackson Dart, Luke Smiley, Jameson Mitchum, Cecelia Porter
10 – Tian Bardoner, Jason Green.
STUART HEIGHTS HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Ellie Waldrep
17 – Luke Waldrep
16 – Elizabeth Lydon
15 – Maddux Clardy, Catherine Lynch, Jon Pat Ransom
14.5 – Max Ransom, Scout Chapin
14 – Avery Wilson
12 -- Ashlyn Celichowski, Roane Chapin, Lucy Lydon, Johnny Von Canon
11.5 – Reese Skiles
11 – Gerald Lydon
10 – Audrey Bakeloo-Carter, Molly Ransom, Matthew McCoy.
DALTON HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Reese Bingham, Will Haley, Ross Valdez
18 – Gracison Saylors
17 – Roman Valdez, Ava Whited
16 – Carson Vaughn
15 – Alexander Withrow, Henry Bethel
14 – Carlin Hudson
12 – Franco Valdez, Sophia Wagner
10.5 – Alexis Vaughn, Casey Mashburn.
RIDGESIDE HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Madeline Bond
17 – Joseph Danks, Finnegan Fitzsimmons, Adelaide Bond
16 – Wyatt Williamson
15 – Rowan Fitzsimmons, Andrew Bond
14 – Noah Akins
13 – Isabella Blankenbaker, Beccan Fitzsimmons
12 – Burke Murphy
11 – Cleo Scott, Elizabeth Hall, Jack Fitzsimmons
10 – Owen Williamson.
CUMBERLAND HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Kari Morris, Lydia Mizutani, Esther Morris
17 – Jeremiah Morris, Liliana Hatch
16 – Chloe Vernon
15 – Reese Click
13 – Jonas Taylor
12 – Seth Broadus, James Schone, Hannah Shick
11 – Evelyn Click
10 – Josy Lewis, Olivia Suddeth.
RED BANK HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Luke Massey, Dallas Woods
17 – Kathrine Schlegel, Mason Meyners, Amelia Harris
16 – Grace Yood
15 – Eddie Birdsong
14 – Isabella Miller
13 – Zachary Miller, Connor Leming, Sarah Garner, Asonia Birdsong
12 – Virginia Condry, Ian Rabon, Catherine Morgan
11 – Christien Lagorio, William Brooks
10 – MaKayla Lee, Taylor Hurst, Carter Nash, Ivey Wolff.
FORT OGLETHORPE HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Camden Cloud
17 – Carson Cloud, Mariana Easley
15 – Morgyn Easley, Reece Gallagher
13 – Megan Easley, Savannah DeBord
12 – Lily Marshall, Maddox Henry
11 – Timothy DeBord, Brandon Edge
10 – Lance Marshall.
COUNTRY CLUB HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
18 – Margaret Anne Hudson
15 – Emelia Richey, CeCe Turner
13 – Lydia Bohannon, Allison Royal, Julia Quernemoen
12 – William Turner, Meghan Royal, Madison Markey
11 – Sophia Bell, Caroline Schenck
10 – Cecelia Turner, Robert Buntin, Ward Richey.
CALHOUN HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Jeremiah Petty, Brandon Webb, Alice Workman
18 – William Eickman
17 – Chloe edens
15 – Joshua Tolson, William Engel
14 – Cassandra Workman, Caleb Black, Luke Driscoll, Mary Jane McKinnon, Matthew Petty
13 – Vivianne Funes
12 – Cal Parker, Calli Edens, Phoebe Reid
10 – Davis Ruddell, Brayden Webb, Addison Kelley.
(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)