photo by M.A. Locke
Ken Buchanan has been coaching summer swim teams longer than anyone in the Chattanooga Area Swim League, but he still gets a good case of the jitters every year before his team’s first meet of the season.
Such was the case at Red Bank Thursday night as the Gators got into action after having a bye on Monday.
Buchanan didn’t have to sweat too much as his team came through like seasoned veterans, handing the Fort Oglethorpe Marlins their first loss of the young season.
It was close for an event or two, but a seven-point lead after the opening freestyle races got bigger and bigger before the Gators settled for the impressive 418-326 victory.
Other winners on Thursday included Dalton, Ooltewah, Ringgold, Fairyland and the Waterdogs.
Red Bank has a fine team with a lot of experienced older swimmers. The Marlins have a fine team as well, but overall team numbers are huge as it’s impossible to score without bodies to compete and that may have been a big part of the massive difference in the final scores.
But on an evening where there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the humidity was relatively low, it was a near-perfect setting for a competitive meet and both teams responded with their best effort.
Buchanan stays busy from start to finish, making sure that every member of his team is in the right place at the right time. But he was able to take a deep breath and relax a bit as the freestyle relays were being contested and the outcome of the meet already determined.
“I don’t know why, but I’m always nervous before our first meet of the season,” he said as competitors passed back and forth in both directions.
“We have a lot of new kids this year and they’re always asking me when it’s their time to swim and what they need to do next, but I love their enthusiasm and willingness to do what it takes to win.
“We also have a great group of older kids who really showed us something today, but there’s still always room for improvement. If we didn’t win a race because we didn’t work hard enough, that’s what we need to address, but overall, I’m really pleased with our effort tonight.
“It’s been a great first meet for the Red Bank Gators,” he added with a smile.
Phil Donihe is the first-year head coach for the Marlins. Despite lesser numbers overall, his team battled from the start to the finish as everyone put forth their very best effort.
That’s the message he wants to send to his young team.
“We still have a lot to work on and that’s always part of it, but these kids get better every day. Regardless of whether we win or lose, it’s a positive learning experience for them,” he suggested before the meet ended.
“We’ll all walk away as winners if we act like champions, no matter what the score, but we’re here to get better and to enjoy the benefits of a great sport.
“We don’t use the word ‘can’t’ as that’s not in our vocabulary, but these kids are like little energizer bunnies. And it’s all worthwhile for me when I’m standing at the end of the pool and see the expression on their face when they finish their first 25-yard butterfly after crying before it started, not sure they could do it.
“That’s the part of coaching in this league that makes me so happy,” he concluded.
Luke Massey and Dallas Woods both scored the maximum 19 points for Red Bank while Eddie Birdsong, Mason Meyners and Kathrine Schlegel followed with 17 and Grace Yood with 16.
Camden Cloud and Mariana Easley both had 19 points for the Marlins. Reece Gallagher finished with 18 while Morgyn Easley had 15 and Carson Cloud 14 for Fort Oglethorpe.
Both of these teams will be on the road for their next meet on Monday with Red Bank traveling to Ridgeside and Fort Oglethorpe traveling to Cleveland to face the Waterdogs and their former coach Tony Womac.
FORT OGLETHORPE HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Camden Cloud, Mariana Easley
18 – Reece Gallagher
15 – Morgyn Easley
14 – Carson Cloud
13 – Timothy DeBord, Megan Easley, Lance Marshall
12 – Lily Marshall, Maddox Henry, Avery Higgins.
RED BANK HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Luke Massey, Dallas Woods
17 – Eddie Birdsong, Mason Meyners, Kathrine Schlegel
16 – Grace Yood
15 – Linsy Devlin, Amelia Harris
14 – Connor Leming, Ian Rabon
13 – Zachary Miller, Asonia Birdsong
12 – Austin Camp, Catherine Morgan, Benjamin Meagher, Luke Meyners
10 – Virginia Condry, Taylor Hurst, William Brooks.
SIGNAL MOUNTAIN HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
17 – Jewel Gordon, Megan Hanson
15 – Laken Coppinger, Belle Flasch, Emily Gill
14 – Luke Smiley, KaraLin Hoover, Katherine Johnson, Sam Laramore, Cecelia Porter, Audrey Rackel
13 – Marley Harper
11 – Will Tippett
10 – John Smith, Grayson Rock.
DALTON HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Ross Valdez, Alexander Withrow, Ethan Young
18 – Bella Lee
17 – Roman Valdez
16 – Gracison Saylors, Henry Bethel
15 – Reese Bingham, Will Haley, Jonathan Shaheen
14 – Franco Valdez
13 – Ava Whited, Carson Vaughn
12 – Lucien Chenard, Tyler Stephenson
11 – Sophia Wagner.
WATERDOGS HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Juliet Bryant, Brendon Ruckman, Davina Sharma
17 – Lexi McKenzie, Pollianna Moshenskiy, Mason Cross
15 – Caiden Cross, Ridge Asble, Andrew Ruckman, Anna Garner
13 – Jae Dauphinais, Noah Thornton
12 – Jessica Landberg, Katie Estes, Connor Browand
11 – Kailey Ruckman, Nikolai Shapoval
10.5 – Audrey Torchick
10 – Emilie Thompson, Simon Hummelsberger, Keira Bundy, Grace Dauphinais.
CUMBERLAND HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Lydia Mizutani, Jeremiah Morris
17 – Kari Morris, James Schone
15 – Lauren Alexander
14 – Zachary Schurr
13 – Esther Morris
10 – Liliana Hatch, Jackson Schurr, Kimberly Morris.
BIG RIDGE HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Caleb Aslinger, Abigail Austin, Sam Powe, Evan Simpson
17 – Mae Mae Powe, Aidan Shaw, Hunter Shaw
14 – Alyssa Slater
12 – Amelia Watson, Sierra Haberhern, Robert Alford, Elizabeth Allen
11 – Christopher Farnham, Amelia Hunt, Christopher Tate
10 – Logan Urbanski, Abigail Keener, Adelyn Simpson.
RINGGOLD HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Emma Bradford, Cooper Chappelear, Russell Lively, Regan Wingrove
17 – Emma Pulliam, Evan Moeller
15 – Easton O’Donnell
13 – Rylee O’Donnell, Maggie Grayson, Victoria Rhinehart, Kirill Lebed, Henry Webb
12 – Timothy Grayson, Saulye Nichols
10 – Cayman Hughey, Bennett Kolff, Cameron Kolff, Noah Scott.
OOLTEWAH HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Leah Boyd, Garet Gipson, Cameron Martin
17 – Elijah Martin, Haley Grider, Jillian Cantrell
16 – Amber Isbell
15 – Brighton Smith, Merrin Allen, Anna Boyd
14 – Wesley Deschaine, Aidan Sims
13 – Hardy Jones, Autumn Suchy, Taylor Reyes, Emma Scruggs, Peter Dyr
12 – Jedidiah Holliman, Noah Holliman
10 – Blake Grady, Nathaniel Selander, Andrew Tallent.
CLEVELAND HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Jacob McDaniel, Grayson Payne
16 – Jason Chung
15 – Luke Bixler
14 – Anna Thompson, Devon Frakes
13 – Trey Parris
12 – Ian Frakes, Jasper Culpepper, Rebecca Nolen
11 – Peter Falcone
10 – Kelsey Hayes, Kaitlynn McDonald.
FAIRYLAND HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Benjamin Bevill, Ellie Taliaferro, Anna Ward
18 – Ethan Bevill
17 – Gabriel McBryar, Jane Eiselstein
16 – Frances Bohner
15 – Harrison Barnes, William Jackson, Annie McBryar
14 – Barak Goren, Mary Jackson
13 – Emily Chalverus
12 – Nathan Jackson, Samuel Jackson
11 – Morton Wingfield, Louisa Bohner
10 – Caroline Barnes, Henry Wingfield.
CALHOUN HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
17 – Chloe Edens, William Eickman, Jeremiah Petty, Matthew Petty
16 – Mary Jane McKinnon
15 – Phoebe Reid
13 – Cal Parker, Alice Workman
12 – Joshua Tolson, Addison Kelley
11 – Cassandra Workman
10 – Brody Bushong, Luke Driscoll, Calli Edens.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)