The winning continues for the Ooltewah Tidal Wave swim team.
Facing their biggest test of the season when the unbeaten Stuart Height Sharks came to the Ooltewah Swim Center Monday evening, the Tidal Waves passed with flying colors as they walked away with a convincing and impressive 77-point victory, remaining unbeaten in the Chattanooga Area Swim League’s Blue Division with a perfect 4-0 record.
Stuart Heights is now 3-1 following the 442.5-365.5 defeat.
Other league winners on Monday included Big Ridge, Calhoun, Ridgeside and Catoosa.
Ooltewah has built quite a team in recent years as they’ve won the last three Bill Caulkins City Meets and they’re working on another unbeaten regular-season mark as Monday’s win was their 31st straight.
Signal Mountain was the last time to beat the Tidal Waves in a dual meet and that came way back in 2017.
Ooltewah coach Stephen Jones may have been a bit tense earlier in the day, but he really didn’t have anything to worry about as his team really swam well and basically led from start to finish.
“I was a little nervous going in, but I feel pretty good now,” he said, knowing that his team had a comfortable lead toward the end of the meet.
“This was a really important meet for us and we tried to impress that on the kids, but we were also 100 percent present and they all showed up ready to compete.
“All of the assistant coaches were on their “A” game as we were able to pull from our depth and not have to rely so much on pure talent, but these kids practice hard every day and they swam just as hard tonight. All the credit goes to them.
“We have a solid team and a lot of these kids have really improved a lot. Max Emmert is one in particular who has really gotten better. He didn’t really know how to dive into the pool at the start, but has become one of our leading scorers, so I want to give a shout out to him,” Jones added.
Stuart Heights has a team with about half the numbers that Ooltewah has. Despite that huge difference in numbers, the Sharks really put their best foot forward and stayed right with the Tidal Waves.
That’s a fact that really made Stuart Heights coach Katie Sallee proud.
“We were down a little bit in numbers, but the kids who were here really put on a hard effort and that’s what I’m most proud of,” she said during the butterfly races.
“It’s been a great meet for us as a team. We just wanted to make sure we did all the little things right that we’ve been working on and we were able to win a lot of close races.
“Ooltewah has a really good team, but we’re getting closer. If we can stay this close with them, then I’m totally pleased as we really put forth a great effort,” she nodded.
Easton Daniel, Makayla McInness and Addison Smith all scored the maximum 19 points to lead Ooltewah while Madelyn Orth was next with 18. Liam Runkle and Carmyn Watkins both added 17 points to the winning effort.
Walker Sewell set the pace for Stuart Heights with 19 points while Max Shaw, Ellie Lydon and Shepherd Sewell all finished with 17.
Ooltewah returns to action when they travel to Fort Oglethorpe on Wednesday to face the Catoosa Great White Sharks. Stuart Heights will be at home for their last two meets, starting with Signal Mountain next Tuesday followed by Ooltewah on June 29.
STUART HEIGHTS HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Walker Sewell
17 – Max Shaw, Ellie Lydon, Shepherd Sewell
15 – Joseph Myers
14 –Molly Mae Ransom, Ava Gipson
13 – William Loveless
12 – Luci Hill, Sage Sillery, Sterling Sewell, Jameson Halbert
11.5 – Charlotte Murphree
11 – Olivia Loveless
10 – Reese Skiles, Kaitlyn Koo.
OOLTEWAH HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Easton Daniel, Makayla McInnes, Addison Smith
18 – Madelyn Orth
17 – Liam Runkle, Carmyn Watkins
15 – Keilah Holliman, Jed Holliman, Oscar Hipps
14 – Alejandro Garcia, Kyle Powroznik
13 – Max Emmert, Anna Boyd
12 – Ethan Runkle, Parker Ross
11 – Brooke Pacheco, Elijah Holliman, Julia Leite, Luke Oliver
10.5 – Madelyn Weathers
10 – Ren Jones.
BIG RIDGE HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Lander Smith, Abigail Keener, Nathan Jungels
17 – Foster Stevens, Quinn Young
16 – Lily Urbanski, Libby Brown
15 – Evan Scharff, Benson Wright, Kate White, Megan Gill, Sara Crane, Ashton Conibear
13 – Millie Watson, Noah Keener
12.5 – Ben Jungels
12 – Savannah Smith, Gracin Smith
11.5 – Logan Urbanski.
CUMBERLAND HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
16 – Carter Young
15 – Zach Schurr
14 – Kymiri Turner
12 – Kammeran Daniels
11 – Lola Phipps
10 – James Chatard.
FAIRYLAND HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Frances Bohner, Millie Elkins
17 – Ben Bevill, Adelaide Bond, Harrison Bonds
15 – Kent Wingfield
14 – Allie Johnson
13 – Lily Cole, Ari Bond
12 – Maxwell Ball, Barrett Reisman, Hank Wingfield
11 – Emmy Cole, Devon Frakes, Millie Sharplin
10 – Aubrey Cole, Emmons Pollard, Charlotte Koehl, Evelyn Dove, Avery Ball.
CALHOUN HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
17 – Morgan Cox, Dodd Corneliuson, Jonah Ogas
16 – Cassidy Gray
15 – Mason Martin, Claire Alexander, Atticus Stephens, Reese Bagwell
14 – William Rickett, Landon Travis, Lindsey Cox, Nate Eickman, Colin Wegand
13 – Keegan Carter
12 – Jacob Bateman
11 – Nicklas Michels, Jasmin Lawson, Jocelyn Chance, Avery Gray Trimble, Brady Smith.
RED BANK HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Allie West, Benton Bilbrey
18 – Addilyn Mayo, Noah Blake
15 – Samuel Shaw
13 – Turner Sharp
12 – James Atchley, Audrey Mayo, Zander Morgan
11 – Avalie Bilbrey
10 – Lilah Blanchard, Maggie Rust, Miles Baker.
RIDGESIDE HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Charlie Schrader, Caroline Carpenter
17 – Maggie Akins, Jacob Stone, Elizabeth Grace Schrader, Grace Hamilton
15 – Holly Beale, Brynne Burkhart
14 – Ryan Carpenter
13 – Rowan Fitzsimmons, Henry Curtis
12 – Annie Davis, Abigail Carpenter.
11 -- Caroline Zimmerman, Kol Lea
10 -- Andrew Zimmerman, Cora Hamilton, Ava Goodlet.
SIGNAL MOUNTAIN HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 -- Nissa Ruth
18 -- Ryan Berry, Keller Williamson, Owen Isch
17 -- Gavin McKenzie
16 -- Ryan Teuton
15 -- Sydney Gordon
14 -- Hannah Laramore
13 -- Sophie Santola, Kallisti Callaghan
12 -- Morgan Slattery, Mimi Hanning Dmitrievskaya
11 -- Finley McCormick
10 -- Flanary Belva, Jake Holmes, Liam Hewitt.
CATOOSA HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 -- Avary Kadetz, Sully Foster
18 -- Keeley Mountjoy
17 -- Wade Christopher, Oliver Webb
15 -- Joel Motter, Reese Rawls, Gabe Motter
14 -- Caleb Underwood
13 -- Ellie Corvin
12 -- Josh Adcox, Natalie Talley, Callahan Tweed, Helen Webb
11 -- Colson Chappelear, Gunnar Corvin
10 -- Magnolia Tweed.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)
10 – Andrew Zimmerman, Cora Hamilton, Ava Goodlet.