CLEVELAND, Tenn. — After getting thumped by Chattanooga Area Swim League White Division leader Red Bank the week before, the Cleveland Aqua Tigers made a much better showing when the Gators came to the Tinsley Park pool Thursday evening.
While the unbeaten Gators (4-0) once again prevailed 472-302, that was a 104-point improvement by the Aqua Tigers over the season opener in Red Bank.
After having just 40 swimmers the first time, plus just 42 in a meet at Big Ridge last week as well, 50 CAT donned the Blue and Orange to post their highest point tally of the campaign Thursday.
Red Bank will travel to the Big Ridge Ridges (2-1) for a big showdown Monday, before hosting Cumberland Thursday.
The Aqua Tigers will be back at their home Tinsley pool Monday, when the winless Currents (0-2) coming to town as both teams will be looking for their first win of the season.
CAT will also entertain Big Ridge Thursday in another rematch.
After winning just one classification in the previous meeting, CAT claimed five age divisions Thursday.
The largest Aqua Tiger margin of victory came in the Boys 11-12 division with a 47-27 difference.
Taking three of the top four spots, Elias Eldred scored 18 points, while Teddy Elliott was right behind with 16.
CAT's Andrew Rutledge tied for third place, matching Red Bank's Dexter Miller with nine markers.
The Aqua Tigers' 11-12 Girls also dominated by a 50-31 margin.
Although Gator Allie West topped the standings with 17 points, the next three spot belonged to the home team — Addie Taubert (15), Sophie Hughes (12) and Maddie Peterson (10).
In a heads-up battle, Aqua Tiger Ashley Pesterfield won the Womens 15 & Over 13-11.5, over Gator Kelly Nickols.
CAT claimed five-point wins in the Girls 6-Under (16-11) and Boys 7-8 (30-25).
Aqua Tiger Caroline Kate Elrod and Red Bank's Reid Corder led the youngest girls division with 10 points each, while CAT's Palmer Blackmon added a half dozen for the victory.
Kevin Curley led the CAT 7-8 Boys with 18 points, while Michael Ols added seven. Timothy Ellis was the lone Gator in double figures with 10 markers.
The powerful Gators dominated the other seven divisions, all by double digits.
Red Bank's largest margin came in the Girls 13-14, where it took the top seven spots in the nine-swimmer field for an 89.5-14 thumping.
Maddie Grass postes a "Perfect 19," while Lilah Blanchard added 17. Adli Bowlin and Natalie Emerson notched a dozen apiece, while Harper Cole added 11.5.
CAT's Carol Lynn Elliott and Seraphim McNeese posted eight and six points respectively.
The champed the Tigers 54-20 in the Men's 15 & Over, with to top four slots going to Ben Meagher with a "Perfect 19," Samuel Shaw (12), Chohen Lowe (11) and Ian Rabon (9).
Aqua Tiger Cash Coates and Gavin Hughes had five points each, while Cael Coates and Cutter Womack added four apiece.
It was a 30-point (53-23) difference in the Boys 9-10 with James Atchley (19), Luke Blake (13) and Noah Blumenburg (12) reaching double figures.
Joseph Scully and Mark Peterson topped CAT with eight and six points.
The Gators posted a 30-point margin (46-16) in the Girls 7-8, with Addilyn Mayo's "Perfect 19" to led the way, while Adalia Ross helped out with 15.
Abigail Parrish and Stevie Rose McDaniel had seven and five for the hosts.
In the Girls 9-10 the team from the west side of Chattanooga won 51-28 behind Audrey Mayo's perfect performance (19) while teammate Avalie Bilbrey garnered 17 points.
The host got 10 points from Reed Blackmon, plus seven apiece from Olivia Hughes and Morgan Jenkins.
It was a 24-11 Gator edge in the Boys 6-Under with Caleb Ross posted 18 points, while Nathan Jossart led the Aqua Tigers with seven.
In the tightest Red Bank win, the visitors took the Boys 13-14 by just a 45-34 margin.
Noah Blake and Bentley Bilbrey led the Gators with 18 and 16 points, while Cleveland countered with 10 from Santiago Eldred and eight by Jaxon Moseley.
(Contact Joe Cannon at joe.cannon@clevelandbanner.com)