CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Starting off the summer swim season with a big splash, the Cleveland Aqua Tigers turned the tide on the Cumberland Currents, Monday evening at the Tinsley Park pool.
"Super happy with our performance last night to start the season off strong with a victory," stated CAT head coach Trey Parris after the 447-274 victory. "We brought a lot of energy as a team cheering each other on and it had a huge impact in the pool.
"This is now my fifth year coaching the Aqua Tigers and we have just gotten better and better each season to now where we expect to be a strong team to compete against every single meet," he proclaimed as this year's team numbers have increased to around 140 swimmers.
"Isaac Turner, Devon Frakes and Chloe Frakes, who all used to swim for the Aqua Tigers growing up, have returned for their first season as coaches and they have been a tremendous success for us.
"The kids are loving it and they working hard every single morning to helping the team improve. We have a long way to go but we are going to keep working hard and prepare for our next meet Monday (June 9) night at home against Big Ridge."
With 22 of 50 Aqua Tigers posting double-digit scoring, the hosts had four "Perfect 19s" from Reed Blackmon, Sophie Hughes, Kevin Curley and Elias Eldred.
Dominating the younger half dozen age brackets, CAT held off a split in the final six divisions for the 173-point victory.
Going unopposed in the Girls' 6 & Under, the hosts led 16-0 with Evelyn Ols notching 10 points, while Andi Elder added a half dozen.
In the boys youngest division, each team put just one swimmer in the water with CAT's Theo Lackey taking a 10-3 win over Everett Medley.
Despite having one less swimmer than the visitors in the Girls' 7-8, the Aqua Tigers prevailed 35-25 behind Palmer Blackmon and Caroline Kate Elrod putting up 13 and 12 points, respectively.
With a 5-2 edge in Boys' 7-8, CAT claimed a 26-8 outcome with Boone Bibee and Ezra Cory leading the way with a dozen and eight points.
Both teams put up four swimmers on the blocks in the Girls 9-10, but the Aqua Tigers had four double-digit efforts from Reed Blackmon (19), Heidi Delmotte (15), Millie Smith (11) and Adelai Pendergraft (10) for a 55-16 blow out.
Rounding out the younger half of the competition, CAT claimed a 50-29 edge in the Boys' 9-10with Curley and Jay Eldred finishing 1-2 with 19 and 13 points, respectively. Isaac Bennett led the Currents a dozen markers.
Cumberland bounced back to take both 11-12 age brackets, with the girls winning 61-46 and the boys claiming the second-closet battle of the evening in a 41-38 tally.
The Currents to three of the top four spots in the girls action with Lola Phipps winning the bracket with 18 points, while CAT's Marian Christmann was on her heels with 16.
Marin Bennett and Izzy Lewis added 10 and nine points for Cumberland, while Cleveland's Lee Elliott and Current Luella Gildernew tied for fifth place with eight markers each. Aqua Tigers Olivia Hughes and Sophia Hildebrand put up seven points apiece.
Despite being outnumbered 6-4, Cumberland's boys put up the three-point victory with teammates Carter Young and Everett Michael finishing 1-2 with 18 and 12 points, respectively.
CAT followed with the next three finishers as Mark Peterson put up 10 points, while Joseph Scully and Jacob Ols notched eight points apiece.
The hosts got a reprieve when the Currents had no swimmers for the Girls' 13-14 division, allowing CAT to post a 47-0 run with Hughes' Perfect 19, plus Maddie Peterson adding 15 and Millie Wiseman 13 points.
Overcoming a two-swimmer deficit in the Boys' 13-14, CAT was able to stretch the lead with a 54-26 tally with Elias Eldred winning all of his races (19), Teddy Elliott putting up 17 markers and Ben Condo a dozen.
Cumberland's top two scorers — Ian Gildernew and Kammeran Daniels — had eight points apiece.
In the most exciting matchup of the evening, both teams had a trio of Girls' 15 & Older swimmers as Cumberland squeezed out a 29-28 edge.
CAT 18-year-old Chloe Frakes and 15-year-old Current Kymiri Turner tied with 13 points each atop the scoreboard, while 15-year-olds Seraphim McNeese (CAT) and Ingrid Michael (CC) were knotted at 9-each for third place.
The difference came as Cumberland 17-year-old Jillian Schuster edged 15-year-old Aqua Tiger Elanan McNeese 7-6 for the fifth spot on the board.
With four swimmers each in the Boys' 15 & Older battle, CAT was able to come away with a 42-36 win.
Cumberland's Zach Schurr won the bracket with 17 points, but Aqua Tiger teammates Jaxon Moseley and Santiago Eldred followed with 15 and 12 points, respectively.
The Currents got 10 markers from Jude Carpenter, while Jack Condo notched eight for the hosts. Silas Dunn (CAT) and Jack Schurr (CC) tied for sixth place with seven points each.