2005 Meet of Champs Concludes

Gillilan and Wallace lead Wilson County Swimmers at the Meet of Champions

December 4, 2005……Nine Wilson County residents showed up in Brentwood TN to compete in one of the largest and most competitive swim meets in the South during the Christmas Season, the Excel Aquatics’ Meet of Champions. Excel Aquatics, a three-time USA Swimming Silver Medal Level Swim Club hosted the annual Meet of Champions December 2^nd-4^th. This year 657 swimmers from 34 clubs spread across Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Mississippi converged to see who the best among the best was.

Wilson County residents competing in the meet were Makensie Moses, Taylor Moses, Tay Needels, Luke Blackwell, Austin Barnes, Bradley Gillilan, Kelsey Copeland, Taylor Wallace, and Meagan Maxwell.

All nine Wilson County swimmers train with the host club, Excel Aquatics at their two training locations. “This was a Prelim/Finals format meet with qualifying times required in distances greater than 200 yards, thus it was a great opportunity for our Wilson County residents to see how they match up against the top swimmers from the Southeast. No other club in the area is taking this number of Wilson County swimmers to this type of high level meet this year.” Lebanon resident and Excel Assistant Coach John Barnes noted. “Excel is continuing its unsurpassed history of successfully developing our Wilson County swimmers to step up and compete at the championship level meets. The experience from the Meet of Champs will benefit them when they get to other championship level meets coming up, such as the State High School Championships, the Southeastern Swimming Short and Long Course Championship Meets, and the Summer League Championships.”

Gillilan, a 13 year old, posted the biggest time drop among the group, with an astounding 1 minute 54 second drop in the 1,650 Yard Freestyle, aka “The Mile”. Bradley got his Southeastern Qualifying time in this event, turning a 18:22.38, and posted the fastest 1650 Time for Wilson County residents in at least the last 4 years. Overall Gillilan dropped time in 5 of his 9 events and swam finals in 4 of them. Gillilan’s classmate at MJ Middle, Taylor Wallace, dropped times in 7 of his 9 events and swam in finals in 8 of those 9 events. Notable drops came in the 100 Free where he turned a :56.78, a 3.02 second drop, and the 100 Breaststroke, with a time of 1:10.00, a 1.26 second drop. Wallace has now taken over the title as the fastest Breaststroker and Individual Medley swimmer living in the County, with Gillilan the undisputed top Distance swimmer in the County. “These two boys are going to have a tremendous impact on High School swimming next year.” Coach Barnes stated. “They are competitors who push each other in class and in the water.”

Blackwell, a Lebanon resident and swimming for Excel Aquatics in a Short Course meet for the first time turned in times of :31.39 in the 50 Yard Freestyle, 1:40.24 in the 100 Back, :40.14 in the 50 Fly, 1:31.84 in the 100 Breaststroke, and a :38.11 in the 50 Back. Barnes, an 8^th Grader at Carroll-Oakland School, dropped time in the 100 IM, 50 Free, 100 Back and the 50 Back.

Makensie Moses, a 7 year old from Mount Juliet competed in the 50 Breaststroke (1:15.48), 100 IM (2:50.84), 50 Free (1:09.26), and 50 Back (1:12.27). Her brother Taylor, 10 years old, had times of 1:28.86 in the 100 Free, 1:02.44 in the 50 Breast, 1:43.68 in the 100 IM, :38.65 in the 50 Free, and :48.62 in the 50 Back. Needels, 10 years old from Mount Juliet competed in the 100 IM (1:41.55), 50 Free (:41.47), 100 Back (1:55.28), 50 Fly (:49.57), 100 Breast (1:52.19), and the 50 Back (:49.50).

Amongst High School girls, MJHS Freshman Kelsey Copeland dropped time in the 500 Free with a time of 6:11.51 and competed in the 100 Free and 200 Back. WCHS Senior Meagan Maxwell competed in the 100 Free and the 200 IM.

“I encourage all of my fellow Wilson County neighbors interested in swimming to contact us at Excel. If anyone knows one of the families who attended this meet, feel free to ask them about the qualitative difference gained from training with Excel.” For more information and complete Meet Results, visit www.ExcelAquatics.org. The next meet for swimmers from Excel Aquatics’ will be the Baylor Invitational in Chattanooga TN in January.

WC 7 Excel in Brentwood Meet

Wilson County Swimmers Excel in Brentwood

11/7/05….Seven Swimmers from Wilson County participated for Excel Aquatics in the Thoroughbred Swim Meet in Brentwood TN this past weekend.

Taylor Wallace, an 8^th Grader at Mount Juliet Middle School, placed in the Top 8 in all 10 of his events, with significant time drops in the 200 Free, 100 Fly, and 200 IM. Bradley Gillilan, also an 8^th Grader at MJMS, placed in the Top 8 in all 5 of his events, and dropped significant time in the 200 IM, 400 IM, and 1000 Free. “These two boys are going to be the backbone of MJHS swimming for four years when they go there next year, both of them already have what would be High School State Qualifying times in a few events if there were eligible.” Excel Assistant Coach John Barnes noted.

Meagan Maxwell, a Senior at Wilson Central, took to the water in her first competition this Fall, and placed in the Top 20 in all 6 of her events, with a nice time drop in her 200 Free. Kelsey Copeland, a Freshman at Mount Juliet High School, placed in the Top 16 in all 6 of her events, and had a time that would qualify her to swim the 500 Free at the State High School Meet. “Both Kelsey and Meagan are at the stage in their careers where their training load is heavy, and we look for improvements in stroke and strategy in these early meets, not necessarily time drops. Those time drops will come at the Championship level meets if they keep working hard and doing what their coaches expect of them.” Barnes noted.

6 year old Makensie Moses of Mount Juliet took to the water in her second meet ever, and dropped nice times in her 25 Breaststroke and 25 Backstroke. Her 10 year old brother, Taylor Moses, dropped over 12 seconds in his 50 Breaststroke, and swam the 100 IM for the first time. Both Moses swimmers are Home Schooled.

From Mount Juliet Elementary School, 10 year old Tay Needels dropped large chunks of time in the 100 IM, 50 Breaststroke, and 50 Butterfly. Tay also swam the 100 Free, 50 Backstroke, and 100 Breaststroke for the first time.

“All three of our Elementary age swimmers came to us from the Willoughby Station Waves summer league team, they have decided to swim through the school year and should be well prepared to go back to the summer league and show how much swimming year round will benefit them.” Coach Barnes stated.

For more information on swimming opportunities for Wilson County youth, visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

Youth Movement at Fall Fest

Young Swimmers take to the Water in Swim Meet

September 27, 2005……Three Elementary School age swimmers, four Middle School age swimmers, and one High School age swimmers from Wilson County competed in the Excel Aquatics’ Fall Fest Swim Meet in Brentwood, the weekend of Sept 24^th and 25^th.

Swimming for Excel Aquatics in the Elementary age groups were Makensie and Taylor Moses, both students at W.A. Wright Elementary, and Tay Needels of Mount Juliet Elementary. Makensie competed in the Girl’s 8 & Under 25 Yard Breaststroke (7^th Place), 25 Yard Backstroke (13^th Place), and 25 Yard Freestyle (12^th Place). Her brother Taylor, competing in the Boy’s 10 & Under category, swam the 50 Yard Backstroke (18^th Place), the 50 Yard Breaststroke (23^rd Place) and the 50 Yard Freestyle (14^th Place). Needels, also competing in the Boy’s 10 & Under category, took to the water in the 100 Yard Individual Medley (18^th Place), the 50 Yard Breaststroke (13^th Place), and the 50 Yard Butterfly (15^th Place). “For all three of these swimmers, it was their first time in swimming in a USA Swimming sanctioned meet, and for Makensie it was her first swim meet ever.” Excel Assistant Coach John Barnes commented. “They did great, and hopefully they learned a little bit about competing that will help them become even better swimmers in upcoming meets.”

All 4 of the swimmers in Middle School who competed did so for Excel Aquatics, are all four in 8^th Grade, and all have prior experience at this level of competition. From Mount Juliet Middle School, Taylor Wallace and Bradley Gillilan swam in the Boy’s 13 & 14 category. Wallace placed 6^th in the 50 Yard Free, 2^nd in the 100 Yard Breaststroke, 8^th in the 100 Yard Backstroke, 7^th in the 200 Yard Individual Medley, 11^th in the 100 Yard Free, 3^rd in the 200 Yard Breaststroke, and 7^th in the 100 Yard Butterfly. Gillilan placed 9^th in the 200 Yard Individual Medley, 10^th in the 100 Yard Freestyle, 10^th in the 100 Yard Butterfly, and 6^th in the 200 Yard Backstroke. Also in the Boy’s 13 & 14 category attending Holy Rosary was Alek Nochowicz. Nochowicz placed 15^th in the 50 Yard Free, 15^th in the 100 Yard Breaststroke, 12^th in the 100 Yard Backstroke, 6^th in the 500 Yard Free, 16^th in the 100 Yard Free, 15^th in the 100 Yard Butterfly, and 10^th in the 200 Yard Backstroke. From Carroll-Oakland School in Lebanon, Austin Barnes swam in the Boy’s 11 & 12 category, placing 13^th in the 100 Yard Individual Medley, 13^th in the 50 Yard Breaststroke, 4^th in the 500 Yard Free, 13^th in the 50 Yard Butterfly, 6^th in the 100 Yard Breaststroke, and 14^th in the 50 Yard Free.

The lone High School swimmer from Wilson County in the meet was Kelsey Copeland, who is in 9^th Grade at MJHS and competes for Excel Aquatics. Copeland, competing in the Girl’s 13 & 14 category, placed 7^th in the 200 Yard Free, 12^th in the 100 Yard Breaststroke, 2^nd in the 100 Yard Backstroke, 9^th in the 200 Yard Individual Medley, 3^rd in the 100 Yard Freestyle, 6^th in the 100 Yard Butterfly, and 5^th in the 200 Yard Backstroke.

For more information on Year Round swimming opportunities for Wilson County youth, visit www.ExcelAquatics.com.

LC Championships Finish Up

Excel Aquatics is Searching for New Swimmers to Train with Wilson County Championship Swimmers!

July 26, 2005……Excel Aquatics is pleased to announce that they will be having an Open Tryout and Placement Trials for new swimmers on August 8^th, and then again for new and experienced swimmers on August 22^nd. Prospective swimmers will have two free weeks of training to decide if Excel is a good fit for them.

Excel Aquatics is a non-profit year round USA Swimming Club that has had more Wilson County residents qualifying for the Southeastern Swimming Championships than any other club in the region in the past two years. Most recently Bradley Gillilan and Taylor Wallace of Wilson County qualified and swam in the Southeastern Long Course Championships. Gillilan placed 11^th in the 13&14 Boy’s 800 Meter Freestyle, 36^th in the 400 Meter Individual Medley, and 30^th in the 400 Meter Freestyle. Wallace placed 28^th in the 13&14 Boy’s 100 Meter Breaststroke.

For times and locations of Excel’s Tryouts/Placement Trials, as well as more information on Year Round swimming opportunities for Wilson County youth, visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

Gillilan Breaks Another Team Record

Gillilan Gets His 2^nd Excel Record!

July 9, 2005……West Wilson Middle School rising 8^th Grader, and Excel Aquatics swimmer, Bradley Gillilan set his second team record in the past 6 weeks. On Friday, July 8^th, Gillilan participated in the Baylor Bullfrog Invitational in Chattanooga, and swam the 1500 Meter Freestyle in 19:29.22, shaving roughly 5 seconds off the previous record for Excel Aquatics in the 11&12 Year Old Boy’s Category. Gillilan set the record despite having just swam the 200 Meter Individual Medley earlier in the evening. Gillilan had already set an Excel record in the 800 Meter Freestyle back at a meet during the last week of May.

“For Bradley to turn in such a great time in the 1500 after tearing up the 200 IM, was significant. The IM events take a lot of oxygen out of a swimmer, especially the arms and legs, and then to turn around and break the 1500 record was outstanding.” Coach John Barnes noted. “From what I’ve researched, that time in the 1500 is also the fastest time in that event by a Wilson County swimmer in the past 4 years. All of Wilson County should join together and recognize Bradley for his accomplishments this summer.”

The next meet for Gillilan and the rest of Excel Aquatics’ Wilson County swimmers will be the Southeastern Swimming Long Course Championships, July 21^st through the 24^th.

Sizzling in Nashville

Wilson County Swimmers Excel in Nashville

June 26, 2005……Five Wilson County Swimmers representing Excel Aquatics participated in the colossal Summer Sizzler Swim Meet in Nashville June 24^th through the 26^th. 943 swimmers with 29 clubs from 13 states descended on Nashville for one of the most competitive swim meets in the South this summer.

Competing in the Senior Boy’s category, Lebanon resident Stephen Claycomb, swam in 4 events, establishing best times in 3 of them. Personal Best Times were obtained in the 100 Meter Backstroke, 200 Meter Backstroke, and 100 Meter Freestyle. Also in the Senior Boy’s category was Mount Juliet’s Bradley Gillilan, swimming up even though he is only 12 years old. Gillilan competed in only three events, and dropped time in the 100 Meter Butterfly, and swimming the 200 Meter Butterfly for the first time. In the 13&14 Boy’s category, Lebanon’s Conrad Claycomb and Mount Juliet’s Taylor Wallace competed. Conrad Claycomb competed in 3 events, with best times in all three events, the 200 Meter Backstroke, 100 Meter Backstroke, and 100 Meter Freestyle. Taylor Wallace, having just aged up to 13, competed in 4 events, significantly improving his time in three of them, while swimming the 200 Meter Breaststroke for the first time.

On the Senior Girl’s side, Mount Juliet’s Hannah Morgan competed in two events, improving her time in the 200 Meter Backstroke and swimming the 100 Meter Freestyle for the first time.

“This was a good meet for us in terms of performance.” Excel’s Assistant Coach John Barnes noted. “We’re in the midst of our long course summer training and are not rested. For so many good swims to be turned in gives us confidence that our swimmers will turn in some great times when they are rested and ready in late July at the Southeastern Long Course Championships.”

For more information on Year Round swimming opportunities for Wilson County youth, visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

Gillilan Breaks Team Record

Gillilan Shatters Excel Aquatics Team Record in 800 Meter Swim

May 29, 2005……Bradley Gillilan, a rising 8^th Grader at West Wilson Middle School, and a member of Excel Aquatics set a new Team Record for 11&12 Year Old Boy’s in the 800 Meter Freestyle. The old record, set in 2002, was 10:15.74, Bradley swam to a 9:54.83 at this past weekend’s Stars and Stripes Meet hosted by Excel Aquatics, a 20.91 second drop. Gillilan also had Personal Best Times in all 9 of his events this past weekend. Only 12 years old, Gillilan has firmly established himself as the top Distance Swimmer among Wilson County residents. “Swimming in distance events takes a lot of heart and guts.” Lebanon Resident and Excel Assistant Coach John Barnes stated. “It is difficult to train for, and something we emphasize to our kids to help make them great all around swimmers, and not one event wonders. To really excel in Distance Training, it takes a strong aerobic conditioning base and great technique to correctly maximize your energy efficiency. Think hydrodynamics combined with a powerful fuel efficient engine.”

“Coach Andreea Ianoli-Mitrofan is the coach in charge of Bradley’s training group, she is the former Romanian National Champion in the 800 Meter Freestyle.” Barnes commented. “Her technique work with the kids is the best I’ve seen in this area, she doesn’t neglect any facet of their development, and she knows how to get them to have fun as well. I’ve learned a lot from just being on deck with her.”

Also competing from Wilson County at the Stars and Stripes Meet were Stephen Claycomb (7 Personal Best Times), Conrad Claycomb (7 Personal Best Times), Meagan Maxwell (4 Personal Best Times), Hannah Morgan (3 Personal Best Times), and Austin Barnes. The Stars and Stripes Meet featured 520 swimmers, from 28 teams and 4 States.

Wilson County Swimmers who placed in the Top 16 of the Meet were:

Stephen Claycomb: 50 Free - 4^th Place; 100 Fly - 9^th Place; 100 Free - 13^th Place; 200 Back - 14^th Place; and 100 Back - 15^th Place.

Bradley Gillilan: 200 Free – 2^nd Place; 100 Breaststroke – 2^nd Place; 50 Breaststroke – 3^rd Place; 100 Free – 5^th Place; 50 Backstroke – 5^th Place; 50 Free - 6^th Place; 100 Backstroke – 6^th Place; 50 Fly – 9^th Place.

Conrad Claycomb: 100 Fly – 12^th Place.

For more information visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

National Rankings for Wilson County Boys

Wilson County Swimmers Obtain National Ranking!

May 19, 2005……Two Wilson County 7^th Graders are part of a relay team that is ranked 13^th in the Nation for their age group. Bradley Gillilan and Taylor Wallace were members of the Excel Aquatics’ Boys 11&12 Year Old 200 Medley Relay that USA Swimming ranks 13^th in the Nation for the recently concluded 2004-2005 Short Course Season.

Wallace, a student at Mount Juliet Middle School, swam the Breaststroke leg; while Gillilan, a student at West Wilson Middle School, swam the Freestyle leg of the nationally ranked relay. “With Taylor and Bradley, Excel Aquatics continues to develop a strong tradition of nationally ranked swimmers coming from Wilson County.” Assistant Coach and Lebanon resident John Barnes stated. “They work hard, have fun, and learn about teamwork and sportsmanship from their participation on relays.”

For more information about swimming for Wilson County residents, visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

7th Graders swim at UT Pool

Wilson County Swimmers Compete at the UT Pool

May 11, 2005……Two Wilson County 7^th Graders got to experience what it is like to swim at the University of Tennessee Aquatics Center in Knoxville this past weekend. As part of the Excel Aquatics Club swim team, Bradley Gillilan and Austin Barnes participated in the 17^th Annual Volunteer Invitational Swim Meet. The format of the meet was Long Course Meters, the same distance swam in International and Olympic Competitions.

Gillilan, a 7th Grader at West Wilson Middle School, had significant time drops in 8 of his 9 events. Gillilan’s most impressive swim was in the 400 Meter Freestyle, dropping over 19 seconds in time. He easily obtained a Southeastern Swimming Long Course Qualifying Boy’s 13&14 Year Old Cut with a time of 4:50.37, and is only 5.28 seconds away from a 15-16 Year Old Cut, even though he is just 12 years old. This is the fastest recorded 400 Meter Free time among any Wilson County resident over the past 4 Long Course Seasons.

Barnes, a 7^th Grader at Carroll-Oakland in Lebanon, had time drops in all 6 of his events. Coach Andreea Ianoli-Mitrofan noted that “Austin has very good techniques; with growth he will become stronger and faster.”

Both swimmers train with “Coach Andreea” who has solidly established herself as the new Coaching Gold Standard in Youth Swimming in the Wilson/Sumner County Sub-Region. Coach Andreea, a former Romanian National Champion, has trained more local swimmers to Southeastern qualifying standards than any other local coach this past year. The next meet for Wilson County swimmers will be the Excel Aquatics' Stars and Stripes Meet being held May 27th through May 29^th in Brentwood. Joining Excel Aquatics at the meet will be Nashville Aquatics Club, Pilot Aquatics Club Knoxville, Memphis Tiger Swimming, as well as many other teams. With 4 of the top 5 teams from last years SES LC Championships in the meet, it is going to be a highly competitive meet that will give good insights into what the competition will be like at this years' SES LC Championships at the end of July. For more information about swimming in Wilson County, visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

Wallace sets Team Record at Championships

Taylor Wallace Sets Team Record at Southeastern Championships

March 20, 2005…… 58 teams from the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, and Tennessee converged on Nashville this past weekend for the annual Southeastern Swimming Short Course Championships, bringing 885 athletes to race to see who the best of the best is. While taking home a Silver Medal in the 11&12 Year Old Boy’s 50 Yard Breaststroke, Taylor Wallace, a 7^th Grade Mount Juliet Middle School student/athlete, broke a 7 year old Excel Aquatics team record with a time of 0:31.97. Wallace was joined at the meet by fellow Excel teammates Bradley Gillilan and Stephen Claycomb.

All three Wilson County swimmers were able to place in the Top 16 in at least one of their events. Wallace, who trains under the guidance of 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist Ashley Whitney, in addition to his Silver Medal performance, took home a Bronze in the 100 Yard Breaststroke, 9^th in the 100 Yard Individual Medley, 12^th in the 50 Yard Butterfly, 13^th in the 50 Yard Freestyle, and 16^th in the 100 Yard Freestyle. Gillilan, a West Wilson Middle School 7^th Grader, who trains for former Romanian National Swim Champion Andreea Mitrofan, placed 5^th in the 11&12 Year Old Boy’s 1000 Yard Freestyle, 10^th in the 500 Yard Freestyle, and 12^th in the 200 Yard Freestyle. Claycomb, a Lebanon resident and sophomore at Pope John Paul II High School, placed 15^th in the 15&16 Year Old Boy’s 100 Yard Backstroke.

“As coaches we’re proud of all of these kids, all of them have worked hard this season to get to this Championship meet.” Coach Barnes stated. “All of our kids from Lebanon and Mount Juliet have a lot of heart and stepped up when asked to.”

Excel Aquatics will be offering a Spring Tune Up for swimmers from the local Summer League swim teams located in Wilson County. Visit www.ExcelAquatics.org for more information or contact your local summer swim club. Excel Aquatics and Sumner Regional Health Systems will be hosting the annual Tennessee School for the Blind Swim Meet on April 9^th at the Gallatin Civic Center.

All-Wilson County High School Swim Team

2004-2005 ALL-WILSON COUNTY SWIM TEAM

February 26, 2005, Lebanon TN…… SwimWilsonCounty.com is pleased to announce the 2004-2005 All-Wilson County Swim Team, Wilson County Boy and Girl Swimmers of the Year, and Wilson County Coach of the Year.

2004-2005 marks the fourth season of organized High School swimming in Wilson County for Lebanon High School, Mount Juliet High School, and Wilson Central High School.

For the second year in a row Lebanon High School under second year coach Jaymie Reynolds, won the Girl’s and Combined Titles for Division I, with the Boy’s team finishing as Runner-Up once again. The LHS Girl’s finished with a 11-1 Dual Meet record, only barely losing to eventual Division III Champion Pope JPII High School; the Boy’s finished with a 9-3 Dual Meet record, and combined they were 10-2 only losing to Division III Champion Pope JPII HS, and Franklin County High School. LHS qualified Amy Pouget, Erin Sawyer, Pam Grega, Paige Mason, Andrea Mason and Nathan Morris for the Tennessee High School State Swim Meet held Feb. 25^th and 26^th in Nashville.

Mount Juliet High School, under second year coach Kathy McCabe, took home the Girl’s and Combined Titles for the Middle Tennessee Regions Division II, with the Boy’s receiving the Runner-Up award. The MJHS Girl’s finished with a 6-0 Dual Meet Mark, the Boy’s had a 4-2 Dual Meet record, and Combined they were 5-1 with the only loss to LaVergne High School. MJHS qualified Kevin Hurley, Kristen Freeman, and Ava Caulkins for the State High School Meet.

Wilson Central High School, under second year coach Jessi Sanders, finished with a Girl’s mark of 2-6, Boy’s were 2-5-1, and Combined they were 2-6. WCHS qualified Meagan Maxwell for the State High School Meet.

Selection Process: To be eligible for the 2004-2005 All-County Team a swimmer has to be both a resident of, and attends school in, Wilson County; and be nominated by their Coach. Those nominations are then evaluated and tabulated by Wilson County resident John Barnes and quality controlled reviewed by Mount Juliet resident Johnny Davis. Both Barnes and Davis have served as previous Head Coaches for all three high school swim teams. Coach Davis continues to stay active in swimming as the Head Coach of the Willoughby Station Waves swim team. Coach Barnes is the Site Coordinator for Excel Aquatics in Gallatin.

The 2004-2005 All-County Award Winners are:

Girl’s:

200 Yard Freestyle: Paige Mason, Lebanon, Freshman

200 Yard Individual Medley: Meagan Maxwell, Wilson Central, Junior

50 Yard Freestyle: Amy Pouget, Lebanon, Sophomore

100 Yard Butterfly: Pam Grega, Lebanon, Sophomore

100 Yard Freestyle: Kayla Bailey, Mount Juliet, Junior

500 Yard Freestyle: Andrea Mason, Lebanon, Sophomore

100 Yard Backstroke: Erin Sawyer, Lebanon, Sophomore

100 Yard Breaststroke: Ava Caulkins, Mount Juliet, Freshman

Girl’s Swimmer of the Year: Amy Pouget, Sophomore, Lebanon High School. At the State High School Meet, Pouget became the first female ever from a High School in Wilson County to place in the Top 16 at the State Meet, doing so in the 50 Yard Freestyle in 0:25.28. Pouget also was 25^th in the State in the 500 Yard Freestyle, finishing in 5:31.50. Earlier in the year, Pouget placed 6^th at the MTHSSA Regions Meet in the 50 Freestyle and 9^th in the 500 Freestyle. During the Dual Meet season she was undefeated, and holds 7 of 8 Girl’s School Records at LHS, and has been a State Qualifier for two consecutive years. "Amy is extremely talented. She can take off for 7 months to play other sports and still come out and dominate in the pool. She is starting to mature and has become more of a leader this year. If she ever learns how to channel 100% of her energy into swimming watch out, you may see her swimming with an American flag on her cap some day." Coach Reynolds noted.

Boy’s:

200 Yard Freestyle: Alex Majors, Wilson Central, Junior

200 Yard Individual Medley: Jamal Hasan, Lebanon, Sophomore

50 Yard Freestyle: Kyle Draper, Lebanon, Sophomore

100 Yard Butterfly: Nathan Morris, Lebanon, Sophomore

100 Yard Freestyle: Mike Valencic, Mount Juliet, Sophomore

500 Yard Freestyle: Jeff Knapp, Mount Juliet, Junior

100 Yard Backstroke: Kevin Hurley, Mount Juliet, Senior

100 Yard Breaststroke: Adam Curtis, Mount Juliet, Freshman

Boy’s Swimmer of the Year: Kevin Hurley, Senior, Mount Juliet High School. At the State High School Meet, Hurley set Personal Best Times in the 50 Yard Freestyle, with a time of 0:22.83, placing 19^th at the meet while setting a School Record; in the 100 Yard Backstroke Hurley finished 30^th with a time of 0:5985. Hurley placed 7^th at the MTHSSA Regions Meet in the 50 Freestyle, and 13^th in the 100 Backstroke. Hurley holds two Boy’s School Records at MJHS, and has been a State Qualifier for three consecutive years. “Kevin is a fierce competitor, not only is he one of the top Tennis players in the Region, he is now the top male swimmer going to high school in Wilson County”, Coach Kathy McCabe stated.

Wilson County Coach of the Year: Jaymie Reynolds, Lebanon High School. For the second consecutive year Coach Reynolds led his Girls team to a Division I Title, the Boy’s to a Runner-Up standing, and the Combined team to a Division I Title. Coach Reynolds led all County coaches in having six of his swimmers qualify for the State Meet, and placing 8 of 16 swimmers on the All-County Team. At the Tennessee State Championship Meet Lebanon was the only team from Wilson County to have a swimmer score, Girl’s Swimmer of the Year, Amy Pouget. At the MTHSSA Regional Championship Meet, the LHS Girl’s placed 10^th overall, the highest amongst any Wilson County team; the Boy’s placed 27^th overall, and Combined they placed 15^th overall. “Jaymie is a great guy and seems to really have a great rapport with his swimmers. He is very positive and know how to bring out the best in his team.” MJHS Head Coach Kathy McCabe commented about her rival coach.

For more information on swimming in Wilson County visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

Mardi Gras Meet Festivities

Wilson County Swimmers Compete at Mardi Gras Meet

Feb 20, 2005……With only four weeks left in the USA Swimming Short Course Season, five Wilson County residents participated in the Excel Aquatics Mardi Gras Swim Meet in Brentwood. Representing Wilson County for Excel were Bradley Gillilan, Alek Nochowicz, Austin Barnes, Kelsey Copeland, and Conrad Claycomb.

Out of 38 individual swims for these Fab Five from Wilson County, 30 Personal Best Times were set, a remarkable 79% rate of achievement. “That’s good consistent swims across the board for those kids.” Assistant Coach and Lebanon resident John Barnes noted. “They are in mid-season form, and continue to improve. As a whole all of our Middle School age and Elementary School age swimmers that train in Gallatin swam lights out, and did phenomenally. That is a real testament to their coaches, Andreea Mitrofan and AJ Miley.”

Claycomb is a Lebanon resident and an 8^th Grader at St. John Vianney Catholic School, and will be swimming for Pope John Paul II High School next year. “Conrad had a terrific meet, I was very proud of the way he swam. He’s continuing to learn and improve, and will be a big addition to JPII next year in the distance events.” Claycomb dropped times in all 6 of his events, with the largest drop occurring in the 500 Yard Freestyle, a drop of 17.63 seconds resulting in a time of 6:16.97. Other large drops occurred in the 100 Free, a 1.10 second drop; and the 100 Backstroke, a 3.16 second drop.

Barnes, a 7^th Grader at Carroll-Oakland School, dropped times in all 8 of his events. “Austin did great this weekend, I’m a very proud father with just enough sense to stay out of the way and let the other coaches work with him.” Coach Barnes noted. “The most important thing is he’s learning proper stroke technique and how to compete at the same time, all the while only training two to three times a week with Coach AJ and Andreea.”

Gillilan, a 7^th Grader at West Wilson Middle School, dropped an incredible 32 seconds in the 400 Individual Medley. “For a 12 year old to turn a 5:05.31 in that event is great, he achieved a qualifying cut in that event for the Southeastern Short Course Championships, and he cannot even swim it at the Championships until he turns 13.” Gillilan placed in the Top 8 in the 11&12 Year Old Boy’s category in the 50 Breaststroke (#5), 100 Freestyle (#3), 200 Backstroke (#4), 100 Backstroke (#4), 50 Freestyle (#7), and 400 IM (#3).

Nochowicz, a Willoughby Station resident in Mt. Juliet, and a 7^th Grader at Holy Rosary Academy continued to improve on his performances of prior months. “Alek is showing what he is capable of doing, due in large part by his high attendance rate at practice, following the instruction of Coach Andreea, and having a great attitude about what he is doing in the water.” Alek placed in the Top 8 of the 13&14 Year Old Boy’s category in the 50 Breaststroke (#7), 50 Butterfly (#8), and the 50 Backstroke (#7). In addition to time drops in those three events, Nochowicz also dropped time in the 100 Freestyle, 200 Backstroke, 200 Freestyle, 100 Backstroke, and 50 Freestyle.

Copeland is an 8^th Grader at Mount Juliet Middle School and will lead the contingent of new swimmer joining MJ High School next year. “Kelsey learned what can happen in her 100 yard events when she attacks the first 50, her time drop in the 100 Backstroke was 1.30 seconds, and she turned in a 1:07.21. With just her times this year, she would already have 4 qualifying times for the High School State meet. That bodes well for her next year as she represents MJHS.” Copeland place in the Top 8 in the 13&14 Year Old Girl’s category in the 100 Backstroke (#6) and 50 Backstroke (#3).

Baylor Meet features Wilson County Swimmers

Wilson County Swimmers Compete in Chattanooga

January 15, 2005……The swimming youth of Wilson County traveled down to Chattanooga TN and competed at the Baylor School in the shadow of Signal Mountain. Lebanon residents Conrad Claycomb and Austin Barnes combined with Mount Juliet residents Kelsey Copeland, Bradley Gillilan, Alek Nochowicz, and Taylor Wallace to make the trip.

Gillilan, a 12 year old who attends West Wilson Middle School, led the way with personal best times in 6 of his 9 events. Most notable were drops in his 200 IM and Breaststroke events. “Bradley is really becoming a well-rounded swimmer, working to achieve a proficiency in all of his strokes, and not being labeled as a one-stroke wonder.” Lebanon resident and Excel Assistant Coach, John Barnes commented. “His sprint events have improved and are now on par with his distance events in terms of competitiveness. As long as he keeps listening to his coaches he’ll continue to make improvements.”

Copeland, a 13 year old MJ Middle School student, dropped times in 4 of her 8 events she had prior experience in, plus adding experience in the 100 Fly swimming it for the first time. Time drops occurred in the 100 Free, 200 Back, 200 Free, and 100 Back. “When Kelsey enrolls at MJHS next Fall she will automatically become their #2 Girl in terms of time. She is training very well, and has recently started moving over to different lanes in practice to take on more challenging sets and time intervals which as a coach you love to see them stepping up as she has. Now she has to continue to translate that practice effort into performance in meets.” Barnes noted.

Claycomb, 14 years old, had a significant time drop in the 200 Free, taking 8.71 seconds off his previous best time, as well as finally going under a 30 in the 50 Free. “Conrad has done very well this year, and we still have some things we need to continue to work on.”

Nochowicz, a 13 year old, had significant time drops in the 500 Free, 200 Free, 200 Back, and the 200 IM. “Alek is another one of Coach Andreea’s swimmers that just keep getting better and better every meet. He has kept up his attendance this year at practice and his time drops have reflected this.” Wallace, a 12 year old, placed in the Top 8 in 5 of his 8 events.

Barnes, a 11 year old who attends Carroll-Oakland, dropped times in all 6 of his individual events. “As a parent I’m pleased with Austin’s performance. He has been training under the tutelage of Coach AJ Miley and Coach Andreea Ianoli-Mitrofan, and has improved remarkably since we moved him over to Excel Aquatics. As a parent I am highly pleased with his coaches and the work they are doing with him on his techniques.” Coach Barnes proclaimed.

The next swim meet for all these student/athletes will be the Excel Middle School Invitational on January 29^th, being held in Brentwood TN. For more information on year-round competitive swimming in the region, visit www.ExcelAquatics.org.