Gillilan gets First Sectional Cut

Gillilan Obtains Sectional Cut in Mile, Blackwell wins 4 Events at Swim Meet

December 11, 2007……It had been nearly eight weeks since Lebanon’s Bradley Gillilan narrowly missed a USA Swimming Speedo Senior Sectional Meet qualifying time in the 1000 Yard Freestyle. This past Sunday at the Excel Aquatics Meet of Champions, Gillilan was entered in the 1,650 Yard Freestyle (aka “The Mile”) and knew that he had a good shot at the Sectional cut in the event based on how his 1,000 effort went, and how he had been swimming in the 500 Yard Freestyle in dual meets for Lebanon High School.

The Senior Sectional Meet is a higher level competition, a step up from the Southeastern Swimming (SES) Short Course Championship Meet, for which Gillilan had already achieved a SES cut in the 1,650.

Gillilan swimming in the Senior Boy’s category, was seeded 6^th at the start of the race, swimming in one of the outside lanes.

At the 500 yard mark of the race, Gillilan split a 5:07.97 (five minutes, 7 seconds, and 97 one-hundreths), a little under Sectional pace, having moved up into 3^rd place in his category.

At the 1000 yard mark, the split was 10:23.30, averaging 1:02.33 per 100 yards at that point, and exactly at the pace he needed to be holding.

With three hundred yards left in the grueling race, Gillilan had fallen behind pace, with his 100 yard average having fallen to 1:02.49 and his pace falling off. Coaches from all three of Excel’s training sites, along with teammates on deck watching his swim, started yelling, whistling, and gesturing to him to pick back up his pace. Gillilan responded and literally sprinted the last 300 yards and came in at a 17:07.31 for the mile, a scant 1.18 seconds under the Senior Sectionals qualifying time.

Sectionals can be best described as a “super-regional” type of meet. The meet will be held in Nashville, March 6-9 2008, and will include swimmers either in college, or well on their way to swimming in college. At a minimum, Division I schools recruit swimmers who have achieved Sectional cuts, with most preferring Junior National or National level cuts.

“This was Bradley’s first Senior Sectional qualifying time cut, and the first 1,650 cut by a boy from Wilson County after a quick search of the records.” Excel Aquatics Assistant Coach John Barnes noted. “Bradley has been working hard, with this goal in mind. He’ll go for his 1,000 Yard Sectional cut again in January at the meet in Knoxville.”

When asked afterwards about the point at which he picked back up his pace at the 1,350 point of the race, Gillilan commented “I saw him (Coach Barnes) holding up his clipboard and pounding on it and figured I was close the cut.”

In other Senior Boy’s events, Gillilan placed 9^th in the 200 Yard Freestyle (1:51.63); 5^th in the 400 Yard Individual Medley (4:30.74); 11^th in the 200 Yard Backstroke (2:09.43); 8^th in the 500 Yard Freestyle (5:02.87); and 9^th in the 200 Yard Breaststroke (2:28.76).

Nine other Wilson County swimmers participated in the meet: Dallas Barlettano, Andrew Barnes, Austin Barnes, Luke Blackwell, Madison Blackwell, Samuel Blackwell, Kelsey Copeland, Alek Nochowicz, and Taylor Wallace.

Mt Juliet High School’s Copeland and Wallace both made it back to swim in Finals in the meet. Copeland placed 15^th in Finals in the Senior Girl’s 100 Yard Freestyle. Copeland also placed 13^th in the 500 Yard Freestyle. Wallace placed 8^th in Finals in the Senior Boy’s 200 Yard Breaststroke, and 9^th in the 200 Yard Individual Medley.

Mt. Juliet’s Luke Blackwell, swimming in the 13&14 Year Old Boy’s category, won 4 individual events on his way to claiming the High Point Trophy as the boy with the most points in the meet for his age grouping. Luke took first in the 200 Yard Freestyle (1:54.54); 400 Yard Individual Medley (4:35.04); 200 Yard Backstroke (2:05.78); and the 500 Yard Freestyle (5:08.63). Luke placed 2^nd in the 100 Yard Freestyle; 3^rd in the 100 Yard Backstroke; 5^th in the 100 Yard Breaststroke; and 8^th in the 50 Yard Freestyle.

“Luke had a great meet, setting personal best times in 5 of his 8 events, despite dealing with a respiratory flare-up that kept him out of the 1,650 Yard Freestyle race”, according to Barnes.

Other Top 16 finishes by Wilson County swimmers: Madison Blackwell, 11&12 Year Old Girl’s Category, placed 7^th in 100 Yard Fly; 8^th in the 50 Yard Fly; 12^th in the 100 Yard Back; 12^th in the 50 Yard Back; 15^th in the 200 Yard IM; and 15^th in the 100 Yard IM. Samuel Blackwell placed 13^th in the 10&Under Boy’s 50 Yard Breaststroke. Alek Nochowicz placed 11^th in the Senior Boy’s 1,650 Yard Freestyle.

“Alek is going to be swimming the 1,650 again. He was only a little over 9 seconds away from a Southeastern Qualifying Time in the event, and this was the first time he has competed at that distance.” Barnes stated. “A nine second drop is achievable, that only works out to about 25 hundredths of a second per 50 yards.”

The next meet for swimmers from Wilson County will be the Pilot Aquatic Club Invitational in Knoxville the weekend of January 18-20, 2008.

Excel Aquatics holds open tryouts continuously throughout the year for those families interested in swimming. For more information on competitive swimming visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

Blackwells Have Multiple Top 8 Finishes

Blackwell Clan Have Impressive Showing In Indianapolis Meet

November 12, 2007…… Four swimmers from Wilson County walked onto the pool deck with their teammates from Excel Aquatics, and their stride slowed down. Ongoing conversations quickly came to a halt. Their heads were on swivels as they took it all in.

As they looked at the far wall they saw a list of swimmers who made the US Olympic Teams in years where the Olympic Trials have been held in the pool. On the level above them there was stadium spectator seating where up to 4,500 people can watch a swim meet. And the main attraction was the pool where 90 American Records and 11 World Records have been set, set in the same water they would shortly be swimming in.

They had walked onto deck at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis, which although it is 25 years old, is still considered one of the fastest pools in the Nation. An engineering marvel for swimming pools when it was constructed, the Natatorium still serves as the gold standard to which new competition pools being built are judged against.

Five Olympic Trials, nine NCAA Swimming Championships Meets, and nine USA Swimming National Championships have been held in the Natatorium over the last 25 years.

The swimmers from Wilson County had walked onto the deck of a real life Pool of Dreams.

Mount Juliet residents and Excel Aquatics swimmers Taylor Wallace, Luke Blackwell, Madison Blackwell and Samuel Blackwell traveled to Indianapolis to compete in the Riviera Swim Club Invitational, November 9th through November 11th.

Samuel Blackwell, participating in the 8&Under Boy's category, placed 3rd in the 50 Yard Backstroke, 4th in the 50 Yard Freestyle, 5th in the 25 Yard Backstroke, 6th in the 50 Yard Breaststroke, and 8th in the 25 Yard Butterfly.

"Samuel had a great meet and showed why he is arguably the fastest 8 year old boy swimmer in Wilson County. As he continues to pay attention in practice and follow the Excel Aquatics progression plan for young swimmers, he will be a force in the County for the next decade." Excel Aquatics Coach John Barnes explained.

Madison Blackwell participated in the 11&12 Year Old Girl's Category. Madison placed 4th in the 200 Yard Individual Medley, 100 Yard Butterfly, 50 Yard Backstroke, 100 Yard Backstroke; and 8th in the 50 Yard Butterfly.

"Madison had a strong showing in this meet. She has turned into a real competitor who wants to swim fast and compete."

Luke Blackwell, participating in the 13&Over Boy's category, placed in each of his events. He placed 2nd in the 500 Yard Freestyle; 3rd in the 100 Yard Backstroke, 200 Yard Freestyle, 200 Yard Backstroke, and 200 Yard Individual Medley; 4th in the 100 Yard Freestyle; 6th in the 100 yard Breaststroke; 7th in the 200 Yard Butterfly; and 8th in the 50 Yard Freestyle.

"Luke has been swimming great in practice these past few weeks and was a little tired. Luke's most significant swim was the 200 Yard Butterfly, where he dropped over 27 seconds, finishing in 2 minutes, 20 seconds, and 67 hundredths of a second (2:20.67)."

"Naturally new swimmers do not start out at the practice level Luke is training at; it is something that they need to work up to. Like all other sports, swimming is progressive in its nature of training programs."

The next meet for swimmers from Wilson County will be the Excel Aquatics Meet of Champions, December 7-9, in Brentwood TN.

For more information on competitive swimming visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

5 Minute Barrier in 500 Broken

Gillilan Breaks 5-Minute Barrier in 500 Yard Swim

October 15, 2007……The last 25 yards of the race was an all out sprint to the finish. After slamming into the electronic timing touch-pad at the end of the pool lane, Excel Aquatics swimmer, and Lebanon High School Sophomore, Bradley Gillilan lifted his head from the water to take a look at the timing results board. The board read 4:56.54 (Four minutes, 56 seconds, and 54 hundredths of a second). With water still streaming down Bradley’s face, a broad smile erupted as he realized he had achieved his long-standing goal of breaking the five-minute barrier in the Senior Boy’s 500 Yard Freestyle at the Nashville Aquatic Club’s October Open Swim Meet in Nashville this past weekend.

With his performance, Gillilan became the first Wilson County resident to break that barrier in the 500 Free since former Mount Juliet resident Andrew Davidson (and former Univ. of Texas swimmer) did so in his age-group career with Excel Aquatics.

“Bradley set a goal of breaking the five-minute barrier in the 500 a while back, and his swims this summer in the meter pool showed that it was attainable from the time conversions. It was great to see him break that barrier so early in the short-course season.” Excel Aquatics Assistant Coach John Barnes explained.

“It really is a significant milestone in his young career, one that all of Lebanon should be proud of. Those who know swimming understand how hard this is to do. Many High School swimmers never break six-minutes in the 500, much less five-minutes. Of note, Bradley dropped 19.39 seconds off his previous best time.”

Gillilan commented “my next goal is to attain a USA Swimming Senior Sectional Qualifying Time Standard in the 500 Free, which is a 4.53.89.”

Gillilan hopes to drop the additional 2.65 seconds from his time by March 7^th 2008, when the Southern Senior Sectional Meet will be held in Nashville and hosted by Excel Aquatics. Sectional Meets typically feature Olympic team swimmers, US National team swimmers, collegiate swimmers as well as age-group swimmers hoping to follow in the path of the older swimmers at the meet.

In Gillilan’s other swims during the meet, he dropped 29.69 seconds in the 1,000 Yard Freestyle, barely missing a Senior Sectional cut by a scant 0.22 seconds, finishing with a time of 10:17.31, placing 8^th in the Senior Boy’s Category in the event. Time drops also occurred in the 100 Yard Freestyle, 200 Yard Breaststroke, and the 200 Yard Individual Medley.

Other Wilson County residents racing in the meet were Taylor Wallace, Dallas Barlettano, Luke Blackwell, Madison Blackwell, Samuel Blackwell, Lucy Cook, Grace McCullough, and Alek Nochowicz.

Luke Blackwell, swimming in the Boy’s 13&14 Year Old Category, placed in the Top 8 in the 200 Yard Freestyle (4^th); 100 Yard Backstroke (5^th); 400 Yard Individual Medley (3^rd); 500 Yard Freestyle (3^rd); 200 Yard Individual Medley (7^th); and 200 Yard Backstroke (3^rd).

“Luke had another outstanding meet. He expects to swim fast every time he swims, and his internal drive is tremendous.” Barnes noted.

Sam “The Shark” Blackwell swam in the Boy’s 8&Under category and placed 4^th in the 25 Yard Breaststroke; 8^th in the 50 Yard Freestyle; 7^th in the 100 Yard Freestyle; and 8^th in the 25 Yard Backstroke.

Madison Blackwell placed 6^th in the Girl’s 11&12 Year Old 50 Yard Backstroke; and attained a new Southeastern Swimming Championship Meet Qualifying Time Standard in the 100 Yard Butterfly. “The coaches were proud of Madison and that 100 “Fly” swim. She turned a 1:10.66, a 6.55 second drop. She took it out fast and held on, and turned in a great swim. I think we will see a 1:05 in that event from her before too long.” Barnes concluded.

The next meet for these dedicated Wilson County swimmers will be the Riviera Swim Club Invitational to be held at the world-famous Indianapolis Natatorium, one of the fastest pools in the world, and site of multiple Olympic Trial competitions over the past twenty years.

For more information on competitive swimming visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

Wilson County Swimmers Score Big

MJ’s Blackwell Takes Two Gold at Swim Meet –
Gillilan Posts Lebanon’s Fastest 400 IM Time Ever

September 23, 2007……The Summer of 2007 is officially over according to the calendar, and attention has now turned to swimming indoors. The first area-wide sanctioned meet in the USA Swimming Short Course Swim Season took place this past weekend when the Excel Aquatics Fall Fest Swim Meet was held in Brentwood TN.

Nine swimmers from Wilson County who train with Excel Aquatics converged on the Indoor Sports Complex in Brentwood and competed against over 500 swimmers from Alabama, North Carolina, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee who made the trip to compete in the meet.

Representing Wilson County at the meet were Lebanon residents Bradley Gillilan, Lucy Cook, and Austin Barnes. From Watertown was Dallas Barlettano. Mount Juliet residents participating were Kelsey Copeland, Taylor Wallace, Luke Blackwell, Samuel Blackwell, and Madison Blackwell.

Luke Blackwell, a Freshman Home School student, won the Boy’s 13&14 Year Old 1,650 Yard Freestyle in a time of 17:37.99 (17 minutes, 37 seconds, and 99 hundredths of a second), and the 1,000 Yard Freestyle in a time of 10:35.56. “Luke did a great job on winning these two events. They are the longest events our kids participate in. Even though we had 5 weeks out of the water in late July and early August, he has responded well to his training and was able to drop 15.83 seconds in the Mile (1650) and 6.5 seconds in the 1000.” Excel Assistant Coach and Lebanon Resident John Barnes noted. “Luke had a terrific Long Course Season this past summer, and if he continues to work hard he will be a force during this Short Course Season. He is the top swimmer in the 13&14 Year Old Boys category in Wilson County, and he is well on his way to being one of the best in his age group in the State of Tennessee.”

Luke Blackwell also placed in the Top 8 in the following events in the Boy’s 13&14 Year Old Category: 2^nd Place – 500 Yard Freestyle (5:07.90); 2^nd Place – 200 Yard Backstroke (2:08.53); 3^rd Place – 200 Yard Freestyle (1:55.40); 6^th Place – 100 Yard Backstroke (1:02.20), 6^th Place – 200 Yard Individual Medley (2:15.72); 7^th Place – 50 Yard Freestyle (0:26.24); and 7^th Place – 100 Yard Freestyle (0:55.77). Blackwell also added to his total of Southeastern Swimming (SES) Championship Meet Qualifying Events with a time of 1:13.29 in the 100 Yard Breaststroke, good enough for a 9^th place finish. “Luke now has qualifying times in a total of eight events for the SES Championship Meet.”

Also placing in the Top 8 during this meet were Gillilan (Sophomore from Lebanon High School), Wallace (Sophomore at Mount Juliet High School), Samuel Blackwell (3^rd Grade Home School student), and Madison Blackwell (8^th Grade Home School student).

Gillilan placed 6th in the Senior Boys 400 Yard Individual Medley in a time of 4:40.30, achieving a SES Short Course Championship Meet qualifying time. “Bradley split this race in an intelligent manner, with improvements across the board in every stroke. Gillilan’s performance is the fastest time in the 400 IM achieved by a Lebanon resident.”

“Like Luke, Bradley had unbelievable drops this past Long Course Season, and already in practice these past few weeks he has demonstrated that he is ready to continue those time drops. Bradley and Luke are having a synergistic effect on each other in practice, with each pushing the other to do greater things. There is no secret formula to our swimmer’s success; it’s 50% hard work and 50% attention to the details.”

Wallace placed 7th in the Senior Boys 400 Yard Individual Medley, right on the heels of Gillilan, with a time of 4:41.53.

Samuel Blackwell placed 5^th in the 8 & Under year old Boy’s 50 Yard Freestyle (0:43.46); 5^th in the 25 Yard Freestyle (0:20.42); and 7^th in the 25 Yard Backstroke (0:23.41).

Madison Blackwell placed 2^nd in the 11&12 year old Girl’s 50 Yard Backstroke (0:32.81); 3^rd in the 100 Yard Backstroke (1:10.33); 4^th in the 50 Yard Butterfly (0:32.82); 6^th in the 100 Yard Individual Medley (1:12.86); 7^th in the 100 Yard Freestyle (1:03.96); and 8^th in 50 Yard Freestyle (0:29.26). Madison achieved SES Qualifying Cuts in the 100 Yard Backstroke and 50 Yard Butterfly, bringing her total to 3 time cuts achieved, the most of any 11&12 Year Old girl in Wilson County.

Lucy Cook, a Lebanon Resident and Sumner Academy student, participated in her first USA Swimming meet, successfully making the transition from swimming in the Nashville Swim League the past few summers. Lucy participated in the 10&Under Girls 100 Yard Individual Medley, 100 yard Freestyle, 50 Yard Backstroke, 50 Yard Breaststroke, 200 Yard Freestyle, 100 Yard Breaststroke, 100 Yard Backstroke, and 50 Yard Freestyle. “Lucy has done great in her training and summer league swimming. She had some great times in this meet, and is progressing along quite nicely with her stroke technique and is a joy to coach.” Coach Barnes stated.

Swimming in the 10&Under Boys category was Barlettano. Copeland, a Junior at Mt Juliet High School, competed in the Senior Girls category. Austin Barnes, a Sophomore at Pope John Paul II HS, took to the water and swam in the 13&14 Boys events.

“As coaches, we’re proud of all of these swimmers. All of them have been working hard on their technique and conditioning since we returned to training. This meet serves as a baseline upon which we will measure their improvements over the remainder of the Short Course season.”

“At Excel Aquatics we have multiple goals for our swimmers. We want to drop times, be competitive with anyone anywhere at any time, improve our stroke techniques, and we also want to instill a sense of hard-work into these student-athletes that they will carry with them the rest of their lives. There are no short-cuts to being a successful swimmer, and there are no short-cuts to succeeding in school and life.” Coach Barnes explained.

The next meet for these swimmers will be the Nashville Aquatic Club October Open to be held in Nashville on October 13^th and 14^th. In November the team will be traveling to the world-famous Indianapolis Natatorium, one of the fastest pools in the world.

For more information on competitive swimming visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

Wilson County Swimmers Place First at NSL City Meet

Wilson County Swimmers make a splash at Nashville Swim League Championship Meet

July 30, 2007……Swimmers from Wilson County participated in the Nashville Swim League’s (NSL) City Meet Championship this past weekend. The NSL is a Summer League organization with 19 teams spanning Davidson, Wilson and Sumner counties, with over 1,500 swimmers participating. The NSL teams compete in dual meets in June and July, culminating with the City Meet Championship in late July hosted by Excel Aquatics. Swimmers compete in one of two categories, Open or Novice. If a swimmer has a time equal to a USA Swimming “BB” time in an event, they have to swim in the Open category.

The Willoughby Station Waves and Langford Farms Swim Club, both based in Mt Juliet, are members of the NSL; while swimmers from Lebanon participated this summer for Cages Bend Swim Club in Gallatin.

The Willoughby Waves, participating in Division A, the lowest division, concluded their season with a First Place finish in Division A at the City Meet Championships, after sweeping their division in the Dual Meet Season, with a perfect 4-0 record. At the Championship Meet, the Waves were led by Spencer Bracey and Taylor Charles, who both placed in the Top 5 in their age group category. Placing in the Top 5 is referred to as “High-Pointing” with a trophy awarded to those who achieve this honor.

Bracey placed second in the Boy’s 11&12 Year Old Novice Category, while Charles placed 5^th in the Boy’s 11&12 Year Old Open Category. Waves swimmers who scored points in the meet were: Lavoisier Fisher, 17^th Place, Boy’s 7&8 Open; Casey Charles, 6^th Place, Boy’s 7&8 Novice; Sarah Abernathy, 7^th Place, 9&10 Girl’s Novice; Pam Crutsinger, 10^th Place, 15-18 Girl’s Novice; Ryan Bretell, 8^th Place, 15-18 Boy’s Novice; and Eric Wikman, 11^th Place, 15-18 Boy’s Novice. Crutsinger also swims for the MJHS Swim Team.

Coach Johnny “Rocket” Davis, concluding his 6^th season as the Waves Head Coach, commented that “these kids swam their hearts out in this meet. Our swimmers set 16 new Team Records during the meet, with several others coming very close. I couldn’t be more proud of them and their achievements as individuals and as a team this year.”

Langford Farms placed 6^th in the Division AA category, the middle category of the NSL. Langford Farms swimmers scoring points at the meet were: Sally McCabe, 9^th Place, 9-10 Girl’s Novice; Noah Curtis, 6^th Place, 9-10 Boy’s Novice; Nathan Curtis, 1^st Place, 11-12 Boy’s Novice; Kelsey Copeland, 10^th Place, 15-18 Girl’s Open; Kathleen Witte, 13^th Place, 15-18 Girl’s Novice; Taylor Wallace, 4^th Place, 15-18 Boy’s Open; and Andy Barton, 9^th Place, 15-18 Boy’s Novice. Copeland, Wallace, and Barton compete for the MJHS Swim Team, while Kathleen Witte swims for Pope John Paul II High School. Langford is coached by former Mount Juliet High School Hurley was the 2005 Wilson County High School Swimmer of the Year and currently attends UT-Knoxville. swimmer Kevin Hurley.

With no NSL team based in Lebanon, several Lebanon residents represent Cages Bend Swim Club in Gallatin. Cages Bend is in Division AA, and took home First Place in that Division at the Meet. Competing in the meet from Lebanon were Grace McCullough in the 6&Under Girl’s category; Lucy Cook, 9-10 Girl’s Open; Conrad Claycomb, 15-18 Boy’s Open; and Stephen Claycomb, 15-18 Boy’s Open. Stephen Claycomb, who also serves as an assistant coach with Cages Bend, finished in First Place in the 15-18 Boy’s Open category, the fastest category of the meet. Conrad Claycomb will return to swim for Pope John Paul II High School this coming season;, while brother Stephen Claycomb concluded his career JPII this past year, and will be competing for Western Kentucky University this coming Fall.

For complete NSL City Meet results, visit www.ExcelAquatics.org.

Wilson County Excel Aquatic Residents at SES Championships

Blackwell Places in Top 8 five times at
Southeastern Swimming Championships

July 24, 2007……With over 700 swimmers representing 38 different clubs covering Tennessee, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle, descending on the Tracy Caulkins Competition Pool in Nashville TN for the 2007 Southeastern Swimming Long Course Championships, there was a small contingent of Wilson County swimmers preparing to make their mark on the meet. This Championship level meet was conducted in the Prelims/Final format whereby if a swimmer placed in the Top 8 in the Preliminary swims in the mornings, they would come back and compete in the Finals in the evening. Long Course refers to the length of the pool, 50 Meters, the same pool length the Olympics is held in.

Siblings Luke and Madison Blackwell from Mount Juliet, and teammate Bradley Gillilan of Lebanon, were qualified and entered in a combined total of sixteen events for the Championship Meet. All three train with Excel Aquatics.

Luke Blackwell, swimming in the 13&14 Year Old Boy’s category, had qualified in ten different events, but per meet rules was only allowed to swim in seven events. Luke took to the water in the 200 Meter Freestyle, 400 Meter Freestyle, 800 Meter Freestyle, 1500 Meter Freestyle, 100 Meter Backstroke, 200 Meter Backstroke, and 200 Meter Individual Medley.

Over the course of the four days the meet lasted, Luke placed in the Top 8 in at least one event per day. With the 800 Meter Free and the 1500 Meter Free being the only events to be conducted as Timed Finals with no repeat swims, Blackwell placed 5^th in both events. In the 800 Meter swim, Luke was one of only two 13 year old boys to finish in the top 12 placings in the race, with the rest being 14 years old. In the 1500 Meter swim, Luke was the highest placing 13 year old in the event.

Blackwell also swam to Top Eight finishes in the 100 Meter Backstroke (8^th), the 200 Meter Backstroke (5^th), and the 400 Meter Freestyle (8^th). All three of those events were swum twice, first in Preliminaries, and again in Finals.

In Blackwell’s other races, he placed 16^th in the 200 Meter Freestyle, and was disqualified in the 200 Meter Individual Medley after not executing the Butterfly to Backstroke turn properly.

“Overall Luke had a fantastic meet”, Excel Assistant and Lebanon resident John Barnes noted. “Between Prelims, Finals, and Relay events, Luke swam in 12 events over the course of the meet. That is a lot of swims at this level of competition, and he held up very well. It’s been over 6 years since a Wilson County male over the age of 13 has had that many swims at a Championship level meet.”

“He was one of the youngest swimmers in his age group returning to the Finals each night, and this bodes well for him next summer when he will be one of the oldest in his age grouping.”

Madison Blackwell competing in the 11&12 Year Old Girl’s category, swam in the 100 Meter Butterfly, 50 Meter Butterfly, 100 Meter Backstroke, and the 50 Meter Backstroke.

“Madison had some great time drops over her entry times in the 50 Fly and 50 Back, which was real nice to see. Her stroke style is probably suited more for the 100’s and 200’s, so for her to get up and race the shorter distance was great to see” according to Barnes. “She is working hard in practice and her dedication has paid off.”

Gillilan, competing for the first time in the Senior Boy’s category, after having aged up the day before the meet, competed in 5 events he had already qualified for in that higher level. Gillilan swam in the 200 Meter Freestyle, 400 Meter Free, 800 Meter Free, 1500 Meter Free, and the 200 Meter Breaststroke. Against boys ranging in age from 15 to over 20 years of age, Gillilan’s highest placing was 23^rd in the 1500 Meter Free.

“Bradley aged up and was the youngest 15 year old at the meet, having to swim against others quite a bit older than him.” Barnes explained. “But Bradley held his own and went after it in his races, we were proud of him and his efforts.”

Gillilan will be entering his Sophomore year at Lebanon High School as the only returning State Qualifier in Individual Events on the LHS Boy’s team, and is expected to compete in the distance events.

“Both Bradley and Luke Blackwell have had an amazing Long Course Season this summer. They were able to get in some long course training in Murfreesboro in the mornings, and that really paid off when combined with their normal evening training. They have established themselves as the most dominant males out of Wilson County in Long Course events since Andrew Davidson was swimming up in the late 1990s.

“All of Wilson County should be proud of these three swimmers for representing us so well.”

For more information on competitive swimming visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

Excel Aquatics Swimmers Lead Wilson County

County Swimmers Tapering for Championship Meet

July 7, 2007……Wilson County will be represented by three swimmers in the upcoming Southeastern Swimming (SES) Long Course Swimming Championships July 19-22 in Nashville and Brentwood TN. Siblings Madison and Luke Blackwell of Mount Juliet will be joined by fellow Excel Aquatics swimmer Bradley Gillilan of Lebanon as qualifiers for the meet.

Southeastern Swimming is the Local Swimming Committee (LSC) of USA Swimming (USAS). USA Swimming is the governing body responsible for hosting the Olympic Trials every four years to pick the US Olympic Swim Team. This selection process is done by different stages of qualifying meets. The SES LSC covers all of Tennessee, Alabama, and the Panhandle of Florida.

The SES Long Course Championships require that swimmers attain qualifying time cuts based on their age groupings and gender at USAS sanctioned meets. Due to the size of the meet this year, the meet is being co-hosted by two different teams utilizing two different pools, one in Nashville and the other in Brentwood. The preliminary swims will be held at both pools based on age category, with the Finals being swum in the evenings at the Tracy Caulkin’s Competition Pool in Nashville.

The Wilson County swimmers qualified for the meet have begun their tapering phase of training leading up to the meet. Tapering in swim training is used to rest the body so that muscle adaptations made during normal training are maintained, while the body rebounds to allow meet performance at a higher level.

Madison Blackwell is swimming in four events in the 11&12 Year Old Girl’s category: the 50 Meter Backstroke, 50 Meter Butterfly, 100 Meter Backstroke, and 100 Meter Butterfly. “Madison is only eleven years old and has progressed tremendously over the past year with Excel Aquatics.” According to Excel Aquatics Assistant Coach and Possum Town resident John Barnes. “Last year as a ten year old in this championship meet she swam in two events, and with aging up this year to the older category came much more difficult time standards. Madison rose to the challenge and swam to four new qualifying times in the harder category. Her work ethic during practice is wonderful.”

Luke Blackwell has qualified in ten events in the 13&14 Year Old Boy’s Category for the Championship Meet, however due to rules will only be able to swim in seven of the ten. The seven chosen: 200 Meter Freestyle, 400 Meter Freestyle, 800 Meter Freestyle, 1500 Meter Freestyle, 100 Meter Backstroke, 200 Meter Backstroke, and the 200 Meter Individual Medley. “Having ten qualifying times can be a challenge when you have to decide which seven to swim in the meet. We had to balance the four day length of the meet, the days on which events fell on, and the potential of placing in the Top 16 of each event.” Barnes explained. “Luke will do very well in this meet even though he is thirteen and will be swimming against boys a year older. We expect him to be in the Top 16 in quite a few of his events in his age grouping. Even though it is a lengthy meet with his individual events combined with relays, as long as he eats right through the weekend, and gets plenty of rest in between his swims, he should do just fine.”

Gillilan, a rising Sophomore at Lebanon High School, will be competing in the 15&16 Year Old Boy’s 200 Meter Freestyle, 400 Meter Freestyle, 800 Meter Freestyle, 1500 Meter Freestyle, and the 200 Meter Breaststroke. “Bradley will age up to the 15&16 year old category the day before the meet. In the 13&14 year old category Bradley had attained qualifying times in eleven different events, now because of the large drops in times needed to swim in the 15&16 year old category, he is qualified in five events.” Barnes stated. “Bradley is the first 15 year old from Wilson County to compete in the Long Course Championships since Andrew Davidson, who went on to swim at the University of Texas. Bradley has had some outstanding swims this summer and I expect that to continue as long as he keeps his drive and focus.”

“Wilson County residents have reason to be proud of these three swimmers. They are showing us what our youth are capable of with hard work and determination. Swimming is a sport where no child is left on the bench. Why are these three the cream of the crop of Wilson County swimmers? Their success starts with their attitude, continues with a focus on training that emphasizes both correct technique and challenging work, and concludes by coming full circle back to the swimmers and their goals. Our coaches at Excel Aquatics give them the tools necessary to help them realize those goals”

Summer Sizzler Has Epic 400 Meter Freestyle Duel in the Pool

Gillilan Leads Wilson County Swimmers

June 25, 2007……At the annual Summer Sizzler Meet in Nashville TN this past weekend, Lebanon High School rising Sophomore Bradley Gillilan swam to two 4^th Place finishes in the meet, leading a contingent of Excel teammates at the meet.

The Summer Sizzler Meet is a three day meet swam in the “Long Course” 50 Meter format, the same pool distance the major international competitions are held, such as the Olympics. 808 athletes from 29 separate teams covering 11 states converged on Nashville to compete in what has become one of the most competitive meets in the South each summer. The meet is in the Preliminary/Finals format whereby if a swimmer qualifies in the “Prelims” in the morning, they come back to swim in the Final’s at night.

Swimming for Excel Aquatics in the meet from Wilson County were Gillilan, Watertown residents Chelsie and Dallas Barlettano, and Mount Juliet siblings Luke, Samuel, and Madison Blackwell.

Gillilan placed 4^th in both the 13&14 Year Old Boy’s 400 Meter Freestyle as well as the 1500 Meter Freestyle. Right on Gillilan’s heels was Luke Blackwell, placing 6^th in the 13&14 Year Old Boy’s 400 Meter Freestyle, and 5^th in the 1500 Meter Freestyle.

“Both boys had to swim the 400 Meters twice, once in the morning, and then again at night in Finals.” Excel Aquatics Assistant Coach John Barnes noted. “The 400 is considered a middle distance event and to have to swim it twice in one day takes something out of you. In the Prelims the race was a photo finish between the two boys. They were swimming side by side the last 25 meters of the race, matching stroke for stroke in a dead sprint. Bradley out-touched Luke at the finish by 2 tenths of a second. Faster than you can snap your fingers twice. It was exactly like their battles in practice every day. They are pushing each other to a level of swimming not seen in Wilson County in the past six years.”

“Then the next day they both had to swim the 1500 (aka “The Metric Swim Mile”) as a Timed Finals, which means they only had to swim it once. It is a grueling race and both did a tremendous job.”

In the 1500 Meter Freestyle, Gillilan dropped over 71 seconds to finish in Seventeen Minutes, Forty Five Seconds, and Seventy One-Hundredths of a second (17:45.70). Blackwell was just behind him with a time of 18:01.93, a 4.43 second drop. These times are notable since both boys are now ranked 2^nd and 4^th on Excel Aquatics in the event. Excel is a team of over 300 swimmers from 3 training locations and is Nationally Recognized.

“Because of the aging up rules in swimming, Bradley will be competing in the older 15&16 Year Old Category at the Southeastern Swimming (SES) Long Course Championship Meet in a month.” Barnes stated. “He was able to achieve 3 new 15&16 cuts in this meet – the 200 Meter Freestyle, the 800 Meter Freestyle, as well as the 1500 Meter Freestyle. That brings his total to 5 events.

Blackwell also returned to Finals on Sunday night in the 13&14 Boy’s 200 Meter Backstroke, where he turned in a time of 2:26.55, good enough for a 5^th Place finish.

“Luke will stay in the 13&14 Year Old Category for the upcoming Championship meet and has 10 of a possible 14 qualifying cuts. In this meet we just finished he also achieved time cuts for the 15&16 category in three more events, the 100 Meter Backstroke, the 200 Meter Backstroke, and the 200 Meter Freestyle. He is well on his way to being well qualified in two years when he is swimming in that category.”

Chelsie Barlettano only competed in one event, the 13&14 Girl’s 100 Meter Freestyle, where she finished with a time of 1:28.25. “Chelsie participated in a Triathlon in McMinnville on Saturday, and then turned around and competed in this meet. We are proud of her efforts, and as she continues to improve with her swimming, it will only benefit her efforts in the triathlons.”

Dallas Barlettano competed in four events in the 10&Under Boy’s Category, notching best times in 3 of his 4 events. “Dallas did great, he competed in the 200 Meter Freestyle for the first time, and at his age that was a great accomplishment. We look forward to him continuing to improve in the years to come.”

Madison Blackwell, who has SES Qualifying Cuts in the 11&12 Girl’s category swam to best times in 5 of her 9 events, with a nearly one second drop in the 100 Meter Butterfly. “I’ve been telling Madison that she is becoming a very good “Flyer”, and will become a great Individual Medley (IM) swimmer when she wants to be. Her times are starting to reflect that. She is solid in all 4 of her strokes and as a result she dropped 6.85 seconds in her 200 Meter IM this past weekend.

The youngest of the Wilson Country swimmers, and one of the youngest in the meet, is Samuel Blackwell. Samuel participated in three events, all in the 10&Under Category, and Samuel is only Seven Years Old. “Samuel dropped times in 2 of his events, and swam very well. He’s a joy to coach and to be around.” Coach Barnes concluded.

For more information on competitive swimming visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

More Time Cuts at Stars and Stripes Meet

Excel Swimmers Make Their Mark at Swim Meet

May 27, 2007……Madison Blackwell of Mount Juliet led a contingent of seven Wilson County residents in competing at the Excel Aquatics Stars & Stripes Long Course Swim Meet in Brentwood TN this past weekend. Joining Madison from Lebanon were Austin Barnes and Bradley Gillilan; from Watertown were Chelsie Barlettano and Dallas Barlettano; and also from Mount Juliet were Samuel Blackwell and Luke Blackwell. All seven compete for nationally recognized Excel Aquatics.

The Long Course format is swam in a 50 Meter Pool, the same pool dimensions as the Olympic Games.

Madison Blackwell garnered Southeastern Swimming (SES) Long Course Swimming Championship Meet Qualifying Times in the Girls 11&12 year old category for the 50 Meter Backstroke and 100 Meter Butterfly. Madison had previously attained a qualifying cut in the 100 Meter Backstroke. In the 100 Meter Butterfly, Madison turned in a time of one minute, twenty one seconds, and 86 one-hundredths of a second (1:21.86), good for a 7^th place finish. “I knew Madison’s time was faster than anything I remember for girls that age in Wilson County, and after coming home to check several websites I’m fairly confident that it is the fastest time ever for a girl from Wilson County in that age group in that event.” Excel Assistant Coach and Lebanon resident John Barnes stated. “Her time in the 100 Meter Backstroke also is the fastest time ever for a Wilson County girl that age.”

Blackwell placed 6^th in the 100 Meter Backstroke with a time of 1:20.36, dropping 87-hundredths of a second in the process. In the 50 Meter Backstroke, Blackwell popped a 0:38.28, a SES Qualifying time.

“Madison continues to do very well with Excel Aquatics, and I was ecstatic with her big time drops in both the 50 Meter Butterfly and the 100 Meter Butterfly.” Barnes commented.

Chelsie and Dallas Barlettano competed in their first Long Course Meet, and showed that they were up to the challenge. Both turned in impressive times. Chelsie swam in the 100 Meter Breaststroke and 50 Meter Freestyle, while brother Dallas took to the water in the 100 Meter Freestyle, 50 Meter Backstroke, 50 Meter Freestyle, and 50 Meter Breaststroke.

Austin Barnes competed in the 400 Meter Freestyle, 100 Meter Freestyle, and 100 Meter Backstroke; setting personal best times in all three events.

Samuel Blackwell, competing in the Boys 8&Under category swam to a 4^th Place finish in the 50 Meter Breaststroke, 6^th Place in the 50 Meter Backstroke, and 9^th Place in the 50 Meter Freestyle with best times in all events.

In the older 13&14 Boys division, Luke Blackwell and Bradley Gillilan proved once again why they are the most well rounded male swimmers in the county. Gillilan increased the number of SES Long Course Qualifying Cuts to 11 in the 13&14 age group, while Blackwell closed close in bringing his total to 10. Gillilan added two Boy’s 13&14 year old SES cuts in the 200 Meter Individual Medley and 200 Meter Backstroke (13&14). He added cuts in the 15&16 year old category in the 200 Meter Breaststroke, which was also a Senior Boys cut.

Blackwell added qualifying cuts in Boys 13&14 year old category in the 400 Meter Individual Medley, the 100 Meter Freestyle, the 200 Meter Breaststroke, and the 1500 Meter Freestyle. In the 200 Meter Breaststroke the time was also good enough for a 15&16 year old qualifying cut; while in the 1500 Meter Freestyle Luke’s time of 18:06.36 was both a 15&16 cut and a Senior cut.

“This was another great meet for these two boys. Bradley’s time in the 800 Meter Freestyle was phenomenal, just hundredths of a second off a qualifying cut in the 15&16 year old category.” Coach Barnes commented. “Luke turned the meet on its ear with his time in the 1500 Meter Freestyle, coming out of nowhere to place 2^nd in his age group in the event. Honestly, I was stunned by his 1500 Free and his 400 Meter Individual Medley swim on Friday night. That 1500 swim was the fastest swim by a Wilson County boy I’ve been able to find in results databases and website searches. Both boys swam great in the Individual Medley events, something we work on several times a week in practice.

“At Excel Aquatics our goal is to develop well-rounded swimmers that can be competitive at all levels of swimming. It’s what the families want, and what our focus is on a day to day basis. We have fun, they swim fast, and we want them to be the best student-athletes they can be out of the water and in the water.”

For more information on competitive swimming visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

Excel Swimmers get Time Cuts at Knoxville Meet

Excel Swimmers Travel to Knoxville

May 12, 2007……Three Wilson County residents with Excel Aquatics recently traveled to Knoxville to swim at the Pilot Invitational held at the University of Tennessee Aquatics Center, May 4-6. All three returned with new Southeastern Swimming (SES) Long Course Championship Meet Qualifying Times.

Bradley Gillilan of Lebanon led the way with new 13&14 Boys Qualifying Times in the 100 Meter Breaststroke, 100 Meter Freestyle, 100 Meter Backstroke, 1500 Meter Freestyle and 200 Meter Freestyle. Gillilan also attained a 15&16 Boys Qualifying Time in the 400 Meter Freestyle, having already qualified in that event at the 13&14 age group level. “Bradley did well this meet.” Coach John Barnes of Lebanon noted. “At Excel we constantly focus on both technique and aerobic conditioning, and Bradley is making some technique changes in the Freestyle events, and they seem to be taking hold early. He was focused on what he wanted to do, and went out there and did it. It was great seeing those time drops at the Long Course format.”

Luke Blackwell of Mount Juliet attained six new Qualifying Times in the 13&14 Boys category. As a result, Luke is eligible for the SES Long Course Championships in the 800 Meter Freestyle, 200 Meter Individual Medley, 100 Meter Backstroke, 400 Meter Freestyle, 200 Meter Freestyle, and 200 Meter Backstroke. “Luke was only 6-hundreths of a second away from a qualifying time in the 100 Meter Breaststroke, so we are fairly confident that he will add that to his qualifying list when he swims it again.” Barnes predicted. “With his strength in the distance events, we believe that he has a realistic shot at the 200 Meter Breaststroke as well as the 1500 Meter Freestyle. The qualifying time in the 400 Meter Individual Medley is also a real possibility.”

“With Luke moving up to the same training squad Bradley is in, it is a pleasure to watch them train from a coaching perspective. After doing a good 45 minutes or so on drills and kicking, we turn them lose on the main set, and it becomes a battle to see who leads the practice. In an average day at practice they swim 6500+ yards, with Saturday practices between 8000 to 9200 yards. Combine that sort of conditioning with technique work and it is obvious why they are leading Wilson County in performance.”

Madison Blackwell also of Mount Juliet brought home an 11&12 Girls SES Qualifying Time in the 100 Meter Backstroke. “Madison had a great meet in all 9 of her events she swam; there are 3 or 4 more events where she is close to her qualifying times for the Long Course Championship meet in July.” Barnes noted. “The last time a Wilson County girl as young as Madison attended the Long Course Championship meet was in 2002, so Madison is leading the way among her age group.”

For more information on competitive swimming visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

Excel Awards Presented

Wilson County Duo Receive Swim Team Awards

May 2, 2007……Two Wilson County swimmers, Bradley Gillilan of Lebanon and Madison Blackwell of Mount Juliet, recently were awarded the prestigious “Excel Award” from Excel Aquatics for their achievements this past Short Course Season.

The Award is given annually at the Excel Spring Banquet to a select few recipients in each training squad, and is based on Good Sportsmanship, Dedication, Positive Attitude, and Leadership within the squads. Out of 350 swimmers over three training locations, only 14 swimmers received the honor of the Award.

Gillilan, a Freshman at Lebanon High School, is a multi-year winner of the award. “Bradley exemplifies the work ethic and “can do” spirit that we look for in our older swimmers.” Excel Coach John Barnes stated. “He steps up to any workout challenge that we give them, he works hard, has no real complaints, and pushes everyone in the Gold Training Squad on a daily basis. He encourages his training partners to step up and reach beyond their pre-conceived notions of what they can do.”

“Last year we had Kyle Lee who was the leader in the water. After Kyle graduated and went to swim at the University of Alabama, Bradley has stepped up and is learning to be a leader although only a Freshman.”

Blackwell, a rising 8^th Grader who is Home Schooled, won her first Excel Award. “Madison only started training with us about 16 months ago and has done a phenomenal job both in training and in meets, quickly becoming a Southeastern Swimming Qualifier, the only 12&Under Girl in the county to achieve that this past short course season.” Barnes noted. “She trains with our Silver 1 Squad, and leads the squad in attendance and attitude.”

“Madison has a tremendous upside on her swimming abilities, and is proficient in her stroke techniques. The next step is for her to start applying strategy to her races of 100 yards and longer, and when she does that, I believe that you will see some amazing things from her. She is already the top Middle School age girl in Wilson County, and in a few years will be the top High School age girl if she continues to keep her great attitude and work ethic.”

For more information on competitive swimming visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

4 From Wilson County in Championship Meet

Wilson Quartet Represents Wilson County at Southeastern Championship Meet

March 19, 2007……The Southeastern Swimming Short Course Championship Meet this past weekend in Nashville saw Madison Blackwell, Luke Blackwell, Bradley Gillilan and Taylor Wallace, all from Wilson County, contribute to Excel Aquatics’ Third Place finish at the Meet. 45 teams, comprising 872 swimmers from Tennessee, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle competed in the Championship Meet.

Lebanon High School freshman Bradley Gillilan placed 15^th in the 13&14 Boy’s 1650 Yard Freestyle with a time of 18:10.86. Gillilan also competed in the 1000 Freestyle (17^th place), 200 Yard Freestyle (33^rd), 100 Yard Breaststroke (30^th), and 200 Yard Backstroke (31^st).

“Bradley had a great meet, dropping time in 3 of his 5 events after coming off a short course season where he split his training focus between his natural distance events and the sprint focused High School season.” Excel Assistant Coach and Lebanon resident John Barnes stated.

Home School 8^th Grader (Mt. Juliet) Luke Blackwell took home a 13^th Place finish in the 13&14 Boy’s 1650 Yard Freestyle, turning in a time of 17:53.49. A 16^th Place finish was garnered in the 1000 Yard Freestyle with a time of 10:42.08, a remarkable 37 second drop from his previous try at that distance. Blackwell also competed in the 200 Yard Freestyle (32^nd Place), 200 Yard Backstroke (28^th), 500 Yard Freestyle (24^th), and 100 Yard Backstroke (23^rd).

“Both Bradley and Luke did great in the 1650, aka “The Mile”. For someone not familiar with this sport, swimming that distance is more closely similar to running a 5 Kilometer race, a Cross Country running distance. Excel Aquatics’ encourages our kids to swim all the strokes and varied event lengths in swimming, in order to find what the correct fit is for them. Over time things may change, and all of our kids typically continue to develop because of their strong aerobic base.” Barnes commented.

Madison Blackwell, a Home School 6^th Grader (Mt. Juliet), competed in her first Southeastern Short Course Championship in the Girl’s 11&12 category. Blackwell participated in the 50 Yard Backstroke, and turned in a time of 0:32.76. “Madison swam lights out in her event, she really nailed her underwater technique off of the start and turn and once on top of the water she got her arms moving while maintaining excellent body position in the water.”

Mount Juliet High School freshman Taylor Wallace swam to a 9^th Place finish in the 100 Yard Breaststroke, and anchored the 13&14 Boy’s 400 Medley Relay that attained a National Top 16 time during the meet. Wallace also competed in the 400 Yard Individual Medley, 200 Yard Individual Medley, 50 Yard Freestyle, 100 Yard Butterfly, and 100 Yard Freestyle.

For more information on competitive swimming visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

Madison Blackwell Posts Win In Memphis Meet

Madison Blackwell Swims to Wins in Memphis

March 12, 2007……Madison Blackwell of Mount Juliet, competing in the Girl’s 11&12 year old category at the Southeastern Swimming Districts Meet in Memphis this past weekend scored an individual win along with two relay wins.

Competing in the 50 Yard Backstroke, Blackwell quickly swam away from the field, with a winning time of 0:33.40. In other individual events Blackwell placed 3^rd in the 100 Yard Backstroke (1:13.66), 4^th in the 50 Yard Butterfly (0:32.89), 6^th in the 100 Yard Individual Medley (1:15.10), 7^th in the 100 Yard Breaststroke (1:26.77), 9^th in the 50 Yard Freestyle (0:30.09), and 12^th in the 50 Yard Breaststroke (1:13.66).

Blackwell was also part of Excel Aquatic’s winning 200 Yard Medley Relay and 200 Yard Freestyle Relay at the meet.

“Madison has done a great job this short course season. Having just aged up into this harder age group, she just barely missed her Southeastern Swimming Championship Meet Qualifying Times.” Excel Aquatics Assistant Coach John Barnes stated. “This was only her fifth short course meet since joining Excel a little over a year ago, and at the rapid pace she is progressing, she should have no problem achieving the long course standards in the upcoming long course season.”

Madison’s older brother, Luke, will be joining LHS Freshman Bradley Gillilan and MJHS Freshman Taylor Wallace in the upcoming Southeastern Swimming Short Course Championship Meet March 15-18. All three boys will be competing in the Boy’s 13&14 year old category, representing Excel Aquatics.

For more information on year-round competitive swimming options in the Mid-State, as well as information on Summer League Swimming in the County, visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

Claycomb 3rd at State

Claycomb Places 3^rd at State High School Swimming Championships

February 26, 2007……Stephen Claycomb, a resident of Lebanon and a Senior at Pope John Paul II High School finished his High School swimming career this past weekend at the State of Tennessee High School Swimming and Diving Championships in Nashville by placing 3^rd in the 50 Yard Freestyle and 8^th in the 100 Yard Freestyle, scoring a total of 27 points in the process for Pope John Paul II.

In placing third in the Finals on Friday night, Claycomb attained a time of 0:21.56 in the 50 Yard Freestyle, becoming the first Wilson County resident to earn a Top Three finish at the State Championships since Mt Juliet’s Andrew Davidson did so in 2001.

On Saturday night, Claycomb returned to the Finals and placed 8^th in the 100 Yard Freestyle with a time of 0:47.75. In the 2006 State Championships, Claycomb placed 10^th in the 100 Yard Freestyle.

Fellow Lebanon resident and Pope John Paul II Senior Amy Pouget also finished her career by returning to swim in the Consolations Finals this year as a member of the JPII Girl’s 400 Yard Freestyle Relay who placed 14^th in the State. This was Pouget’s third year of swimming in the Consolations Finals, having done so in each of the prior two years in individual events.

Conrad Claycomb, a sophomore at JPII, competed in his first State Meet by qualifying in the 100 Yard Freestyle. Mt Juliet resident and JPII freshman Alek Nochowicz competed in his first State Meet in the 200 Yard Individual Medley and 500 Yard Freestyle.

Mardi Gras Meet 2007

Blackwell Excels in Mardi Gras Swim Meet

February 18, 2007……Wilson County resident Luke Blackwell added to his total of Southeastern Swimming Short Course Qualifying Times with three new cut at the Excel Aquatics Mardi Gras Swim Meet this past weekend. By achieving new cuts in the 200 Yard Freestyle, 100 Yard Backstroke and 400 Yard Individual Medley, Luke brought his total of qualifying cuts to 7 in the 13&14 Year Old Category; joining fellow 13&14 Year Olds Taylor Wallace (MJHS) and Bradley Gillilan (LHS) with 7 or more qualifying times.

Joining Luke Blackwell at the Mardi Gras meet were fellow Wilson County swimmers Samuel Blackwell, Madison Blackwell, Kelsey Copeland, Taylor Wallace, Dallas Barlettano, Alek Nochowicz, Andrew Barnes, and Austin Barnes, all of Excel Aquatics.

“Luke continues to drop some nice chunks of time in his progress and development with Excel.” Assistant Coach John Barnes of Lebanon noted. “He is not afraid of anyone he swims against, and has a strong desire to try to win. At next months SES Championship Meet we expect Luke to make his mark in the distance events even though he will be one of the youngest swimmers in his age group.”

Barletanno, a 9 year old from the Watertown area, had nice time drops in the 100 Yard Individual Medley and 50 Yard Breaststroke. Madison Blackwell, 11 years old, dropped over 31 seconds in the 500 Yard Freestyle, and swam in the 400 Yard Individual Medley for the first time. Samuel Blackwell, 7 years old, continued his streak of time drops in all of his events.

“Overall, our kids had great swims. The younger swimmers used it as a meet in which they applied what they have been learning by their specific stroke drills designed to improve their technique, and the pacing strategies to improve their endurance. Our older High School swimmers (Wallace, Nochowicz, and Copeland) used the meet as a tune-up by working on specific portions of their races, in preparation for next week’s State High School Championship Meet.” Barnes stated. “The coaches at Excel are proud of all of them and how they performed.”

For more information on year-round competitive swimming options in the Mid-State, as well as information on Summer League Swimming in the County, visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.