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”