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.