Gillilan going to Jr Nats!

Gillilan Qualifies For Junior National Swim Meet

November 16, 2008….Minneapolis, MN.

The long-term goal for Bradley Gillilan is to sign a scholarship to swim at a Division 1 University, and the latest stop in that quest was the USA-Swimming Grand Prix Series Swim Meet held at the University of Minnesota this past weekend. Gillilan’s short-term goal was to achieve a Junior National Qualifying Time Standard in the 1,650 Yard Freestyle, and he met that goal this weekend.

Gillilan, swimming for Excel Aquatics and a Junior at Lebanon High School, is the first swimmer from Lebanon to participate in a Grand Prix level meet.

Inspired by getting to watch first-hand Olympic Gold Medalist Ryan Lochte swim during the meet, Gillilan stepped up and had an outstanding meet. Gillilan added to his résumé with dynamic swims in the 1,000 Yard Freestyle, the 500 Yard Freestyle, and the 1,650 Yard Freestyle.

Sunday was the final day of competition and Gillilan took part in the longest race in pool-based swimming, the 1,650 Yard Freestyle, also called “The Mile”.

Bradley won his heat with a time drop of 16.20 seconds, turning a 16:12.75. The swim was good enough for an overall ranking of 10th in the event, and good for a NCSA Junior National Meet qualifying time standard.
The NCSA Junior National Meet will be held in Orlando, FL in March 2009.

“Bradley’s goal was to swim gain a Junior National Cut in the Meet in the 1,650 and he accomplished that,” Excel Coach and Lebanon resident John Barnes noted. “He also beat several Division 1 college swimmers who were at the meet, and that always makes the college coaches sit up and notice when a high school aged swimmer does that.”

On Saturday afternoon, Gillilan dropped 3.25 seconds in the 500 Free while posting a personal best time of 4:46.59. Gillilan moved up from being seeded 54^t going into the meet in the 500, to a 29^t place finish.

Gillilan finished 13^th in the 1,000 Yard Freestyle with a personal best time of 9:47.56, a drop of 10.81 seconds, on Friday afternoon. His time in the event was a NCSA Junior National “Bonus” Qualifying Time Standard. Since he now has a standard cut in the Mile, the Bonus cut allows him to swim in the 1,000 at the meet as well.

Also on Friday Gillilan was a member of Excel’s 14^th Place Relay in the 800 Yard Freestyle Relay, helping Excel score an additional 6 points.

“Bradley will be back in the pool on Monday night, preparing for his next meet in 3 weeks”, Barnes explained. “We will do some long distance moderately paced swims as a way to wind down from this meet, and then on Tuesday we will start to focus on the events our squad will be swimming at the Excel Aquatics Meet of Champions the first weekend of December.”

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

Wilson County Swimmer Scores at Grand Prix Meet

Gillilan Places 13th in 1,000 Free at Grand Prix Swim Meet

November 14, 2008….Minneapolis, MN.

Lebanon’s Bradley Gillilan, competing for Excel Aquatics, placed 13th in the 1,000 Yard Freestyle at the USA Swimming Grand Prix Meet at the University of Minnesota. The 1,000 was swum on the first day of competition on Friday. The meet runs through Sunday.

Gillilan, a Junior at Lebanon High School was seeded 32^nd going into the event.

Gillilan turned a time of 4:51 in the first 500 of the 1,000 yard race, splitting just 2 seconds above his best 500 time, and returned in a 4:56 in the last 500, for a final time of 9:47.56

“Bradley dropped 11 seconds from his best time in the event”, Excel’s Assistant Coach John Barnes noted. “His seasonal goal is to turn a 9:39 and get a Junior National time cut, and he just took a large step towards achieving that goal.”

“When Bradley is aggressive in the first half of his swims he usually has great times, his training with Excel has given him the conditioning to be able to finish races if he gets out after it on the first half.”

Gillilan will swim the 500 Yard Freestyle on Saturday, and the 1,650 Yard Freestyle on Sunday.

For a link to the results from the Grand Prix Meet, visit www.ExcelAquatics.com.

Gillilan Going North

Gillilan to Compete at Grand Prix Swim Meet in Minnesota

November 9, 2008….Excel Aquatics’ Bradley Gillilan is heading north to Minneapolis, Minnesota this coming weekend for USA Swimming’s Grand Prix Meet.

This prestigious meet is only open to those who have achieved qualifying time cuts, and will be held Nov 14-16^th at the University of Minnesota’s Aquatics Center.

Gillilan, a Junior at Lebanon High School, achieved qualifying times in the 500 Yard Freestyle, 1000 Yard Freestyle, and 1650 Yard Freestyle. Gillilan will be the first swimmer from Lebanon to compete at the Grand Prix level in swimming.

“This meet is a step above USA Swimming’s Senior Sectional meets”, Excel Aquatics Assistant Coach and Lebanon resident John Barnes explained. “We have had some intense training for this meet, skipping another meet on our schedule in order to prepare for this one. If Bradley remains focused on his reason for being there, he will have a good meet.”

“This will be some great exposure for Bradley to college level coaches who will have some of their swimmers there. Olympic and National team members will be competing. As a result the exposure will work both ways. College coaches will be exposed to Bradley, and conversely, Bradley will be exposed to some of the top swimmers in the United States. He will see how they prepare for their swims, and witness the strategy they execute in their swims.”

“Training is only half the equation in swimming, if the coach is not teaching race strategy and the swimmer is not implementing that strategy, then the swimmer will not reach their potential. That combination of proper training and teaching of strategy is what makes Excel Aquatics so successful.”

Friendship Christian sophomore and Mount Juliet resident Luke Blackwell, also a member of Excel Aquatics, achieved qualifying times in the 1000 Freestyle and 1650 Freestyle for the Grand Prix Meet. Blackwell was unable to make the trip due to other obligations.

For more information about swimming, visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com

Wilson County's Youth Movement in Swimming

Cook and McCullough Excel at October Open Swim Meet

October 20, 2008….The youth movement in Wilson County swimming was evident this past weekend at the October Open Swim Meet in Nashville. While High School swimmers such as Luke Blackwell, Alek Nochowicz, and Bradley Gillilan typically grab headlines with their record setting swims, this weekend was headlined by two elementary age swimmers, Lucy Cook and Grace McCullough, both representing Excel Aquatics.

Of all 10 Wilson County swimmers representing Excel Aquatics, Lucy Cook of Lebanon had the biggest time drop of the weekend with her 16.24 second drop in the 10 & Under Girl’s 100 Yard Breaststroke. Cook turned a 1:37.50 (one minute, thirty seven seconds and 50 one-hundredths).

“It was a great race by Lucy, she was seeded into Lane 8, an outside lane,” Coach John Barnes noted. “Lucy grabbed the lead by the 50 and held on through the end of the race. She kept her glide long and her stroke movements quick, just as she is being taught to do.”

Cook also dropped time in the 50 Yard Breaststroke (0:45.90); and the 50 Yard Backstroke (0:47.62). Cook also swam the 200 Yard Individual Medley for the first time.

Grace McCullough, also of Lebanon, dropped times in everyone of her events in the 8 & Under Girl’s Category. Time drops occurred in the 100 Yard Freestyle (1:57.89); 25 Yard Backstroke (0:27.77); 50 Yard Freestyle (0:52.91); and the 25 yard Freestyle (0:24.02). McCullough also swam the 25 Yard Breaststroke, 50 Yard Breaststroke, and the 50 Yard Backstroke for the first time.

“Grace did great as well, she is coming to a lot of her scheduled practices and has been doing great. It’s been a joy to watch her progress in swimming.”

Also swimming in the meet were Mt Juliet residents Luke Blackwell, Madison Blackwell, Samuel Blackwell, Kelsey Copeland and Nochowicz. From Lebanon were Andrew Barnes, Austin Barnes, and Gillilan.

Other first time swims of note were Austin Barnes swimming the 1,000 Yard Freestyle, turning a time of 12:46.06, with a split of 6:21.82 in the first 500 of that event.

Excel Aquatics is a USA-Swimming Silver Medal Team of Excellence for 2003-2008, and has a Level Four designation in the Club Recognition Program (CRP) by USA-S, one of only 13 teams nationwide to achieve the highest ranking in the CRP. For more information about Excel Aquatics, visit www.ExcelAquatics.org.

Fall Fest Swim Meet - Amazing!

Swimmers Start Short Course Season at Fall Fest Meet

September 21, 2008….Twelve of Wilson County’s youth swimmers took to the water this weekend to participate in Excel Aquatics’ Fall Fest Swim Meet. It was the first Short Course (25 Yard Format) meet of the year in the Middle Tennessee region.

From Mt Juliet were Luke Blackwell, Samuel Blackwell, Madison Blackwell, Anna Zikovich, Kelsey Copeland and Alek Nochowicz. From Lebanon were Lucy Cook, Grace McCullough, Austin Barnes, Andrew Barnes, Lucas Williams, and Bradley Gillilan.

Zikovich, a 4^th Grader at Mount Juliet Elementary, took to the water in the 10&Under Girl’s 50 Yard Freestyle and 50 Yard Butterfly. “This was the first Excel meet for Anna, she came to us from the Willoughby Waves summer league team in Mt Juliet”, Excel Assistant Coach John Barnes stated.

Williams swam in the 10&Under Boy’s 100 Yard Free and 200 Yard Free. “Lucas is a student at Southside Elementary and this is his first year with us as well. I can already sense that Lucas is going to do well at the distance events as he gets older.”

Cook, a 5^th Grader at Sumner Academy, recently graduated to the Silver 1 training squad, and is now under the guidance of former Romanian National Champion Andreea Ianoli-Mitrofan. Cook swam in the 11&12 Girl’s 100 Free, 100 Individual Medley, 50 Backstroke, 50 Breaststroke, 200 Free, 50 Butterfly, 100 Backstroke, 50 Free. “Lucy is doing very well adjusting to the changes of moving up in training squads. Changes are being made to her stroke, and she is responding very well.”

Grace McCullough, a 2^nd Grader at Sumner Academy, participated in the 8&Under Girl’s 100 Individual Medley, 50 Free, 25 Backstroke, 100 Free, 50 Backstroke. “Grace is great, I’ve seen a tremendous improvement in her stroke techniques these past few years, and she is fun to be around.”

Samuel Blackwell, a 4^th Grader at Friendship Christian School completed the 100 Individual Medley, 50 Backstroke, 500 Free, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, 50 Free, and 200 Individual Medley. Samuel placed 3^rd in the 10&Under Boy’s category in the 500 Yard Free.

Copeland, a Senior at Mt Juliet High School swam the 200 Free, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, 500 Free, 200 Individual Medley, 100 Free, 100 Butterfly, and 200 Backstroke. Copeland is looking good heading into her last High School season, already having 6 High School State Qualifying time cuts.

Luke Blackwell, a Sophomore at Friendship Christian School was in the 50 Free, 1,650 Free, 200 Free, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, 500 Free, 200 Individual Medley, 100 Free, 200 Breaststroke, 100 Butterfly. Luke placed in the Top 8 in the Senior Boy’s category in the 1,650 Free (2^nd Place), and 500 Free (5^th Place).

Austin Barnes, a Junior at Pope John Paul II High School, warmed-up for High School season with the 200 Free, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, and 500 Free. Austin dropped 12 seconds in the 200 Free, and 14 seconds in the 500 Free from his previous best times.

Madison Blackwell, an 8^th Grader at Friendship Christian School has aged up to the 13&14 Year old category, and as a result moved up to the Gold training squad with Coach Barnes. “This change in squads has meant some big changes to her training regimen to prepare her for more distance events related to the older age groups. Gone for her are the 50’s, except for the Free stroke. She has a naturally easy stroke with a great feel for the water, and will be successful at the 200 Yards and longer events as she becomes use to the change in regimens”, Coach Barnes commented.

Madison arguably swam the most difficult program of her Wilson County colleagues, completing the 50 Free, 1,650 Free, 200 Free, 100 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly, 500 Free, 200 Individual Medley, 100 Free, 200 Breaststroke, 100 Butterfly, and 200 Backstroke. In the 13&14 Girl’s category, Madison placed 8^th in the 1,650 Free and 8^th in the 200 Backstroke.

Nochowicz, a Junior at Pope John Paul II High School, sprinted through the 50 Free, 400 Individual Medley, 200 Free, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, and 500 Free. Nochowicz achieved High School State Qualifying Times in the 100 Backstroke and 500 Free.

Andrew Barnes, a 7^th Grader at Sumner Academy dove in the water for the 100 Free, 50 Backstroke, and 50 Breaststroke. Andrew dropped 12 seconds in the 100 Free, and 5 seconds in the 50 Backstroke.

Gillilan, a Junior at Lebanon High School won the 1,650 Yard Free in a blistering 16:28.95, averaging under one minute per 100 yards for the swimming mile. Gillilan is the first boy from Lebanon ever to achieve that feat, and he now has the 5^th fastest time in the event in Excel Aquatics’ 26 year history. Gillilan also swam in the 50 Free, 200 Free, 100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, 500 Free, 200 Individual Medley, 100 Free, 200 Breaststroke, 100 Butterfly, and 200 Backstroke. In addition to winning the 1,650 Free, Gillilan also won the 500 Free in the Senior Boy’s category.

“Gillilan had drops in 10 of his 11 events, and his legal split at the 1000 yard point of the 1,650 was also a best time.”

Gillilan also competed in the swimming portion of a relay at the Music City Triathlon on Sept 14^th. He was the first out of the water, and had the fastest time when they cancelled the swimming portion due to wind remnants of Hurricane Ike that morning. Swimmers were being pulled out by rescue boats due to the rough waves. Gillilan was not affected by the rough water, and completed the 1500 meter swim just ahead of National Open Water Team Member, Ashley Whitney.

“We are proud of our Excel swimmers throughout Wilson County, and how well they did”, Barnes proclaimed. “They have been working hard these past 5 weeks preparing for Short Course season, are making changes to their strokes, and learning that they are capable of doing what the coach is expecting of them.”

“Swimming is both a physically and mentally challenging, sport. Michael Phelps makes it looks easy, the great ones always do. It’s not easy, these kids we train are a special breed, their mental toughness is just as important as their physical toughness.”

Excel Aquatics is a USA-Swimming Silver Medal Team of Excellence for 2003-2008, and has a Level Four designation in the Club Recognition Program (CRP) by USA-S, one of only 13 teams nationwide to achieve the highest ranking in the CRP. For more information about Excel Aquatics, visit www.ExcelAquatics.org.

2008 Hall of Fame Honorees from Wilson County

Wilson County Trio to be Honored at
Southeastern Swimming Hall of Fame Weekend

August 31, 2008….Southeastern Swimming (SES), a Local Swimming Committee of USA Swimming, will hold their Hall of Fame Weekend October 4-5, 2008 in Gulf Shores, AL.

The SES Hall of Fame ceremonies are a biennial event, meaning they take place every two years. The 2008 Hall of Fame will honor swimmers from Tennessee, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle who have reached defined achievements in performance at Southeastern Swimming Championship Meets over a two year period from September 2006 through August 2008.

Three swimmers from Wilson County have qualified for the 2008 Hall of Fame: Bradley Gillilan, a Junior at Lebanon High School; Luke Blackwell, a Sophomore at Friendship Christian School; and Madison Blackwell, an 8^th Grader at FCS.

All three swimmers train with Excel Aquatics, and are the only swimmers from Wilson County that have qualified for the Hall of Fame recognition these past two years.

“All three are consistently SES Championship Meet qualifiers, and all three have met the standards set by the SES club coaches and team delegates to be honored”, Excel Assistant Coach, and Lebanon resident, John Barnes explained.

Gillilan is a member of the Class of 2008 HOF by being ranked in the 2008 Top 5 in the 15&16 Boy’s 800 Meter Freestyle (5^th).

“Bradley is also a USA Swimming Senior Sectional qualifier for both the Spring and Summer meets, and as a High School Junior is now being contacted by quite a few colleges interested in his abilities. His goals this year included qualifying for Junior Nationals in the Spring, and in the Summer attending the Open Water Nationals in both the 5k and 25k distances.”

Luke Blackwell had the highest ranking of the Wilson County swimmers, being the 2008 SES Champion in the 13&14 Boys Short Course 1,000 Yard Freestyle, and the 13&14 Boy’s Long Course 1,500 Meter Freestyle. Luke also had 2008 Top 5 time rankings in the 13&14 Boy’s categories in the 800 Meter Freestyle (2^nd), 200 Yard Backstroke (3^rd), 400 Meter Freestyle (3^rd), 1,650 Yard Free (4^th), 200 Meter Backstroke (4^th), 500 Yard Free (5^th), 200 Meter Individual Medley (5^th), and 400 Meter Individual Medley (5^th).

“In addition to his success at the SES Championship meet level, Luke also qualified for the USA-S Senior Sectionals Meet in both the Spring and Summer. At the 2008 Spring Senior Sectionals he was one of the youngest males at the meet. Like Gillilan, Luke is looking forward to attaining Junior National qualifying times, and swimming in Open Water Nationals next summer.”

Madison Blackwell achieved the Hall of Fame honor by ranking 5^th in the 2008 Short Course 11&12 Girl’s 200 Yard Butterfly, and 5^th in the 2008 Long Course 11&12 Girl’s 200 Meter Butterfly.

“Madison was a 2008 Age Group Sectional Meet qualifier in the 11&12 year old category. She has now aged up to the 13&14 Girl’s category, moved up in training groups, and we are starting to focus on some longer events so that she knows how to finish the shorter 100 and 200 Yard and Meter distances. Our immediate goals are to be ranked in the Top 10 swimmers within Excel Aquatics for some specific events, and then start moving up in the SES rankings as well. With over 400 competitive swimmers, being in the Top 10 within Excel often takes a faster time than being ranked first in a smaller club.”

“This 2008 Hall of Fame achievement is a significant accomplishment by our three local swimmers. They work hard in practice every day and have followed the development pathway that Excel Aquatics has for our swimmers. They know there are no shortcuts to the hard work it takes to succeed in swimming. Their parents are supportive and they make sacrifices on a daily basis to give the kids the opportunities they need to succeed. We should congratulate them and their families, celebrate their success, and encourage others to work towards these goals.”

Excel Aquatics is a USA-Swimming Silver Medal Team of Excellence for 2003-2008, and has a Level Four designation in the Club Recognition Program (CRP) by USA-S, one of only 13 teams nationwide to achieve the highest ranking in the CRP. For more information about Excel Aquatics, visit www.ExcelAquatics.org.

Excel Swimmers Once Again Rule Wilson County

Luke Blackwell Wins Gold in 1,500 Meter Freestyle at Southeastern Swimming Championships

July 21, 2008…. The Southeastern Swimming (SES) Long Course Championships were held this past weekend, utilizing the long course pools in Brentwood and Nashville. 865 swimmers from 40 swim clubs in Tennessee, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle competed.

From Wilson County, Luke and Madison Blackwell of Mt Juliet, and Bradley Gillilan of Lebanon, participated in the meet, all three swimming for Excel Aquatics. Qualifying times are required to participate in the meet.

Luke Blackwell, competing in his last meet in the 13&14 Year Old Boy’s Category, went out in left his name in the history books of SES Champions. Blackwell won the 13&14 Boy’s 1,500 Meter Freestyle in 17:07.24 (seventeen minutes, seven seconds and 24 one-hundredths). The time was 31 seconds ahead of the 2^nd place finisher in the age category, and would have been good enough for 6^th place in the Senior Boy’s category.

“Luke’s 1,500 time was also a Summer Senior Sectional Time Qualifying Standard,” Excel coach and Lebanon resident John Barnes noted. “Earlier in the meet Luke achieved a Summer Sectional Time cut in the 800 Meter Freestyle, so this makes two qualifying times he has now for Summer Sectionals. That meet will be held next summer in Knoxville TN at the new UT Aquatics Complex.”

Blackwell also placed 2^nd in the 800 Meter Free, 3^rd in the 400 Meter Free, 5^th in both the 200 Meter and 400 Meter Individual Medley races, and 6^th in both the 100 Meter and 200 Meter Backstroke races.

“Out of seven events Luke entered in the meet, he placed in the Top 6 in all seven events, with one gold, one silver, and one bronze.”

Madison Blackwell, participating in the 11&12 Year Old Girl’s category, placed 6^th in the 50 Meter Freestyle, with the fastest time ever recorded 50 Fly for a girl of that age in the County. Madison had a time of 0:32.39 seconds in the event, moving up from an 8^th place seed after the prelim heats, to 6^th place in the Finals heat.

“Madison had a great meet, dropping times in 6 of her 7 events, and placing in the Top 8 in her two relays she was on”, Coach Barnes commented. “Starting on Monday she will be moving up to Excel’s Gold training squad to prepare for competing in the 13&14 Year Old category.”

“Based on some times in the 200 Meter events from the Baylor meet a few weeks ago, I expect to see her back in this SES Championship Meet next summer.”

Lebanon High’s Bradley Gillilan also participated in the Championship Meet. Gillilan dropped times in 6 of his 7 events as well.

”Bradley had just returned from the Summer Senior Sectional Meet at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and as such we held him out of the events he swam at Sectionals”, Coach Barnes explained. “Summer Sectionals is two steps higher than the SES meet in terms of quality and progression, and he swam the 800 Meter and 1500 Meter Freestyle there.”

“We held him out of those two events even though he would have been seeded in the Top 8 in both of them at the SES meet. Instead we put him in some of the shorter events to give his body a much needed break after this summer. He has traveled to a lot of meets since school let out in May, and has started training for Open Water Nationals with former Olympian Ashley Whitney.”

“Bradley will be entering 11^th Grade at LHS this August, and we are looking forward to seeing him dominate in dual meets again this year for LHS, while continuing to train with Excel Aquatics.”

For more information on Excel Aquatics and other swimming information, visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

Blackwells Take Baylor by Storm

Blackwell Siblings Qualify For Championship Level Swim Meets

June 30, 2008…. The Blackwell siblings of Mount Juliet represented Excel Aquatics this past weekend at the Bullfrog Long Course Invitational Swim Meet at the Baylor School campus in Chattanooga

Rising 10^th Grader Luke Blackwell, who will be attending Friendship Christian School in the Fall, participated in the 13&14 Year Old Boy’s Category, and placed First in six of his 12 events. In the other 6 events he had Top 8 finishes, scoring 207 points in the meet.

Luke won the 200 Meter Free, 400 Meter Free, 1500 Meter Free, 200 Meter Backstroke, 200 Meter Individual Medley (IM), and the 400 Meter IM. He qualified for the Southeastern Swimming Long Course Championship Meet in the 200 Fly, which means he is now eligible to swim in all 14 events. Championship Meet rules limit him to 7 events, so decisions will have to be made as to which events to enter to maximize point scoring at the meet.

“Luke had a great meet, of his 12 events, he had best times in 11 of them”, Excel Assistant Coach John Barnes noted. “In the 1500 Meter Freestyle he won not only his age group, he also beet everyone in the Senior Boy’s category, with the second place finisher being over 27 seconds behind Luke.”

“His 1500 Meter time was also a Spring Senior Sectional Meet qualifying time, joining Lebanon’s Bradley Gillilan in qualifying for that prestigious meet. Both boys train with me and have put in over a million yards in their training program since late August 2007.”

Madison Blackwell, while only 12 years old, participated in the Senior Girl’s category so that she could get some experience in the longer distance events not normally open to 11&12 Year Old Girls.

“Madison swam for the first time in the 200 Meter Backstroke, 200 Meter Breaststroke, the 200 Meter Butterfly, and the 800 Meter Freestyle. Despite her grueling race schedule for a 12 year old, she achieved best times in all 10 of her events.”

In the process of swimming her events, Madison added 5 events to her Southeastern Swimming Long Course Championship Meet qualification total. Her new time standards were achieved in the 50 Meter Freestyle, 100 Meter Freestyle, 200 Meter Freestyle, 100 Meter Breaststroke, and 200 Meter Individual Medley. Madison now has 11 time standards for the meet, one short of a full slate of 12 for her age group category. Like her brother Luke, Madison will have to narrow down the list to 7 events she is limited in swimming in at the championship meet.

“Madison had a great meet, she went into the meet with a positive attitude, listened to the coaches directions, implemented those directions, and had some large time drops. Plus, she stepped up and competed and beat girls over three years older than her in the Senior Category.”

“I was especially proud of her 200 Meter Fly and 200 Meter Back swims. Those are events she will be competing regularly in when she ages up to the 13&14 Girls Category, and she is only seconds away from 13&14 Year Old Southeaster Swimming Long Course qualifying times for those events, and this was the first time she has swam them.”

“She will step up to the older training squad in a few months, and her yardage and intensity will increase, all while still working to refine her stroke techniques.”

The next two meets for Wilson County swimmers will be the USA Swimming Summer Senior Sectional Championship Meet in Atlanta GA, July 10-13, where Bradley Gillilan will be participating in the 800 Meter Freestyle and the 1500 Meter Freestyle; and then the Southeastern Swimming Long Course Championship Meet in Brentwood and Nashville, July 17-20, where Luke Blackwell, Madison Blackwell, Taylor Wallace and Bradley Gillilan will be participating in various events. All four swimmers will represent Excel Aquatics at the meet.

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

International Age Group Invitational Meet

Wilson County Trio Compete in Ft Lauderdale Swim Meet

June 23, 2008…. Three boys from Wilson County participated in the Ft Lauderdale Aquatics International Age Group Invitational Swim Meet this past weekend in Florida. Lebanon’s Bradley Gillilan joined Mt Juliet’s Alek Nochowicz and Taylor Wallace at the meet, representing Excel Aquatics.

Teams from Latin America joined teams from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana, and South Carolina at the meet which was held at the International Swimming Hall of Fame pool complex.

Wallace, a rising Junior at Mt Juliet High School, swam the 400 Meter Individual Medley (IM), 200 Meter Freestyle, 100 Meter Butterfly, 50 Meter Breaststroke, 100 Meter Breaststroke, 50 Meter Butterfly, 100 Meter Backstroke, 100 Meter Freestyle, and 200 Meter IM.

Nochowicz, a rising Junior at Pope John Paul II High School, competed in the 1500 Meter Freestyle, 200 Meter Freestyle, 100 Meter Freestyle, 50 Meter Freestyle, 50 Meter Backstroke, 100 Meter Backstroke, 200 Meter Backstroke, and the 200 Meter IM.

Gillilan is a rising Junior at Lebanon High School, and he made an impact in the 1500 Meter Freestyle, placing 2^nd in the 15&16 Year Old Boys category; and 6^th in the 400 Meter Freestyle, placing 6^th. Gillilan also swam in the 200 Meter Freestyle, 100 Meter Backstroke, 200 Meter Breaststroke, 200 Meter IM, 100 Meter Breaststroke, 200 Meter Backstroke, and 200 Meter Butterfly.

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

Wilson County Swimmers Score Victories in Swim Meet

Blackwell and Gillilan Score Wins at Stars and Stripes Meet

May 25, 2008…. At a time when many schools are winding down for the year and families are celebrating a long weekend, eight swimmers from Wilson County spent their weekend at the Annual Memorial Day Weekend Stars and Stripes Long Course Meet in Brentwood TN.

Leading the way with victories in their age categories were Bradley Gillilan, and Luke Blackwell.

Gillilan, swimming in the Senior Boy’s category, scored a first place victory in the 800 Meter Freestyle, dropping 3.92 seconds to finish in eight minutes, fifty one seconds and thirty seven one-hundredths of a second (8:51.37). Gillilan also finished second in the 400 Meter Freestyle (4:21.32) and the 1500 Meter Freestyle (17:06.99). His performances in the 200 Meter Butterfly and 200 Meter Backstroke qualified him for the Southeastern Swimming (SES) Long Course Championships in those events in July.

“Bradley has now qualified for 10 events at the SES meet, however he can only swim in seven of them by meet rules,” Excel Coach John Barnes explained. “Bradley’s time in the 1500 Meter Free was a Summer Senior Sectional Qualifying Cut. The summer cuts for Sectionals are much harder than the spring Sectional cuts, and he has been working hard to get these cuts for this next step in his long range goals. The 1500 is his second Summer Sectional cut, the first one was in the 800 Free a few months ago.”

The Summer Senior Sectional meet will be held in Atlanta in early July, at the same pool that the 1996 Olympics were held in.

Luke Blackwell scored first place finishes in the 13&14 Year Old Boy’s category in the 100 Meter and 200 Meter Breaststroke events. Luke also scored second place finishes in the 400 Meter Individual Medley (IM), 200 Meter IM, 100 Meter Backstroke, 200 Meter Freestyle, 200 Meter Backstroke and 1500 Meter Backstroke in his age category.

“Luke is getting even stronger in his non-Free events, and that is showing up in his Individual Medley events which consist of all four strokes swum in the sequence of Fly, Back, Breast and Free.”

“His 400 Meter Individual Medley was perhaps his best swum event of the meet in my analysis, the splitting was good, and we identified some areas of improvement which he will be working on in the coming months.”

Also competing in the meet were Madison Blackwell, Samuel Blackwell, Austin Barnes, Andrew Barnes, Alek Nochowicz, and Taylor Wallace.

“Nochowicz swam in his first Long Course meet ever, in prior years he has only trained with his summer league team, the Willoughby Waves, however this year he is committed to training long course and swimming in those meets along with his separate summer league meets.”

“Wallace dropped some nice times in the Individual Medley events, the 200 and 400 IM’s. Taylor has some talent in those events, transitioning from one stroke to another.”

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

Excel Awards - 2 From Wilson County!

Excel Awards goes to two from Wilson County

May 4, 2008……Samuel Blackwell and Alek Nochowicz, both of Mount Juliet, were awarded the prestigious “Excel Award” during the Excel Aquatics Annual Banquet, 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 418 swimmers over three training locations, only 17 swimmers received the honor of the Award this year.

Blackwell, a current Home School 3^rd Grader won his first Excel Award, due to his young leadership within the Silver 2 Training Group. “Samuel has been a joy to coach and work with this past year in particular”, Excel Assistant Coach John Barnes noted. “He is always in the water on time, listens to direction well, and has worked a lot on both his technique and conditioning lately.”

“At meets he is scoring in the Top 8 in the 8&Under Year Old Boy’s category. Samuel has been a great example for our younger swimmers in Excel as well as within our county.”

Nochowicz is a 10^th Grader at Pope John Paul II High School. He swims year round with Excel Aquatics, in the High School season for Pope, and during the summer for the Willoughby Station Waves summer league team. “Alek has been with Excel Aquatics for 6 years now, and recently attained his first Southeastern Swimming Championship Meet qualifying time standard”, Coach Barnes commented. “He qualified in the 1,650 Yard Freestyle, a distance event that most swimmers stay away from.”

“Alek has really stepped up his training intensity this year, and has been rewarded for that effort with a SES Time Standard in the 1,650 Free, as well as High School State Meet qualifying times in the 100 Free, 200 Free, 500 Free, 100 Back, and 200 IM.”

“Our annual banquet is a time when we reflect on the success of the past year, and we recognize the achievements and accomplishments of the youth who Excel Aquatics serves. We have several goals at Excel, one is to create competitive swimmers in the water, another one (which is arguably more important) is to help create leaders who will excel is school and in their lives afterwards.”

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

Spring Fling Fun for Wilson County Swimmers

Wilson County Swimmers in Spring Fling Swim Meet

April 26, 2008…. The first meet of the Long Course Swim Season took place April 11-13, in Brentwood when Excel Aquatics hosted the Spring Fling Swim Meet. Long Course Meets are held in 50 Meter Pools, the same distance the the 2008 Olympics in Beijing will be swum.

Seven Wilson County swimmers representing the Excel Aquatics training location in Gallatin participated in the meet. From Lebanon were Andrew Barnes, Austin Barnes, Spencer Ford and Bradley Gillilan. From Mount Juliet were the Blackwell siblings: Luke, Madison, and Samuel.

Luke Blackwell, a Home School 9^th Grader, placed in the Top 8 in the 13&14 Boys Category in all 9 of his events, set 7 Personal Best Times, and won the 13&14 Boy’s 400 Meter Free. Luke had four 2^nd Place finishes in the 1500 Meter Freestyle, 200 Individual Medley, 200 Breaststroke, and 200 Meter Freestyle.

Samuel Blackwell, a Home School 3^rd Grader, placed in the Top 8 in all five of his events in the 8&Under Boys Category, setting all Personal Best Times in the process.

Madison Blackwell, swimming in the 11&12 Girls Category, had three Top 8 finishes, and dropped time in six of her eight events. Madison is a 7^th Grade Home Schooler.

Ford, a Sophomore at Lebanon High School, participated in six events in the Senior Boys Category. This was his first long course meet, and his highest placing was 9^th in the 1500 Meter Freestyle (the metric swimming mile).

Austin Barnes, a JPII HS Sophomore, swam in four events in the 13&14 Boys Category, with his highest placing coming in the 400 Meter Freestyle. Austin finished 14^th in the event after dropping over 44 seconds in the process of his previous best time.

Andrew Barnes, a 6^th Grader at Carroll-Oakland Elementary, swam in two events in the 11&12 Boys Category. He placed 23^rd in the 50 Meter Backstroke, and 29^th in the 100 Meter Freestyle.

Gillilan, who is a Sophomore at Lebanon High School, who with Luke Blackwell already had one Long Course Meet under his belt this year, the USA Swimming Senior Sectional Championship Meet held in Nashville this past March. Gillilan participates in the Senior Boys Category, and placed in the Top 8 five times in the meet. His highest placing was 4^th in the 400 Meter Freestyle. His largest time drop was in the 400 Meter Individual Medley, a total of 20.62 seconds off his prior best time.

“All of these swimmers did very well in this format of a meet. We train in a 25 yard pool, and having to compete in a 50 Meter pool is a large adjustment for them, and they did great”, Excel Coach and Lebanon resident John Barnes noted.

“We don’t let our swimmers get psyched out by not being able to train in a 50 Meter pool, instead we teach them to take pride in the fact that they are highly competitive in this format versus those who have easy access to a 50 Meter pool.”

“For instance, the swimmers at our training location know that in the Long Course Distance events (400 Meter Free, 800 Meter Free, and 1500 Meter Free), our location has 2 of the Top 5 swimmers on Excel; which is an accomplishment considering we only have about 10% of the Excel swimmers at our site. Another example is that Gillilan and Luke Blackwell are the top two distance swimmers in the County (in either the Long Course or Short Course) format.”

“The fact that the most competitive swimmers in Wilson County train with Excel is not an accident, it is by design. These swimmers put in more quality time working on technique, and put in far more quality yards, than other local clubs. Luke Blackwell is closing in on 1,000,000 yards this academic year, while Gillilan has already passed that standard.”

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

Spring Sectionals - Two Top 20 Finishes

Gillilan Places 20^th in Mile at Spring Senior Sectionals Swimming Championships

March 9, 2008…. Following up on his 800 Meter Freestyle on Thursday night, Excel Aquatics and Lebanon High’s Bradley Gillilan swam in the 400 Meter Freestyle on Saturday and the 1,500 Meter Freestyle at the Spring Senior Sectionals Swimming Championships in Nashville this past weekend.

In the 400 Meter Freestyle, Gillilan placed 45^th in the meet while dropping his personal best time by 8.18 seconds, finishing in a time of four minutes, twenty two seconds and five one-hundredths (4:22.05). “Bradley had a nice time drop, and we were expecting that after his 800 Free a few nights before,” Coach John Barnes commented. “Bradley had a great short course (yards) season, and considering that he has always swum better in the long course (meters) format, we felt he had a good chance to make some significant time drops.”

Gillilan’s 400 time was only 2.16 seconds away from a Summer Senior Sectional Championships to be held in July in Atlanta at the Georgia Tech pool where the 1996 Olympics were held. He is already qualified in the 800 Free for his next step in swimming progressions.

On the last day of Spring Sectionals, the last event Gillilan was in was the 1,500 Meter Freestyle. The “Mile” proved to be another fast swim for Gillilan, turning a 17:16.94, a 28.76 second time drop. Gillilan is only 3.45 seconds away from the Summer Sectional time in the Mile.

Gillilan placed 20^th in the Mile, his second Top 20 finish after his 17^th Place finish in the 800 Free on Thursday.

“Bradley and Luke (Blackwell) trained hard all throughout Short Course Season with their eyes on this meet. Both did great in the 800, and Bradley swam lights out in his other events. They train in a short course pool in Gallatin, yet they consistently out swim boys on teams that have easy access to long course pools. Their focus on technique and conditioning show why they are the top distance and middle distance swimmers in the county right now even though they are 15 and 14 years old respectively.”

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

Gillilan swims to Summer Sectional Time Cut

Wilson County Swimmers Make a Splash at Spring Senior Sectional Swim Meet in Nashville

March 6, 2008…. The USA Swimming Spring Senior Sectional Swim Meet is underway and the meet features some of the top swimming talent in the South. Traditionally only the Top 10% of swimmers nationwide achieve Senior Sectional Qualifying Time Standards.

491 swimmers, representing 76 teams from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia and Kentucky took part in the meet this past weekend in Nashville TN, and hosted by Excel Aquatics.

“Senior Sectionals consists of swimmers as varied as collegiate swimmers using it as a last-chance meet to attain NCAA qualifying time standards, to swimmers who have already signed with colleges to swim next year, to swimmers who are no longer in college and are still training for the Olympic Trials, to swimmers who are starting to emerge as some of the top talent in the South.” Excel Assistant Coach and Lebanon resident John Barnes explained. “This year we are swimming the meet in the Long Course format because many of the swimmers at the meet are in the midst of preparing for the Olympic Trials, and this is another meet in that progression of preparation for them.”

College coaches from numerous Division I schools are in attendance to watch and evaluate some of the younger talent that showed up.

Thursday evening kicked off the meet, with the first event being the 800 Meter Freestyle. Two Wilson County boys, Luke Blackwell of Mt Juliet, and Bradley Gillilan of Lebanon, representing Excel Aquatics, took to the water and dropped significant times off their personal best times.

Gillilan turned a 8:55.29 in the event, good enough for 17^th Place in the meet. Gillilan also became the first boy from Wilson County to go under 9:00 in the event after a review of swimming databases. “Bradley had a great swim, he went out in a 4:27 and came back with a second half time of 4:28. He dropped 31 seconds from his personal best, and qualified for the Summer Senior meet to be held at Georgia Tech in July.”

Blackwell dropped over 14 seconds and turned a 9:10.07, good enough for 42^nd Place. “Luke is one of the youngest males in the meet. Of 244 male swimmers, only seven are 14 years old or younger, and Luke is one of those seven. The rest are 15 and over, some are in their mid-20s.”

“Luke did great, at his age just making this meet was an accomplishment, and he stepped up and showed what a competitor he is.”

Both boys were on Excel Aquatics’ 800 Meter Freestyle Relay, helping the relay team to a 14^th Place finish. “Blackwell turned a best time in his lead off leg on the relay, turning a 2:09.44 in the 200 Meter Freestyle. Gillilan served as the anchor leg and turned a 2:06.99.”

“Gillilan has two more events coming up, the 400 Meter Freestyle on Saturday, and the 1500 Meter Freestyle on Sunday.”

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

Blackwell is Runner-Up High Point Winner at SES

Blackwell places 2^nd Overall at Swimming Championships

February 24, 2008…. 5 Wilson County swimmers from Excel Aquatics participated in the Southeastern Swimming (SES) Short Course Championships this past weekend. Taylor Wallace, Luke Blackwell, Madison Blackwell, and Alek Nochowicz of Mt Juliet joined Lebanon’s Bradley Gillilan in the meet.

The SES meet requires qualifying time cuts and consisted of 955 swimmers from 52 teams from Tennessee, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Swimmers are divided up by gender into 4 age group categories: 10&Under Age Group, 11&12 Age Group, 13&14 Age Group, and Senior level swimmers. Swimmers are also limited to a maximum of 7 individual events in the meet.

Luke Blackwell, led off the swims for Wilson County residents by placing 1^st in the 1,000 Yard Freestyle in the 13&14 Boy’s category on Thursday night. From there Luke placed 2^nd in the 200 Yard Backstroke, 2^nd in the 1,650 Yard Freestyle, 3^rd in the 500 Yard Freestyle, 5^th in the 200 Yard Freestyle, 6^th in the 200 Yard Individual Medley, and 6^th in the 100 Yard Backstroke.

In the process, Luke scored 110 individual points in the meet, good enough for a second place finish overall in total points scored by all 13&14 Year Old Boys. Luke also was part of a 3^rd Place 400 Yard Freestyle Relay, and a 1^st Place 400 Yard Medley Relay.

“Luke had a great meet, it was his last Short Course championship in the 13&14 Year Old category, and he has one Long Course season left before he ages up to the Senior category” Coach John Barnes noted. “He swam in a total of 14 events over the 4 day meet, and performed at a high level until the end.”

Luke achieved a USA Swimming Senior Sectional Meet qualifying time standard in the 1,000 Yard Freestyle in the meet, joining teammate Gillilan in the event in two weeks.

“The Senior Sectional cut was Luke’s first, and we’re proud of his achievements.”

Gillilan participated in the Senior Boy’s category and swam in the 200 Yard Free, 400 Yard Individual Medley, 200 Yard Butterfly, and 200 Yard Breaststroke.

“We held Bradley out of his best events by design since he will be swimming them at the Senior Sectional Meet, we did not want him to over-swim them before Sectionals,” Barnes explained. “Bradley has qualified for Senior Sectionals in the 500 Yard Freestyle, 1,000 Yard Freestyle, and the 1,650 Yard Freestyle.”

During the SES Meet, Madison Blackwell achieved Age Group Sectional (AGS) Qualifying Time Standards in the 11&12 Year Old Girl’s 100 Yard Backstroke, 50 Yard Backstroke, and the 100 Yard Butterfly. Madison was also part of a First Place 200 Yard Medley Relay for her Age Group. “Madison already had her AGS cuts in the 50 Butterfly and 200 Butterfly, and she had a really good SES meet, dropping times in all 6 of her events she participated in.”

Nochowicz swam in one event, the Senior Boy’s 1,650 Yard Freestyle having qualified the previous weekend under the 15&16 Year Old Time Standard. Nochowicz dropped 14 seconds in the event at SES. His final time of 18:21.86 was good enough for a SES Senior Boy’s qualifying time in the event.

Taylor Wallace dropped 0.44 seconds in the Senior Boy’s 100 Yard Butterfly, turning in a time of 0:56.92. “Taylor has gone from being primarily a Breaststroke swimmer to one of the top “Flyers” in the Southeast.”

“These swimmers represent what can happen when you train hard, work on improving the fundamentals of stroke techniques, and having fun in the process. The combination leads to championship caliber swimmers, a hallmark of Excel Aquatics training of Wilson County swimmers since the days of Andrew Davidson.”

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

Blackwell is SES Champion in 1,000 Free

Luke Blackwell Wins 1,000 Yard Freestyle at Southeastern Swimming Championships

February 21, 2008…. During the first day of competition at the Southeastern Swimming Short Course Championships, Mount Juliet Resident Luke Blackwell won the 13&14 Year Old Boy’s 1,000 Yard Freestyle in a time of ten minutes, twelve seconds, and 26 hundredths (10:12.26). Blackwell pulled away from the field by going out in the first 500 in 5:00.66, and held on to win by over 12 seconds to the 2^nd place finisher.

“Luke likes to set the pace and wear down those who try to stay with him early on, ” Excel Assistant Coach John Barnes commented. “This was Luke’s first Senior Sectional Qualifying Time Cut, and he will be joining Lebanon’s Bradley Gillilan in the 1,000 at that meet in two weeks.”

955 swimmers from 52 clubs in Tennessee, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle are participating in the Southeastern Swimming Short Course Championships. Qualifying Times are necessary in order to participate in the meet. From Wilson County, Luke Blackwell, Madison Blackwell, Bradley Gillilan, Taylor Wallace, and Alek Nochowicz are swimming, all members of Excel Aquatics.

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

Nochowicz attains first SES Time Standard

Nochowicz swims to a Southeastern Qualifying Time and a First Place finish in the Mile

February 17, 2008….Alek Nochowicz, a 16 year old Mt. Juliet resident, traveled to the Southeastern Swimming Western District Swim Meet this past weekend on the campus of The University of Memphis in a quest for his first Southeastern Short Course Championship Meet qualifying time.

Going into the meet, Nochowicz’s best shot at getting a qualifying time was the 1,650 Yard Freestyle. The “Mile” as the 1,650 is known in the swimming world was to be the last event of a two day meet. First Nochowicz had to swim 5 other events. Events designed to test his conditioning and prepare him mentally for the “Mile”.

Nochowicz, swimming in the Senior Boys category, led off Saturday with a 5^th Place finish in the 100 Yard Backstroke, finishing in a time of 1:04.29, a 2.71 second drop. The time is also a High School State qualifying time cut.

“Alek really attacked the Back, his stroke was smooth and long, and his turnover was improved. I don’t think he swam the 100 Back at all this past High School Dual Meet season for Pope John Paul II.” Excel Aquatics and Lebanon resident John Barnes noted. “His high school coach is going to have to have some good options as to what events Alek will participate in next year during dual meets.”

Next up was the 200 Yard Breaststroke, where Nochowicz again dropped time, finishing in 2:42.59, good enough for a 2^nd Place finish.

The last event on Saturday was the 500 Yard Freestyle, an event which Nochowicz had swam the previous weekend at the High School State Championships. Nochowicz continued his streak of dropping times, finishing in a 5:18.56, a 6.06 second drop, and placing him 2^nd in the event. The time under 5:20 means that Wilson County now has 4 boy swimmers under 5:20, all of whom train with Excel Aquatics.

“Alek trains daily with Bradley Gillilan and Luke Blackwell and is nipping on their heels,” Barnes explained. “We have implemented some new training techniques this year, in terms of pacing, stroke work, unique equipment usage, and of course yardage conditioning. Overall the response by the boys has been real strong. This is the first time that Wilson County has seen 4 boys (Nochowicz, Gillilan, Blackwell, and Taylor Wallace) under 5:20 in the 500 at the same time. Wallace of Mt. Juliet trains at a different training location than the trio who train together at our site.”

Coming back on Sunday morning, Nochowicz began with the shortest event, the 50 Yard Freestyle Sprint. Once again a new personal best time was achieved when Nochowicz hit the wall in 0:25.31, and finishing in 4^th Place.

The next event was the 200 Yard Butterfly, an event which Nochowicz had never attempted, and an event that is arguably one of the hardest in swimming. Nochowicz finished in 3^rd Place, with a respectable time of 2:29.28.

“Alek was a little hesitant about the 200 Fly, however he went out there and gave it his all” according to Barnes. “He then had time to cool down and rest before the 1650, and I knew from the way he was swimming this weekend that he had a good shot at getting his qualifying time cut.”

The last event of the weekend was the Mile. Nochowicz needed to average 1:08.36 per 100 yards throughout the race to get the qualifying time. The only other time Nochowicz had swam the event he turned in a 18:57.46 back in December, a mere 9.47 seconds away from the cut.

Nochowicz went out strong, averaging 1:07.36 through the first 500 yards, before settling into a pace of 1:07.91 to 1:08.70 through the next 1000 yards. With 150 yards to go, Nochowicz picked up his pace and finished strong, hitting the wall at 18:35.94. The time was a time drop of 21.52 seconds, and 12.05 seconds under the time needed for the SES qualifying time cut. Nochowicz also finished First in the event.

The Southeastern Swimming Short Course Championships will be held February 21^st through the 24^th in Nashville TN. Nochowicz will be swimming the 1,650 on Sunday the 24^th. Joining Nochowicz from Wilson County at the SES Championships will be Madison Blackwell, Luke Blackwell, Gillilan, and Wallace.

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

2008 High School State Results and Participation

Caulkins Places at High School State Swim Meet; Gillilan attains another Senior Sectional Qualifying Cut

February 12, 2008….It is Ava Caulkins senior year at Mount Juliet High School, and her final State of Tennessee High School Championship Meet. Universities from Gardner-Webb to Ohio University have been recruiting Caulkins to come swim for them next year, and the State meet was another chance for Caulkins to showcase her skills she has been working on since she was 10 years old and joined a swim club.

Competing with over 900 swimmers from 106 High School from across Tennessee, Caulkins placed in the Top 16 in both of her individual events, the first time a Wilson County girl swimmer has placed in two events in one Championship meet.

On Friday, the first morning of competition, Caulkins qualified for the “B” Finals, and that evening finished 10^th Place overall in the 200 Yard Individual Medley. Caulkins returned on Saturday morning and again qualified for the “B” Finals in the 100 Yard Breaststroke, finishing in the evening again in 10^th Place overall.

Caulkins previous best showing at the State meet occurred in 2007 with a 16^th Place finish in the 100 Yard Butterfly.

In the Boy’s pool, Bradley Gillilan, a Sophomore at Lebanon High School, led all Wilson County boys with a 21^st Place showing in the 500 Yard Freestyle, with a time of 4:53.21 which qualified him to swim in the upcoming USA Swimming Senior Sectional Championship Meet. The 500 Yard Freestyle is Gillilan’s third Senior Sectional event he has qualified in. The 21^st Place showing was the highest finish ever by a boy from LHS at a State Meet. Gillilan also placed 34^th in the 200 Yard Freestyle.

Swimmers from Wilson County who participated in the State High School Championship Meet:

Tommy Bailey, SO, MJHS – 50 Yard Freestyle, 100 Yard Freestyle, 200 Yard Medley Relay, 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

Andy Barton, SR, MJHS – 50 Yard Freestyle, 200 Yard Medley Relay, 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

Brandon Bishop, SR, WCHS – 200 Yard Individual Medley

Luke Blackwell, FR, MTHEA – 200 Yard Freestyle, 500 Yard Freestyle, 200 Yard Medley Relay, 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

Rachel Calkins, SR, MJHS – 200 Yard Medley Relay, 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

Ava Caulkins, SR, MJHS – 200 Yard Individual Medley, 100 Yard Breaststroke, 200 Yard Medley Relay, 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

Conrad Claycomb, JR, Pope JPII HS – 200 Yard Freestyle, 100 Yard Freestyle, 200 Yard Free Relay, 400 Yard Free Relay

Kelsey Copeland, JR, MJHS – 100 Yard Butterfly, 100 Yard Freestyle, 200 Yard Medley Relay, 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

Bradley Gillilan, SO, LHS – 200 Yard Freestyle, 500 Yard Freestyle, 200 Yard Medley Relay, 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

Paige Mason, SR, LHS – 100 Yard Butterfly, 100 Yard Freestyle

Zac Morgan, JR, LHS – 200 Yard Individual Medley, 100 Yard Freestyle, 200 Yard Medley Relay, 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

Alek Nochowicz, SO, Pope JPII HS – 200 Yard Individual Medley, 500 Yard Freestyle, 200 Yard Free Relay, 400 Yard Free Relay

Matt Norman, SR, LHS – 200 Yard Medley Relay

Johanna Otten, SR, MJHS – 200 Yard Individual Medley, 100 Yard Backstroke, 200 Yard Medley Relay, 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

Ashley Powell, JR, Pope JPII HS – 100 Yard Breaststroke, 200 Yard Medley Relay, 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

Phillip Price, SR, LHS – 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

Andrew Puryear, SR, LHS – 100 Yard Butterfly, 200 Yard Medley Relay, 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

Christian Roberts, SO, MJHS – 100 Yard Butterfly, 100 Yard Backstroke, 200 Yard Medley Relay, 200 Yard Freestyle Relay

Taylor Wallace, SO, MJHS – 200 Yard Individual Medley, 100 Yard Butterfly, 200 Yard Medley Relay, 200 Yard Freestyle Relay