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.