Excel Hosts High School Invitational

Wilson County Swimmers Excel in High School Invitational

January 10, 2009….Wilson County Swimmers representing Mt Juliet HS, Lebanon HS, Friendship Christian and Pope John Paul II HS participated in Excel Aquatics’ High School Invitational. 35 high school teams comprising 453 swimmers from the Mid-State area, Memphis, and Chattanooga competed in the highly competitive meet.

“Excel hosts this meet each year as a way to show our support for the local High School swimming community”, Excel Assistant Coach and Lebanon resident John Barnes explained. “It is the largest and most competitive High School Invitational Swim Meet in Middle Tennessee, and as such gives the kids a great perspective as to what they can expect at the Region Championships at the end of the month.”

Wilson County saw 8 swimmers from all four schools break into the Top 16 scoring spots. Those who finished in the Top 16:

Alek Nochowicz (JPII HS) – 4^th Place 500 Yard Freestyle; 9^th Place 200 Yard Freestyle.

Luke Blackwell (FCS) – 4^th Place 100 Yard Freestyle; 12^th Place 100 Yard Breaststroke.

Zac Morgan (LHS) – 6^th Place 100 Yard Freestle; 13^th Place 50 Yard Freetsyle.

Christian Roberts (MJHS) – 13^th Place 100 Yard Backstroke; 14^th Place 50 Yard Freestyle.

Conrad Claycomb (JPII HS) – 10^th Place 100 Yard Freestyle.

Kelsey Copeland (MJHS) – 7^th Place 50 Yard Freestyle; 9^th Place 100 Yard Backstroke.

Rachel Sandoval (FCS) – 10^th Place 50 Yard Freestyle; 12^th Place 100 Yard Freestyle.

Ashley Powell (JPII HS) – 8^th Place 100 Yard Breaststroke.

Nochowicz was the top scoring boy for Wilson County in the meet with a 4^th and 9^th Place finishes; while Copeland was the top scoring girl out of Wilson County with a 7^th and 9^th Place finishes.

One Wilson County resident attained a new qualifying time standard for the State High School Swimming Championships in February. Zac Morgan of LHS achieved a cut in the 100 Yard Freestyle.

To date, Kelsey Copeland has 2009 State Qualifying Time Cuts in 7 events; Blackwell has cuts in 6 events; Nochowicz has cuts in 5 events; Taylor Wallace has cuts in 2 events; while Morgan, Powell, and Sandoval each have one event with a time cut.

Barnes noted that “Wilson County has some great swimmers that will swim at the next level in college. Copeland is a senior and will soon sign with a college, while juniors Nochowicz and Bradley Gillilan will draw interest as well as they head into next year. Luke Blackwell is a sophomore and will garner attention in due time as a result of his success.”

Swimming in the separate Excel Aquatics Middle School Invitational Meet on Saturday was FCS 8^th Grader Madison Blackwell. Madison placed 4^thth in the 100 Yard Butterfly. in the 100 Yard Backstroke, and 12 Andrew Barnes, a Lebanon resident who attends Sumner Academy participated in the 50 Yard Freestyle and 100 Yard Freestyle.

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