On Saturday, July 13, the Sewanee Tigersharks Swim Team hosted 614 swimmers and their parents from 9 teams from the surrounding area for the annual RACE League Championships.With only 61 swimmers entered in the meet, the Tigersharks performed exceptionally well, taking 2nd place overall with a combined team score of 1828.5 points. The Tigersharks men’s team finished 1st with 993 points, while the women’s team finished 3rd with 659.5 points. The Manchester Makos, with 95 swimmers, took 1st place overall with 2515.50 points. Athens Swim Team, with 65 swimmers, took 3rd place overall with 1345.50 points, closely followed by the 74-swimmer strong Fayetteville Area Swim Team with 1325.50 points.

Several Tigershark swimmers took home High Point honors for their age group: 6 & U Girls Arabella Barry with 37 points (1st in 6 & U Girls 25 M Freestyle, Backstroke, 3rd in 8 & U Girls 25 M Butterfly) 7-8 Boys Konrad Knoll with 60 points (1st in 8 & U Boys 25 M Freestyle, Breaststroke, Butterfly), 9-10 Girls Anara Summers with 60 points (1st in 9-10 Girls 25 M Breastroke, 100 M Individual Medley, 25 M Butterfly), and 15-16 Boys Zolon Knoll with 57 points (1st in 15-19 Boys’ 50 M Freestyle, 50 M Backstroke, 2nd in 50 M Butterfly). Additional Tigershark swimmers who finished in the top 7 in their respective age groups include: Cooper Knight (3rd overall in the 6 & U Boys), Eli Summers (6th overall in the 6 & U Boys), Archer Ladd (2nd overall in 7-8 Boys), Max Goodpaster (3rd overall in 7-8 Boys), Jack Roberts (4th overall in 7-8 Boys), and Asher Kavur (5th overall in 7-8 Boys), Sarah Russell Roberson (3rd overall in 9-10 Girls), Sam Frazier (2nd overall in the 9-10 Boys), Will Turrell (4th overall in 9-10 Boys), Loulie Frazier (2nd overall in 11-12 Girls), Maya Mauzy (7th overall in 11-12 Girls), Toby Van de Ven (4th overall in 11-12 Boys), Reese Michaels (4th overall in 13-14 Girls), Libby Neubauer (7th overall in 13-14 Girls), AJ Clements (4th overall in 13-14 Girls), Sophia Hartman (7th overall in 17-18 Girls), Aidan Smith (3rd overall in 17-18 Boys), and Larson Heitzenrater (5th overall in 17-18 Boys).

Many Tigershark relay teams finished in the top 3 out of 10 teams during Championships. First place finishes, which earn 40 points per relay, included: the 8 & U 100 M Mixed Medley Relay of Archer Ladd, Lily Camp, Konrad Knoll, and Millie Roberts (1:33.82); the 8 & U Boys’ 100 M Freestyle Relay of Archer Ladd, Asher Kavur, Max Goodpaster, and Konrad Knoll (1:20.55); the 9-10 100 M Mixed Medley Relay of Sarah-Russell Roberson, Anara Summers, Sam Frazier, and Will Roberts (1:16.08); the 9-10 Boy’s 100 M Freestyle Relay of Will Roberts, Theo Michaels, Will Turrell, and Sam Frazier (1:12.99); the 11-12 Girls’ 100 M Freestyle Relay of Maya Mauzy, Caroline Neubauer, Sienna Barry, and Loulie Frazier (1:04.57); and the 15-19 Boys’ 100 M Freestyle Relay of Aidan Smith, Larson Heitzenrater, Porter Neubauer, and Zolon Knoll (49.71). Third place finishes, earning 32 points per relay, included: 11-12 100 M Mixed Medley Relay of Sam Goodpaster, Maya Mauzy, Loulie Frazier, and Toby Van de Ven (1:14.09); the 13-14 100 M Mixed Medley Relay of Libby Neubauer, Reese Michaels, AJ Clements, and David Dolack (1:05.19); and the 15-19 100 M Mixed Medley Relay of Sophia Hartman, Zoey Craft, Aidan Smith, and Zolon Knoll (1:00.82); .

New RACE League and Tigershark Team records were set at the Championship meet by Tigershark swimmers. Zolon Knoll (15) set two new individual RACE League records: 15-18 Boys’ 50 M Freestyle with a time of 25.86, breaking Manchester Makos Bradley Holmes’ 2017 record time of 26.38, and 15-18 Boys’ 50 M Backstroke with a time of 28.72, breaking Manchester Makos Jackson Beachboard’s 2018 record time of 29.69. Knoll’s Backstroke was also a new Tigershark team record, breaking the 2004 record of 30.15 set by Ralph Long. Anara Summers (9) also set two new individual Tigershark records: 9-10 Girls 25 Breaststroke (20.93), breaking her own record from earlier in the season of 22.22, and 9-10 Girls 100 M Individual Medley (1:26.45), again breaking her own record of 1:28.37 from earlier in the season.

The 8 & U Boys’ 100 M Freestyle relay team of Archer Ladd, Asher Kavur, Max Goodpaster, and Konrad Knoll set a new RACE League and Tigershark team record time with a 1:20.55, breaking the record set in 2018 by Ladd, Knoll, Sam Frazier, and Will Roberts. The 9-10 Mixed Medley Relay team of Sarah Russell Roberson, Anara Summers, Sam Frazier, and Will Roberts set a new League record of 1:16.08, breaking the 2015 time of 1:16.84 set by Sewanee Tigersharks Libby Neubauer, Edie Paterson, Jackson Frazier, and David Dolack.

The Sewanee Tigersharks will take a break until mid-April 2020 when they start up again with Coach Max Obermiller’s PreSwim Team training. Parents interested in their swimmer(s) continuing through the 19-20 school year should contact Sewanee Tigershark/Mountain Aquatic Club Head Coach John Noffsinger at [email protected] and/or visit www.mountainaquaticclub.com regarding the USA Swimming Team Mountain Aquatic Club that practices at the Fowler Center August 2019 - April 2020. Space is limited on the MAC team, so interested parents should contact Coach Noffsinger immediately.