Swimming is all about numbers, and if there’s one thing Wilmington Park’s swim teamhas every summer, it’s numbers.
The Barracudas are the largest team in the Savannah Coastal Swim League with 106 swimmers, and Wilmington Park rode all of those strong backs to a victory in the SCSL City Meet on Saturday in the Chatham County Aquatic Center.
Wilmington Park swimmers claimed three of 12 age group high point awards and hung on to edge the 2012 City Meet champion Isle of Hope Sharks.
Dominant performances by 7-year-old Gaby Van Brunt, 6-year-old Elyssa Maust and 11-year-old Grace Van Brunt combined with timely contributions up and down the lineup allowed Wilmington Park to withstand an afternoon rally by Isle of Hope. During the meet’s morning session for swimmers ages 10 and under, Gaby Van Brunt, Maust, 8-year-old Jackson Graham and 10-year-old Abi Hernandez helped the Barracudas build a seemingly insurmountable lead.
But Isle of Hope rallied behind horses like 14-year-old Brennan Pastorek, 12-year-old Harrison Wayner and 15-year-old Jacqueline Hendrix. All three claimed high-point honors for their efforts during the afternoon races for older swimmers, but Wilmington Park swimmers like 13-year-old Ann Bell and 15-year-old Devin Horan earned enough points for the Barracudas to close out the victory.
“I’m so proud of the kids that swam in the morning for putting us out to such a big lead, and I’m proud of the afternoon kids for keeping it up so I’m proud of all of them,” said Wilmington Park’s first-year head coach Townley Smith. “This is what we wanted and talked about all season. In the morning, we were getting top points in almost every event, and I told the older kids that the younger ones got us the lead and I asked them to keep it.”
With more than 100 swimmers, Wilmington Park practiced in three sessions every day to accommodate every age and ability category. The hard work paid off on Saturday as the Barracudas swam to first place finishes in 15 of 32 events in the morning session.
“Every single point we earned helped us win this meet,” Smith said. “We have wonderful parents and they keep it all in line for us, and we’re so grateful for our parents who get our swimmers where they’re supposed to go when they’re supposed to go. After weeks of controlled chaos, it all worked out.”
Isle of Hope’s Sam Parker was a bright spot during the morning session for Sharks, winning all eight events he entered and setting a new meet record in the Boys 9-10 50-yard backstroke with a time of 33.76 seconds. Parker won the high point award for his age group, and his older brother, 15-year-old Jackson Parker, was a part of two winning relay teams and didn’t place worse than third in any of his individual events.
Pastorek set a new meet record in the 100-yard Individual Medley with a time of 56.23. He now owns four meet records, including an 11-12 IM record he set last year at the City Meet.
High Point Winners from the 2013 Savannah Coastal Swim League City Meet:
6-under Girls – Elyssa Maust, 6, Wilmington Park Barracudas
6-under Boys – Colby Brenna, 6, Savannah Golf Club Stingrays
7-8 Girls – Gaby Van Brunt, 7, Wilmington Park Barracudas
7-8 Boys – Reed Lotter, 8, Landings Lighting Bolts
9-10 Girls – Alex Wayner, 9, Isle of Hope Sharks
9-10 Boys - Sam Parker, 10, Isle of Hope Sharks
11-12 Girls – Grace Van Brunt, 11, Wilmington Park Barracudas
11-12 Boys – Harrison Wayner, 12, Isle of Hope Sharks
13-14 Girls – Madison Mataxas, 13, Savannah Golf Club Stingrays
13-14 Boys – Brennan Pastorek, 14, Isle of Hope Sharks
15-18 Girls – Jacqueline Hendrix, 15, Isle of Hope Sharks
15-18 Boys – Tyler Rucker, 15, Mayfair Marlins
Team champions from the 2013 Savannah Coastal Swim League City Meet
Small Team Division
1. Landings Lightning Bolts (1,182)
2. Savannah Golf Club Stingrays (999)
3. Bluffton Redfish (896.5)
Large team division
1. Wilmington Park Barracudas (2,256)
2. Isle of Hope Sharks (2,118)
3. Mayfair Marlins (1,162.5)