Red Bank's Eddie Birdsong swims in the 11-12 50-meter butterfly heat against the Waterdogs Thursday evening at the Red Bank pool. Birdsong's maximum of 19-points helped lead the Gators to a 403-366 White Division win in the Chattanooga Area Swim League. Red Bank stays perfect at 5-0 on the season while the 'dogs drop to 3-1
photo by Dennis Norwood
The Red Bank Gators are now a win away from claiming first place in the White division of the Chattanooga Area Swim League.
Facing the Waterdogs from Cleveland in a battle of unbeaten teams at Red Bank Thursday night, the Gators clinched at least a tie for first place with a 403-366 victory in a meet that was much closer than that 37-point margin might otherwise indicate.
Other team winners on Thursday included Ooltewah, Signal Mountain, Country Club, Fairyland and Cumberland.
Fairyland is the only other league team unbeaten and the Flash is now 4-0 following its win over Big Ridge. The Signal Mountain Green Giants took a big step forward with an impressive 120-point win over Stuart Heights.
The Green Giants are now tied with Dalton for first place in the Blue division at 3-1. Dalton won the season opener over Signal by 15 points, but these same two teams face off at Signal Mountain next Thursday for the battle at the top.
Red Bank is off on Monday before closing out the regular season next Thursday by hosting Ridgeside. The Waterdogs, now 3-1, travel to Fort Oglethorpe on Monday before wrapping things up a home on Thursday with a meet with up-and-coming Cumberland.
It was really nip and tuck at the beginning as Red Bank bolted to a 62-59 lead after the freestyle races. The Waterdogs rallied for a tie at 114 following the breaststroke before the Gators splashed ahead at 174-166 following the medley relays.
The difference was 221-203 at the break.
The Waterdogs crept a little closer with a 66-64 edge in the backstroke races, but the Gators pulled away at the end with a 54-45 edge in the butterfly and a 64-52 difference in the free relays.
Long-time coach Tony Womac, who spent many years on the pool deck at Fort Oglethorpe before taking over as the Waterdogs head coach this year, knew from the start that this would be a dandy meet with some really intense competition.
He was exactly right with that assessment and he was still all smiles at the end, despite his team coming out on the short end of the score.
“This has been a blast. You couldn’t ask for a better environment for a summer swim league meet. This what it’s all about,” he said, pointing all around the Red Bank pool where swimmers, coaches and other enthusiasts were all cheering their hearts out with each passing race.
“The racing has been great, we’re scoring a lot of points and everyone is going home happy. This has been our best meet of the season as all of my kids are heading home tired. They gave me all they had tonight and I couldn’t ask for anything more of them.
“I normally give a maximum effort award following every meet in honor of Joe Keller, but tonight, that award is going to everyone. They swam for Joe tonight and we haven’t given up hope, but I always love swimming here at Red Bank,” Womac added.
Keller is a young man who was the Waterdogs coach last year. He took a trip out West following the City Meet for an extended vacation and took a run by himself while in Colorado.
He hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
Many of the Waterdog swimmers have printed on their backs stuff like “Pray 4 Joe” and I’m Swimming For Joe” in support of the family and in hopes that one day he’ll reappear.
Red Bank coach Ken Buchanan has been leading summer swim teams longer than anyone and he knew long before the first race began just how important Thursday’s meet was to his team.
“We’ve been talking a lot about just how important this meet was as everything we did tonight was critical. But they left it in the pool as they gave everything they had and I’m really pleased with the results,” he said after hearing the final score.
“All of our work on turns is paying off and they’re listening to what we’re trying to teach, but we still have one more to go,” he said in reference to next week’s season finale.
Megan Grass is one of the Red Bank assistant coaches. She too knew how important the little things are in a meet like this.
“I was a little nervous at the start when the score was tied, but we’re a better second-half team and I knew we would finish strong,” she said after receiving a hug from Buchanan after her father Paul Blazek had announced the final score.
“We have a bunch of new kids and we had to make sure they were all in the right place, but we’ve worked hard for this and we’ll play hard tomorrow. We talked a lot about finishing strong and all of them were invested in this meet.
“They all raced their hearts out tonight and I’ll go home feeling good knowing that,” she added.
The Gators got the maximum 19 points from four swimmers, including Eddie Birdsong, Luke Massey, Kathrine Schlegel and Dallas Woods.
The Waterdogs, on the other hand, only had two with 19 points, including Davina Sharma and Macie Starr.
Red Bank had 21 individuals with 10 points or more to just 13 for the Waterdogs.
WATERDOG HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Davina Sharma, Macie Starr
16 – Micah Hicks, Joseph Arnett
15 – Brendon Ruckman
14 – Audrey Torchick
13 – Juliet Bryant
12 – Anna Garner, Ashley Bryant, Lyric Newberry
11 – Nikolai Shapoval, Katie Estes, Christian Fetzner.
RED BANK HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Eddie Birdsong, Luke Massey, Kathrine Schlegel, Dallas Woods
16 – Connor Leming, Conner Boerschig
15 – Zachary Miller
14 – Catherine Morgan, Trevor Brooks
13 – Virginia Condry
12 – Sarah Garner, Austin Camp, Tabitha Wilson
11 – Asonia Birdsong, Samuel Meagher, Taylor Hurst, Christien Lagorio, Corbin York
10 – Grace Yood, Linsy Devlin, Isabella Miller.
STUART HEIGHTS HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
16 – Beatrice Davis, Luke Waldrep
15 – Ellie Waldrep, Scout Chapin, Emma Saunders
13 – Maddux Clardy, Catherine Lynch
12 – Jon Pat Ransom, George Von Canon, Gwennie Davis
11 – Elizabeth Lydon, Reese Skiles, Avery Wilson
10 – Reid Wilson, Max Ransom, Molly Ransom, Jackson Sallee.
SIGNAL MOUNTAIN HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Jameson Mitchum, John Smith
18 – Laken Coppinger, Jewel Gordon
17 – Chase Post
16 – Vincent Porter
15 – Sam Laramore, Jason Green, Marley Harper
14 – Luke Smiley, Will Tippett, Madeline Daverson, Tian Bardoner, Peter Lochmaier, James Johnson
13 – Charlie Han
12 – Katherine Johnson, Emily Gill
11 – Audrey Rackel, Henry Flasch
10 – Belle Flasch, Laney Jenkins, Cecilia Porter.
RINGGOLD HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Cooper Chappelear
17 – Emma Bradford, Russell Lively, Regan Wingrove
16 – William Riddell
15 – Evan Moeller, Easton O’Donnell
14 – Saulye Nichols, Kirill Lebed, Emma Pulliam
13 – Mary Mae Webb, Cameron Kolff
12 – Rylee O’Donnell, Evan Wingrove, Henry Webb
10 – Abigail Dodd.
COUNTRY CLUB HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Robert Buntin, Margaret Anne Hudson, William Turner
17 – Lydia Bohannon
16 – Sofia Bell
15 – Julia Quernemoen, Zane Smith
14 – Meghan Royal, Emelia Richey
13 – Caroline Schenck, Raif Gork
12 – Cecelia Turner
11 – James Grant, Allison Royal
10 – James Fuller, Lisa Yates.
BIG RIDGE HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Sam Powe, Hunter Shaw
17 – Mae Mae Powe, Aidan Shaw, Nathan Jungels
15 – Elizabeth Allen, Evan Simpson
13 – Abigail Austin
12 – Christopher Farnham, Amelia Watson
11 – Thaddeus Weiss, Caleb Aslinger
10 – Sierra Haberhern, Abigail Keener.
FAIRYLAND HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Ethan Bevill, Jane Eiselstein, Ellie Taliaferro
17 – Anna Ward, Benjamin Bevill, Emrick Garrett, Anne Dassow
16 – William Jackson
15 – David Horne
13 – Annie McBryar
12 – Timothy Brock, Colmore Hurst, Alexander Grande, Harrison Barnes
11 – Caroline Barnes, Nathan Jackson, Thatcher Lehn, Gabriel McBryar
10 – Kathryn Nash, Samuel Jackson, Andrew Horne, Carley Braman.
CLEVELAND HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Benjamin Cooper, Jacob McDaniel
17 – Grayson Officer, Peter Falcone, Jason Chung
15 – Trey Parris, Rebecca Nolen
12 – Anna Thompson, Breanna Belcher
11 – Emily Rollins.
OOLTEWAH HGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Merrin Allen, Anna Boyd, Leah Boyd, Garet Gipson
17 – Taylor Reyes, Aidan Sims
15 – Brighton Smith, Emma Scruggs, Amber Isbell, Blake Grady, Haley Grider, Jillian Cantrell
14 – Lillian Parr
13 – Nathaniel Selander, Cameron Martin
12 – Elijah Martin, Wesley Deschaine
11 – Peter Dyr, Noah Holliman, Autumn Suchy
10 – Hardy Jones, Josie Martin, Jedidiah Holliman.
RIDGESIDE HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Noah Akins, Finnegan Fitzsimmons
17 – Andrew Bond, Madeline Bond, Beccan Fitzsimmons
16 – Wyatt Williamson
15 – Jack Flint
14 – Jack Fitzsimmons
13 – Adelaide Bond, Owen Williamson
11 – Cleo Scott, Erynn Whaley, Tajarah Goodman, Ian Scott
10 – Elizabeth Hall, Robert Mason, Dean Williamson, Rowan Fitzsimmons, Isabella Blakenbaker.
CUMBERLAND HIGH-POINT SCORERS:
19 – Lydia Mizutani, Esther Morris, Jeremiah Morris, Kari Morris
17 – Chloe Vernon
15 – James Schone, Lauren Alexander, Liliana Hatch
12 – Kimberly Morris, Hannah Shick
11 – Michael Minor, Evelyn Click
10 – Josy Lewis, Preston Lovin.
(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)
Macie Starr, shown swimming in the 9-10 50-metrer butterfly heat, scored the maximum of 19-points for the Waterdogs.
photo by Dennis Norwood