On Thursday, June 8, 32 members of the Highlands Hurricanes swim team traveled to Waynesville for a tri-meet with the Smoky Mountain Aquatics Club and the Cherokee County Aquatics Club. The Hurricanes won big – Highlands 527, SMAC 197, CCAC 151.
The Hurricanes were co lead by 7 swimmers who all had five 1st place finishes and scored 80 points. They were all Junior Olympians: Finneaus Garner, Chase Kenter, Jack Sumner, Jazmine Abranyi, twins Dasha and Ben Halldin, and Lilliana Chambless.
Kenter broke a Mountain Swim League Record in the 200 Individual Medley, Abranyi broke two Highlands Hurricane team records in the 50 and 100 freestyle, and Chambless broke a team record in the 100 free.
Emilina Hernandez, and Junior Olympians Aniah McKim and Justin Powell scored 77 points including four 1sts and one 2nd. Charlie Hinton scored 74 points, while Blake Kenter, Corena Dearth and Bella Batista brought home 73 each with 3 blue ribbons. Conner Hughes and Penelope McRae brought home 72 points and also won three 1sts.
Annabelle Searles had 71 points and three 1sts, Paolo McRae 69 points and two 1sts while Ann Marie Hinton scored 68 points and two 1sts. Wylie Hinton and Morgan Mason each scored 66 points. Mason won two events. Aleks Petric and Jayce Powell both scored 63 points, Petric won two events. Annie Wilkes had 62 points winning two events, and Ivan Shchelgachov and Alex Lopez scored 55 points winning two events. Asa Garner scored 53 points winning a blue ribbon, Max Jestin scored 46 pts and including two 3rd place finishes. Charlie Wilkes had 36 pts, Nicole Shchelgachov 33, Agatha Jestin 17 and Harrison McKim 11. Ian Batista was unable to swim due to illness.
A total of 22 of the Hurricanes qualified for the MSL Allstar meet. They were Abranyi 3 events, Batista 3, Chambless 3, Dearth 3, Asa Garner 2, Finneaus Garner 3, Halldin twins 3 each, Hernandez 2, Wylie Hinton 1, Hughes 2, Kenter brothers 3 each, Lopez 1, Mason 1, Aniah McKim 3, Paolo McRae 3, Petric 1, Jayce Powell 1, Justin Powell 3, Searles 1, Sumner 3.
The Highlands Hurricanes Swim Team is a Highlands Recreation Park Team that practices in the evenings at the Highlands Recreation Park Pool. The only requirement to join is that a prospective swimmer must be able to swim 25 yards, one length of the Recreation Park Pool) unassisted. For further information call head coach Steve Hott at 828-421-4121.