Panther swim and dive’s senior talisman is a state champion.
On Feb. 12, Franklin High School and Macon Early College traveled to Raleigh for the 5A and 1A championship meets, racing top competition from across the state. Led by a gold-medal dive from Jonah Brant, all three Franklin-area teams impressed.
On Feb. 12, Brant and Lana Walker traveled to the Pullen Aquatic Center to represent FHS in the 5A 1-meter state diving finals. There Brant turned in the top men’s score of the day, earning 295.5 points for an individual state title. On the girls side Walker earned 221.6 points, good for seventh overall.
The next morning Brant and Walker rejoined their Panther teammates at the Triangle Aquatic Center for the 5A state swimming finals. There Franklin’s small boys team (Brant, Thatcher Daniels, Malik Walker, Gavin Alverson) punched above their weight, placing sixth in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:40.86), seventh in the 200 free relay (1:38.47) and 11th in the 200 medley relay (1:53.71). Competing as individuals, Walker placed eighth in the 200 free (1:59.55), Daniels placed 12th in the 200 medley (2:19.08) and Alverson placed 14th in the 100 backstroke (1:04.92).
As a team Franklin’s boys earned 101 points, good for sixth out of 29 squads overall.
Junior Kenna Keyworth led the way for Franklin’s girls, placing fifth in the 100-yard butterfly (1:03.77). Cadee Breedlove placed 31st in the 100 fly (1:19.88), while Dalila Canzone placed 17th in the 100 free (1:01.55). In the 500 free Franklin had two finishers, with AnnMarie Hinton placing 24th (6:37.95) and Emma Ballard placing 30th (7:02.76).
In relay events Franklin’s girls also impressed, placing 10th in the 200 free (Keyworth, Ballard, Walker, Canzone; 1:52.29), 10th in the 400 free (Keyworth, Hinton, Walker, Canzone; 4:10.33), and 12th in the 200 medley (Breedlove, Canzone, Keyworth, Walker; 2:10.30). As a team the Lady Panthers earned 64 points, good for 15th out of 32 squads overall.
The next day Franklin returned to the TAC to watch senior Alyse Remery represent MEC in the 1A meet. There Remery capped a stellar four-year career, placing 21st in the 500 free (6:08.03) and 27th in the 200 free (2:21.80). After three years swimming for Franklin, Remery led MEC’s inaugural team this year, becoming the Foxes’ first-ever state meet participant.
“All of the swimmers and divers did very well,” said longtime Panther co-head coach Dina Picou, who took on double duty with both Franklin and MEC along with her husband, Dwain this year. “Almost every time was a [personal season-best] time, and they [improved on personal bests] in the relays to move up.”
After state officials canceled regionals and postponed state meets due to weather, Picou said she was glad to finally get swimmers in the water. While Brant and Remery’s impending graduations made the weekend bittersweet, Picou said a state diving title will serve as a consolation prize.
“It was a great trip, finally,” she joked. “[Brant] will be missed not just for his diving and swimming, but for his leadership and sportsmanship and lots of fun, including really bad ‘dad jokes,’ but great music.”