Another Franklin Amateur Swim Team opponent bites the dust.
After beating Highlands, Jackson County and Cherokee County their first two weeks, on June 20 FAST hosted the Smoky Mountain Aquatic Club in their third meet. With another blowout win at the Macon County Rec Park, Franklin moved a step closer to a 16th-straight unbeaten season.
Emmett Marshall led the way for FAST in the 6 & under age group, winning the boys 25-yard freestyle in 43.12 seconds. Malachi Norris placed second in 52.50, while Aubree Bean placed third on the girls side in 40.72.
Tatham Peters spearheaded a dominant night for FAST in the 8 & under age group, claiming the boys 25 free (18.53), 50 free (47.44), 100 individual medley (2:08.28) and 25 butterfly (29.13). Peters was the only FAST Fin with four individual event wins on the evening.
On the girls side two 8 & under Fins won three events apiece, with Bailey Dockery winning the 25 backstroke (28.28), 25 breaststroke (33.42) and 50 free (58.10); and Nyla Rivera taking home the 25 fly (26.60), 25 free (21.60) and 100 IM (2:22.51). Xzavier Rios won the boys 25 back (26.98), while Kai Fowler won the boys 25 breast (28.26).
Braxton Dezarn won three events in the 9-10 age group, claiming the boys 50 fly (54.14), 50 free (37.58) and 100 free (1:34.46). On the girls side Leila Pinkston also won multiple events, taking home the 50 fly (59.88) and 50 breast (51.59). Avery Dockery won the boys 100 IM (1:54.80) and placed second in the 50 back (57.70), while Nathan Jessup won the boys 50 breast (51.50) and placed second in both the 50 free (39.22) and 50 fly (54.60).
Michael Canzone led the way in the 11-12 age group, winning the boys 100 free (1:40.35) and 100 IM (1:50.24), and placing second in the 50 free (42.91). Coleman Hodges won the 50 breast (53.34), while Charlie Scruggs won the 50 fly (58.65) and placed second in the 50 back (52.85). Two FAST Fins won events for the 11-12 girls, with Sophia Rios claiming the 50 breast (49.20) and Abeline Maddrey taking home the 50 fly (55.10).
Kenna Keyworth and Thatcher Daniels mirrored each other’s results in the 13-14 age group, with Keyworth winning the girls 100 free (1:07.14), 100 fly (1:21.07) and 200 IM (2:52.21); and Daniels winning the boys 100 free (1:03.00), 100 fly (1:18.30) and 200 IM (2:39.89). Dalila Canzone and Gavin Alverson also won multiple events, with Canzone claiming the girls 50 free (30.44) and 100 breast (1:29.04), and Alverson claiming the boys 50 free (26.38) and 100 back (1:20.76). Gabriel Ostojic won the boys 100 breast (1:25.13), while Bri Dezarn won the girls 100 back (1:23.52).
Franklin High School standout Jose Gomez led the way for the 15-18 boys, taking home the boys 50 free (24.85), 100 breast (1:09.74) and 100 fly (1:04.25). Harrison Word won the 100 free (59.18) and 200 IM (2:35.58), while Jonah Brant won the 100 back (1:14.83).
On the girls side two FAST Fins also won multiple events, with Brooke Borgmann claiming the 50 free (31.22) and 100 free (1:13.70), and Emma Worley claiming the 100 breast (1:58.94) and 200 IM (3:58.62). Olivia Rinker took home the 100 back (1:24.86), while Cadee Breedlove took home the 100 fly (1:30.63).
Overall Franklin easily outpaced Waynesville’s smaller squad, routing SMAC 959-210. The two teams will meet again in Waynesville June 27.
In addition to qualifying for the Mountain Swim League All-Star meet July 13 in Sylva, Gomez and Alverson also reached siginificant milestones Thursday. By meeting national time standards in the 15-18 50 free and 100 breast, and 13-14 50 free respectively, the pair qualified for the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympics in Greensboro next month. They are the sixth and seventh FAST Fins to qualify for the national meet this season after Word, Daniels, Claire Ballard, Gavin Rinker and Malik Walker. Zoi Walker, Jonah Brant and Kenna Keyworth qualified during the Franklin High School season.