Panther swim and dive’s regular season is underway.
After months of offseason work, Franklin faced a busy schedule before Thanksgiving, swimming three meets in eight days from Nov. 15-23. With wins over four different WNC opponents, they earned a well-deserved week off for the holiday.
On Friday, Nov. 15, the team traveled to the Highlands Recreation Center for a three-team meet with Highlands and Smoky Mountain. There senior Zoi Walker hit the ground running, winning the girls 100-yard butterfly and 200 individual medley. Walker’s 200 IM time of 2:41.91 automatically qualified her for the 3A West Regional meet in Charlotte Feb. 1, just below the event’s official standard of 2:43.99. While her butterfly time of 1:15.59 just missed that event’s standard of 1:14.99, it was well beneath the 2:00.99 needed for consideration.
Aside from Walker, two other Panther women won multiple events, with Dalila Canzone winning the 100 freestyle (1:09.65) and 100 breaststroke (1:33.54), and Alyse Remery winning the 100 backstroke (1:16.69) and 500 free (6:42.39).
In addition to the multi-event winners, more than 60 other times met regional consideration standards, including event wins from Brooke Borgmann in the 50 free (30:74) and Isabelle Scruggs in the 200 free (2:41.37). On the boys side Franklin got wins from Jonah Brant in the 200 free (2:13.17), Thatcher Daniels in the 200 IM (2:30.20) and Gavin Rinker in the 500 free (6:13.89). The Panthers also won the girls 200 medley relay (2:14.27), girls 200 free relay (2:04.25), girls 400 free relay (4:43.77) and boys 400 free relay (4:01.72).
As a team Franklin’s girls scored 840 points, combining with 511 from the boys for a total of 1,351. Overall the Panthers far outscored Smoky (443) and Highlands (303) combined.
The next day, the Panthers returned to Franklin Health and Fitness for a three-team meet with Smoky and Tri-County Early College (Murphy). There, Walker, Canzone, Remery and Borgmann dominated again, winning the same seven events as the day before.
On the boys side, three Panthers also won two events apiece, including Daniels in the 100 fly (1:13.30) and 200 IM (2:31.58), Gavin Alverson in the 100 free (59.11) and 100 back (1:13.67), and Malik Walker in the 200 free (2:14.28) and 500 free (6:52.68). Brant won the 100 breast in 1:16.37, while Jochemus Tagge won the 50 free in 27.05.
With these and wins in all six relays Franklin routed the competition, scoring 232 points on the women’s side and 216.5 on the men’s. Once again the Panthers outpaced their opponents’ scores combined, earning 448.5 to TCEC’s 138.5 and Smoky’s 137.
One week later, the team returned to Franklin Health and Fitness for a five-team met with TCEC, Smoky, Highlands and Summit Charter School (Cashiers). There Zoi Walker capped an incredible first week-plus, meeting automatic standards in the 100 fly (1:12.81) and 200 free (2:20.13). Later, Walker met a third standard at the meet and her fourth in eight days, helping Canzone, Kate Phillips and Kenna Keyworth qualify for the girls 400 free relay (4:32.44). As athletes are limited to two individual events at regionals, the senior will be forced to forgo at least one race.
In addition to the 400 free, Walker’s relay teammates earned individual wins of their own, including Canzone in the 50 free (30.38), Keyworth in the 200 IM (2:46.32) and Phillips in the 500 free (7:06.92). Remery earned her third 100 backstroke win in as many meets (1:16.35).
On the boys side Brant won multiple events for the Panthers, claiming the boys 100 breast (1:17.52) and 200 free (2:13.94). Isaiah Baldwin took home the 500 free in 7:25.14.
With these and wins in every relay save the boys 400 free, Franklin earned their third straight overall victory, notching 390 points to second-place TCEC’s 153. The Panthers will return to Franklin Health and Fitness Dec. 7 to host TCEC, Murphy, Tuscola and Pisgah.