FAST wins 20th straight league title
The Franklin Amateur Swim Team has earned its 20th straight league title.
After completing their 16th straight unbeaten season the week before, on July 13 the FAST Fins returned to the Macon County Rec Park for the year’s biggest meet. In outscoring Highlands, Waynesville/Canton, Cherokee County and Jackson County, FAST completed another perfect Mountain Swim League season.
Gatlin Harlfinger won a league title in the 6 & under age group, winning the boys 25-yard freestyle in 30.10 seconds. Emmett Marshall and Stella Hoover both placed second in the boys and girls races, clocking times of 30.40 and 33.17, respectively.
Four FAST Fins won events in the 8 & under age group, led by three wins apiece from Tatham Peters and Bailey Dockery. On the boys side Peters claimed the 25 free (16.96), 50 free (43.07) and 100 individual medley (1:53.69); while teammate Xzavier Rios took home the 25 backstroke (27.50). On the girls side Dockery claimed the 25 breaststroke (30.34), 50 free (52.45) and 100 IM (2:09.93); while teammate Nyla Rivera took home the 25 butterfly (27.79).
Braxton Dezarn led the way for FAST in the 9-10 age group, placing second in the boys 50 free (34.49), third in the 50 back (46.62) and third in the 100 free (1:32.61). On the girls side Leila Pinkston placed second in the 50 breast (48.17) and third in the 50 fly (58.56), while Larken Lynch placed third in both the 50 back (54.22) and 100 free (1:34.86).
In the 11-12 age group Michael Canzone turned in a strong day on the boys side, placing third in the 50 fly (55.10) and fifth in the 100 IM (1:48.89). On the girls side Sophia Rios placed fourth in the both 50 back (44.28) and 50 fly (46.56).
Kenna Keyworth won three events for FAST in the 13-14 girls, claiming the 100 free (1:02.06), 100 fly (1:14.80) and 200 IM (2:40.57). Dalila Canzone won the 50 free (28.45) and 100 breast (1:26.89), while Bri Dezarn took home the 100 back (1:20.88). On the boys side Malik Walker won the 50 free (26.10) and 100 fly (1:08.33), while Gabriel Ostojic claimed the 100 breast (1:21.69).
In the 15-18 age group, Claire Ballard became the fourth FAST Fin with three event wins on the day, taking home the girls 100 fly (1:13.76), 100 back (1:05.22) and 100 breast (1:13.83). Zoi Walker won the 200 IM (2:42.83) and placed second in both the 100 fly (1:15.27) and 100 breast (1:26.09). On the boys side Jose Gomez claimed the 200 IM (2:20.75), while Harrison Word took home the 100 breast (1:03.00).
As a team Franklin nearly matched the combined scores of their four opponents, earning 917 points to second-place Highlands’ 502. FAST’s blowout win was driven by a 484-point day on the girls side, far outpacing the second-place Highlands girls’ 190. After splitting two regular-season meets with their Hurricane rivals, Franklin’s boys won the rubber match 433-312.
After claiming the team’s 20th straight Mountain Swim League title, elite swimmers from each team began preparing for the MSL All-Star meet in Sylva July 20. From July 25-28, the very fastest swimmers will travel to Greensboro for the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympics.