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The Junior Cyclone Swim Team concluded their season with the East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia Middle School Championship meet on Saturday at the Kingsport Aquatic Center. The boys’ and girls’ teams combined for 438.50 points, placing fourth in a close meet against the first-place Johnson City Middle School’s 582.50 points, second-place Kingsport Middle School’s 468 points, third-place Hawkins County’s 453 points, and fifth-place Halls Middle School Teams’ 181 points. The girls’ team placed second overall behind Johnson City Middle School with a score of 317.50 to 286.50, while the boys placed fourth.

Of the 45 individual swims, the Cyclones achieved 18 personal best times, secured 18 top-5 finishes, and broke three new school records. The first school record was broken by Adalynn Reece in the 25 Freestyle, finishing second with a time of 14.74. Louis Trivette set the next record, placing fourth in the 50 Butterfly with a new school best of 38.11. The boys’ 100 Freestyle relay team—comprising Trivette, Jaiden Wiles, Thomas Hill, and David Gibson—claimed second place by just 0.30 seconds, setting a new school record time of 1:04.96 in an exhilarating race.

Top-5 finishes on the boys’ side were achieved by Thomas Hill in the 100 Individual Medley and 50 Breaststroke, Louis Trivette in the 100 Freestyle, Jaiden Wiles in the 200 Freestyle and 50 Backstroke, and David Gibson in the 25 Freestyle. The same four boys secured second place in their 100 Medley Relay.

The girls’ relay team—comprising Ell Nekvasil, Alayna Holt, Molly Laney, and Trinity Hopwood—won the 200 Freestyle relay and secured second place in the 100 Medley Relay. Nekvasil secured two second-place finishes in the 100 Individual Medley and 50 Backstroke, while Hopwood also placed second in both the 200 Freestyle and 50 Breaststroke events. Laney took second place in the 50 Butterfly and third in the 100 Freestyle, while Holt finished fourth in both the 50 and 100 Freestyle events. Teammates Evy Nekvasil, Abigail Henry, Reece, Anna Hill, and Aria Dulaney-Markland also achieved top-5 finishes in both individual and relay events, contributing to the team’s runner-up plaque that marks the end of the 2023 season.

The girls broke every record during the season, while the boys broke four. ‘Our successes this season and at this meet, in particular, are too many to name. We have watched many brand-new swimmers make amazing improvements in such a short period and hope they all return next year,’ stated Coach Kelli Broussard. The team will graduate eleven members this year, all of whom Broussard hopes will continue swimming as freshmen.

Students from all Carter County Schools may join the middle school team. The next season will begin in mid-September. To prepare for the school season, students can swim for the Typhoons, a Community Involvement Program club that practices year-round and competes during the summer league season. For more information, contact the athletic department at Elizabethton High School at (423) 547-8015 ext. 1525.