Cannon Crompton/sports@cherokeescout.com Fern Crayton (left) and Sophia Evans compete in the 100-yard breaststroke in Cherokee County Aquatic Club’s home swim meet on July 1.
Sylva – The Cherokee County Aquatic Club headed to Jackson County to compete in the All-Stars meet, breaking records and bringing home medals.
Aquatic club head coach Frank Bachteler said the 13 swimmers at the meet did “exceptionally well.”
Connor Whitney broke the 100-yard breaststroke team record with a time of 1:15.48. He holds all the 13-14 age group team records except one, Gage Gillespie’s 50-yard freestyle record. Whitney also holds the Mountain Swim League records for the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard freestyle events.
Opi Whitney broke her own team record in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 54.41 in the 6 and under age group.
Three swimmers were High Point Trophy winners. Lorelei Whitney came in second in the girls 9-10 age group, Elijah Whitney came in second in boys 9-10 and Maxx Colandrea came in second in boys 11-12.
Natalie Lowrance in girls 11-12 came in second place in the 50-yard backstroke, third place in both the 50-yard breaststroke and 50-yard butterfly, as well as sixth in the 50-yard freestyle.
Lorelei Whitney in girls 9-10 had three second-place finishes in the 50-yard freestyle, 50-yard backstroke and 50-yard breaststroke. She also came in third place in the 100-yard freestyle.
Sophia Evans came in fourth place in both the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle events, as well as fifth place in the 100-yard backstroke in the girls 15-18 age group.
Opi Whitney, who is 6 years old, competed in the 8 and under age group as well as the 6 and under age group. In the 8 and under age group, she came in fifth place in both the 25-yard freestyle and 50-yard freestyle events.
For the boys swimmers, Connor Whitney and Elijah Whitney had first-place finishes.
Connor Whitney came in first place in the 200-yard individual medley, 100-yard breaststroke and 100-yard freestyle. He also came in second place in the 100-yard backstroke.
Elijah Whitney came in first place in the 100-yard freestyle in the 9-10 boys age group. He also came in second place in both the 50-yard freestyle and 50-yard backstroke, as well as fourth place in the 50-yard breaststroke.
Maxx Colandrea came in second place in both the 100-yard individual medley and 100-yard freestyle in the boys 11-12 age group. He also came in fourth place in the 50-yard freestyle and third in the 50-yard breaststroke.
Matteo Colandrea came in fifth place in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events in the boys 13-14 age group. He came in sixth place in the 100-yard backstroke event.
Lorelie Whitney and Connor Whitney will compete this week in the AAU Junior Olympics in Houston.