Aqua Jags qualify for multiple state cuts in first home swim meet
The Aqua Jags held their first home swim meet on Nov. 15 in the Gabrielsen Natatorium at the Ramsey Center at the University of Georgia. The men placed fourth out of ten and the women placed eighth out of eleven.
“The swimmers accomplished a lot of goals. Goals that the swimmers themselves were not sure of but crushed it. Their hard work is working and I think they can see that now,” booster club president and volunteer Catherine Neace said.
During this meet, senior captain Ryan Xiao, junior Christopher Koch and freshman Lauren Neace all made individual state cuts. Xiao qualified in the 200 yard individual medley and 100 yard backstroke, Koch in the 200 yard individual medley and 100 yard breaststroke, and Neace in the 100 yard butterfly. Additionally, a freestyle relay team consisting of Koch, Xiao, sophomore Nate Guidry, and freshman Van Thang also made a state cut. For Thang, this was his first ever home swim meet, and he made an impression.
“Van Thang swam for the first time in both men’s relays, he swam like the wind and time was shaved off in both events. He also posted faster times in his individual events. As a 9th grader, he is one to watch for sure,” head coach Bee Nordgren said.
Other Aqua Jags made massive improvements. Sophomore Katie Kulik dropped almost seven seconds off her 100 backstroke, and junior Alexa Garza took five seconds off her 50 freestyle and almost eight seconds off her 100 freestyle. Neace attributes these improvements to the hard work put in during early morning and late afternoon practices.
“Alexa worked really hard on her flip turns which made a huge difference. In a sport in that hundredths of a second matter, taking almost 5 seconds off a sprint like a 50 is so impressive. Chris Kulik has been working on getting his breaststroke more efficient with proper body alignment and kick. And he took almost 7 seconds off his time last week,” Neace said.
Senior Spencer Waldroup swam times of 1:10:02 in the 100 yard freestyle and 30.66 in the 50 yard freestyle.
“I was super nervous in all honesty, and I really didn’t think I’d even swim because of how sick I felt but I held through and did all my events, even while still feeling sick to my stomach. But I was proud of my first recorded times and I think I have a lot of room to improve,” Waldroup said.
Xiao, on the other hand, has swam at the Gabrielsen Natatorium numerous times for the Aqua Jags and his club team, Athens Bulldog Swim Club (ABSC). Though very experienced, he recognizes the work that the newcomers put into their first home meet.
“I thought that Van (Thang) and our new seniors stood out a lot. They did extremely well for it being one of their first high school swim meets,” Xiao said.
Senior leadership is a large talking point among the Aqua Jags. With five seniors amongst 12 underclassmen and middle schoolers, Neace recognizes how crucial their leadership is.
“We are so lucky to have some seniors who have stepped up. Ryan Xiao leads the team in a lot of practices, getting lanes organized, and swimmers moving. Sebastian Blanco is our comedy relief. He lightens the mood when there are some emotions with certain outcomes. Chris Kulik is a leader by example. He will run the laps, do the kick drills, and work on flip turns continuously. His example has younger swimmers trying to keep up. They are leaving a lasting legacy with the younger swimmers,” Neace said.
The Aqua Jags travel to Clarkesville for the Pirate Plunge swim meet on Nov. 22. Looking ahead, Neace knows exactly what the team needs to work on to lower their times.
“The team needs to work on their relay exchanges. There were delayed reactions and early take offs. Disqualification calls are learning lessons. It’s time for more learning. Really need to work on flip turns and finishes,” Neace said.
