Athletes of the Meet - South Lakes

Congratulations to Jackson Ayers and Madeline LaPorte for earning recognition as the athletes of the meet against South Lakes. While there were many athletes who distinguished themselves tonight, both Jackson and Madeline stood out for their performances.

Jackson earned distinction because of his continued improvement in the 100 and 50 freestyle. Despite a disappointing turn the 50, Jackson came back to swim his fastest 50 split ever in the 200 freestyle relay. Jackson's leadership during practice and his devotion to the team make him a positive example for the entire team.

Madeline was named athlete of the meet because of her record-setting performance in the 100 butterfly. Madeline's time broke the old record by 2-tenths of a second and establish her as the fastest flyer in school history. Her split in the 400 freestyle relay was also the best she's done as a Warhawk. Madeline's hard work and devotion to swimming are clearly paying dividends for her and the team.

Honorable mention goes out to a number of athletes for their accomplishments tonight:

• Abraham Zimmerman -- Abraham's swim in the 400 freestyle relay was extraordinary and established him as the top sprinter on the team.
• Kyle Wu -- Kyle's 100 freestyle time of 49.89 means he's already made the region cut as a freshman in his first meet! He clearly has a very bright future with Madison.
• Greg Duncan -- Greg competed in his first meet for Madison and did a fantastic job. It takes a special athlete to push Grayson Campbell to his very best. And that is exactly what Greg did tonight. He will continue to give Grayson a run for his money each meet. 
• Rachael Holp -- Rachael put forth a strong effort in all of her races despite having a club meet tomorrow morning. Rachael's willingness to lay it all out on the line for Madison demonstrates her leadership and devotion to the team.
• Calle Biles -- Calle had a tremendous meet, continuing to drop time in her events and helping score valuable points.
• Sidney Miralao -- Sidney did a great job for the team, including a surprise victory in the 50 freestyle. She followed that swim up with solid splits in both the 200 freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay.
• Katie Rooney -- Katie continues to improve as a swimmer. She dropped 3 seconds from her 200 IM time and another 1 second in the 100 breast. Katie's work ethic and determination are examples for the rest of the team to emulate.
• Caitlyn Blankenship -- Caitlyn stepped in and swim a very successful 500 freestyle. Despite only having competed once before in the event, Caitlyn's swim was very strong. She may not want to hear it but she may well have swum herself into a new event!
• Elana Colbert -- Elana was "in the zone" tonight as she dove to a 3rd place finish. This is Elena's second season on the team but she is already establishing herself as one of our most successful divers.