Orcas make a splash
Published 9:47 am Thursday, July 30, 2015
On Friday evening and Saturday morning, July 24 and 25, the Oak Valley Orcas Swim Club in Advance hosted the last Greater Forsyth Swim League Championship meet.
The league began in 1973 and will merge with the Winston-Salem Associated Swim Clubs league over the next year. The GFSL once included the now non-existent Hickory Hill Eels from Mocksville.
The Orcas finished third out of the seven teams in the meet with 1,186 points. They finished behind the Sherwood Sharks (2025) and the Willow Run Dolphins (1704), teams that are one-and-a-half to two times the Orcas’ size.
Rounding out the meet were the Clemmons West Aqua Demons (1,074), Forsyth Country Club Crazy Ducks (735), Grandview Gators (648), and Brookwood Barracudas (597). Brookwood’s team, which includes several Davie families as well, was awarded the league’s Sportsmanship Award.
Each team could submit up to two relays for each relay event, giving a maximum of 14 relays competing in each relay event. Each team could submit up to three individual swimmers for each individual event, resulting in a maximum of 21 swimmers vying for points in each individual event. The top 10 relay teams and the top 12 individuals in each event scored points for their teams.
The 11-18 year-olds swam on Friday evening. Earning places for the Orcas in those divisions are as follows:
• 11-12 boys: the 200m medley relay of Nicholas Chin, David Patton, Sean Coates, and Evan Copeland placed fifth; the 200m freestyle relay of Chin, Copeland, Coates, and Ryan Moore finished sixth; Jaylen McDaniel finished 10th in 50m freestyle and ninth in 50m breaststroke; S Coates placed 11th in 50m butterfly; Ryan Walton 10th in 100m IM and 10th in 50m backstroke.
•11-12 girls: the 200m medley relay and 200m freestyle relay of Jenna Scully, Elizabeth Tilley, Elizabeth Dorsett, and Caitlin Hadfield finished seventh in each event; Mackenzie Umberger finished fourth in 50m freestyle, eighth in 100m IM, and fifth in 50m backstroke; E Dorsett placed 11th and Tilley 12th in 50 butterfly.
• 13-14 boys: the 200m medley relay of Walton, McDaniel, Braxton Folmar, and Jack Scully finished third; the 200m freestyle relay of Walton, Jack Scully, McDaniel, and J Coates placed third; B Folmar placed third in 50m freestyle, sixth in 100m IM, and fifth in 50m backstroke; Jack Scully finished 10th in 50m freestyle, ninth in 50m backstroke, and 11th in 50m breaststroke; J Coates placed third in 50m butterfly, seventh in 100m IM, and fifth in 50m breaststroke.
• 13-14 girls: the 200m medley relay of Umberger, Abby Sloane, Hannah Williams, and Freya Hadfield placed sixth; the 200m freestyle relay of Hope Ledford, F Hadfield, Hannah Williams, and Umberger finished sixth; Sloane finished ninth in 50m freestyle and 10th in 50m breaststroke; Hannah Williams placed 10th in 50m freestyle and 12th in 50m backstroke; Ledford finished 10th in 50m butterfly, 12th in 100m IM, and 7th in 50m breaststroke.
• 15-18 boys: the 200m medley relay of Wyatte Copeland, Cameron Ogle, Jacob Sink, and J Coates finished third; the 200m freestyle relay of W Copeland, Ogle, B Folmar, and Sink finished fourth; W Copeland placed first in 50m freestyle, third in 50m backstroke, and fourth in 100m freestyle; Sink finished first in 50m butterfly, first in 100m IM, and first in 50m breaststroke; Ogle placed 12th in 50m butterfly, 8th in 100m IM, and 7th in 50m breaststroke. Sink set a championship meet record in the 15-18 boys 50m butterfly.
• 15-18 girls: the 200m medley relay of Hadley Hilton, Ledford, Maria Stillson, and Paige Folmar placed second; the 200m freestyle relay of Hilton, P Folmar, Sloane, and Stillson finished second; Hilton finished first in 50m freestyle, third in 50m backstroke, and fourth in 100m freestyle; P Folmar placed fourth in 50m freestyle, 11th in 50m butterfly, and 11th in 100m freestyle; Stillson finished first in 50m butterfly, second in 100m IM, and first in 50m backstroke.
The 10 year-olds and younger swam on Saturday morning. Points-earning finishes for the Orcas in those divisions are as follows:
• 6&under boys: the 100m freestyle relay of Zach Hirata, Justice Little, Brody Mace, and Aidan Nicolay finished first; the 100m freestyle relay of Patrick Brady, Calahan Quinn, Daniel Hennessey, and Colin Nicolay placed fourth; A Nicolay finished first in 25m freestyle and second in 25m backstroke; Hirata placed sixth in 25m freestyle and first in 25m backstroke; Mace finished seventh in 25m freestyle; Evan Helms placed seventh in 25m backstroke. Hirata set a championship meet record in the 6&under boys 25m backstroke.
• 6&under girls: the 100m freestyle relay of Addy Buchanan, Kate Nicholson, Tegen Hadfield, and Kayden Richardson placed first; Richardson finished third in 25m freestyle; Buchanan placed eighth in 25m freestyle and eighth in 25m backstroke; T Hadfield finished 10th in 25m freestyle and fifth in 25m backstroke; K Nicholson placed third in 25m backstroke.
• 7-8 boys: the 100m freestyle relay of Helms, Ashton Williams, Elliott Gould, and Ian Patton placed seventh; I Patton finished fourth in 25m freestyle, fourth in 25m backstroke, and seventh in 25m breaststroke.
• 7-8 girls: the 100m medley relay and the 100m freestyle relay of Lexy Chin, Katie Moore, Cora Nicholson, and Rediet Kelly finished eighth in each event.
• 9-10 boys: the 100m medley relay of Ryan Moore, Alex Dorsett, Hayden Williams, and Ethan Ratledge finished second; the 100m freestyle relay of Ratledge, A Dorsett, David Patton, and Hayden Williams placed second; Ratledge finished third in 25m freestyle, fifth in 100m IM, and sixth in 50m freestyle; D Patton placed sixth in 25m freestyle, third in 25m backstroke, and ninth in 25m breaststroke; Hayden Williams finished sixth in 25m butterfly, fifth in 25m breaststroke, and fourth in 50m freestyle; A Dorsett placed ninth in 25m butterfly, seventh in 100m IM, and third in 25m breaststroke; R Moore finished ninth in 25m backstroke and 10th in 50m freestyle.
• 9-10 girls: the 100m medley relay and the 100m freestyle relay of Katelynn Williams, Elena Brechko, Karlie Quinn, and Emily Garner placed second and fourth, respectively; Garner placed sixth in 25m freestyle, ninth in 25m breaststroke, and fifth in 50m freestyle; K Williams placed seventh in 25m freestyle, fifth in 25m backstroke, and sixth in 50m freestyle; K Quinn finished eighth in 25m freestyle, seventh in 25m butterfly, and second in 25m backstroke; Brechko placed sixth in 25m butterfly, third in 100m IM, and third in 25m breaststroke; Meredith Warren finished 11th in 25m backstroke; Katy Cheek placed 11th in 25m breaststroke.
The Orcas were coached by former Davie High School swimmers Bailey Folmar and Cody Patton. Assistant coach was current Davie High School swimmer Maria Stillson. Paige Folmar and Hadley Hilton were volunteer assistants.