Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions, limited pool access, and a shifted season, GCA was unable to field a swim team to participate in the local KISL swim league this year. Caitlyn, however, has been practicing and competing with her club team and was able to achieve qualifying times to earn a trip to the high school state meet. This year’s meet is being held at four different venues across the state and they will combine results from each location to determine final results.

We wish Caitlyn the very best!

The swim and dive regular season concluded this weekend for all but one GCA swimmer, Caitlyn Perkey, in the KISL and KMSSL Swimming and Diving Championship Meets held at UT.

UPPER SCHOOL Swim Team Results:

There were 36 high school teams from across east Tennessee in attendance.  All 5 GCA Upper School swimmers collected a season best time during the meet.  Freshman Caitlyn Perkey made it to the Finals session in both the 200 yd Freestyle and 500 yd Freestyle event.  She finished 15^th place in the 200 Free, moving up one spot from the preliminary session.  She finished 7^th in the 500 Freestyle moving up 3 spots from her seed time.  Caitlyn will swim these same two events at the State Meet to be held on Feb. 7-8.  The 200 yd Free Relay team of Olivia Farmer, Emily Morgan, Briley Bube and Caitlyn Perkey made it back to Finals as an alternate in 17^th place.

MIDDLE SCHOOL Swim Team Results:

There were 22 middle school teams from across east Tennessee in attendance.  8^th grader Alex Sponcia finished 1^st in the middle school diving portion of the meet.  All 6 GCA Middle School swimmers collected a season best time during the meet and showed significant improvements over the season.  The 200 yd Mixed Free Relay team of Kalynna Downward, Winston Woodard, Ella Greene & Noah Taylor finished in 13^th place.  The 200 yd Free Relay team of Wyatt Noe, Colin Willis, Noah Taylor & Winston Woodard finished in 15^th place.

The swim team returned to competition this weekend at the Ray Bussard Invitational held at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center on the University of Tennessee campus.  This is a large meet as there were over 30 high school teams and over 15 middle school teams competing – including some from out of the area and even out of state.  This was the first meet for the GCA swimmers in a month. 

Almost all swimmers picked up some personal best times.  Top (scoring) finishers for GCA were:

Upper School:

Caitlyn Perkey – 6^th in 200 Freestyle 

Middle School:

Alex Sponcia – 2^nd in Diving

The swimmers return to competition on January 18 in Cocke County.

The swim team competed against Clinton High School on Thursday night.  Top 3 finishers were:

 Upper School:

Briley Bube – 2^nd in 50yd Freestyle, 2^nd in 100yd Backstroke

Ria Eda – 1^st in 100yd Breaststroke, 2^nd in 200yd IM

Senior Olivia Farmer – 1^st in 200yd IM AND 100yd Butterfly

Junior Emily Morgan – 2^nd in 200yd Freestyle, 2^nd in 100 Butterfly

These 4 girls finished 1^st in the 200yd Medley Relay and 2^nd in the 200yd Freestyle Relay.

 Middle School:

Ella Greene – 3^rd in 100yd IM, 3^rd in 50yd Backstroke

Wyatt Noe – 3^rd in 100yd IM, 3^rd in 50yd Butterfly

Noah Taylor – 3^rd in 50yd Backstroke

Colin Willis – 2^nd in 50yd Backstroke

Winston Woodard – 2^nd in 100yd IM, 2^nd in 50yd Freestyle

Noah Taylor, Wyatt Noe, Winston Woodard & Colin Willis placed 2^nd in 200yd Medley Relay

The swim team will be back in action on Saturday, December 14 in the Ray Bussard Invitational at UT's Allan Jones Aquatic Center.