Score Atlanta
The Gwinnett County Swimming and Diving Championships held at the West Gwinnett Aquatic Center last week may have offered a sneak preview of this weekend’s Class AAAAAA boys’ state meet at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center. Collins Hill got the job done for its first county title since 2005 as it edged Parkview 1,018 points to 861 points. North Gwinnett finished a somewhat distant third, while Norcross and Brookwood rounded out the top five.
The Eagles of Collins Hill are led by Cody Bekemeyer, who set country records in both the 200 and 500 freestyle. They boasted another individual Gwinnett champion in Jon Atnip, who touched the wall first in the 50 freestyle. Parkview had won 19 of the last 22 county titles and every one of the last four before losing a whole host of seniors to graduation in 2013. Among the standouts on a reloaded Panthers squad is Bradley Downs, who was runner-up at the Gwinnett meet in the 200 freestyle and third in the 100 butterfly.
On the girls’ side, Gwinnett County standouts include Mill Creek, North Gwinnett, Brookwood and Peachtree Ridge. The Mill Creek girls, a squad heavy with senior leadership, recently captured their second straight county title. Peachtree Ridge finished runner-up to Lambert at last year’s Class AAAAAA state meet. The Lions are led in part by Haley McInerny, who took home top individual honors from the Gwinnett County event in the 100 butterfly. Brookwood had won 11 of the previous 14 county meets and the Lady Broncos have captured five state titles in the past 12 years. Everyone is chasing Lambert, which won the 2013 state championship and recently looked dominant at the Forsyth County Championships.
In the combined smaller classes (previously A-AAAA and now A-AAAAA), five different schools have prevailed in the boys’ competition in the past six years. Westminster, which won six straight titles from 2003 and 2008, looks poised to unseat 2013 champion Dalton and regain its throne. The Wildcats were joined by 2009 state champion Marist at last month’s Metro Swimming and Diving Championships, hosted by Westminster. They should be serious state contenders after losing to only Alpharetta of Class AAAAAA by one-half of one point at the metro meet.
The Westminster and Marist girls have shared a two-team party for more than a decade in the smaller classification, but Woodward Academy appears ready to crash it. Led by Caitlin Cooper and Kathleen Cook, the Lady War Eagles toppled both powerhouses at the metro event.
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