TA swimmers prepare for districts

HARRISONBURG — A year ago, the up-and-coming young Turner Ashby High School boys’ swimming team was passionately driven to win the school’s first district title. With that accomplishment tucked firmly away, it would have been possible for the Knights’ to float through this year with a bit less motivation.

But that’s pool lengths from the case.

This year’s swimmers say they’re kicking just as hard toward a repeat.

“Last year, since it was our first district title, it meant a lot for us to win that title,” senior Alan Moore said Sunday. “To do it again, I think it would mean the same.”

TA gets its shot this weekend at the Valley District championship at James Madison University’s natatorium.

“It’s hopeful we’ll be on the top of the podium for districts,” Knights coach Kim Floyd said Sunday. “We don’t like to talk about it. We know everybody’s talking about it, but we just go into it to swim the best we can swim. If we’re on top, that’s great.”

Turner Ashby has already enjoyed some great performances during its regular season.

The team has set six school records so far. Moore broke the boys’ 100-meter breaststroke mark and was part of the boys’ 200-meter medley relay that also set a TA record.

Senior Art Butler owns the 100-meter freestyle mark and was on both the 200-meter medley and 200-meter freestyle relay teams that set records.

Seniors Geoff Floyd, Jordan McCammon and Cody Voltin, junior Aaron Glick and sophomore Tanner Clark have been part of record-setting relay teams, as well.

And not all the records have been on the boys’ side of the ledger. Sophomore Marissa Collier set the school’s 50-meter freestyle record, and teamed with senior Madison McMillen and juniors Alexandra Sullivan and Austin Walker to set a new mark in the girls’ 200-meter medley relay.
 
“Our goals are just to swim really hard and place,” Collier said looking ahead to this weekend’s district event. “We’ve had a really good year. We have pushed really hard.”

Of course, there is a prohibitive team favorite on the girls’ side—perennial contender Spotswood.

“Spotswood is going to take first,” Kim Floyd said. “If you look at second, third, fourth and fifth, it could be anybody. We’ve all been within 20 points of each other. The competition’s going to be for second.”

And with that in mind, Turner Ashby’s girls—who returned just one Group AA qualifier in senior Josie Hawkins—have shuffled their lineup, giving up personal glory to help the team maximize how many points it can score, Floyd said.

“The flexibility of my girls, what they’ve said is, ‘This may not be my best stroke, I’ll swim it because it will help the team,’” Floyd said. “We know we can’t overcome Spotswood, so we make sure to win other meets by making a little personal sacrifice.”

But back on the boys’ side of things, the Knights are the team with the proverbial bulls-eye on its swim cap.

Butler, Clark, Floyd, Glick, McCammon, Moore and Voltin—along with diver Jacob Earman—were all Group AA qualifiers last year.

The rest of the roster includes seniors David Bates and Courtney King, juniors Jordan Andrews, John Denlinger, Brittany Gerald, Ryan Hedrick, Erin Miller, Katie Miller, Andrew Moran, Allison Rohrer and John Unger, sophomores Austyn Armentrout, Ellen Atwood, Jordan Back, Hanson Cook, Corbin Hess, William Jones and Taylor Shifflett, and freshmen Kylie Britt, Garth Butcher, Caleb Donitzen, Cindy Gerald, Sara Hearne, Emily Kunowsky, Grant Lowery and Caleb Seward.

The girls’ captains are Hawkins, King and McMillen. The boys’ captains are Butler, Glick and Voltin.

“It’s just a good group of kids,” Kim Floyd said.” They work hard together and work hard to succeed. We have a little more depth because we’re a bigger team. And we have strong relays.”

“I think we have a very good shot of doing well at the meet,” Moore said. “On the individual level and as a team together, I think we’ve all put in a very hard season and I think it’s going to show in districts.”