‘Outstanding’ 1st day for ‘Rays

Published 12:01 am Saturday, July 27, 2013

Andalusia swimmer Chase Fillmer finished the boys 15-18 100-yard individual medley in 1:09.91 Friday at the ARPA State Swim Championships in Cullman. | Andrew Garner/Star-News

Andalusia swimmer Chase Fillmer finished the boys 15-18 100-yard individual medley in 1:09.91 Friday at the ARPA State Swim Championships in Cullman. | Andrew Garner/Star-News

“The team overall has done an outstanding job,” Andalusia Stingrays coach Gavin Donaldson said Friday about his team after day one of the 2013 ARPA State Swim Championships at the Cullman Aquatics and Wellness Center in Cullman.

Donaldson said all swimmers were focused on the task at hand.

“For all of these kids, this was the big stage,” he said. “There’s a lot of pressure, not put on by coaches, just the sheer fact that they haven’t been in an environment with a crowd this size.

“All of the kids did what their coaches asked them to do — focus on your race and swimming,” he said.

At the end of Friday’s meet, Donaldson said he took his team’s results and put anybody who placed in the top 15 in a separate category. Swimmers who finished first through sixth receive a medal. Those who finish in seventh or eighth place receive a ribbon.

“This group has swam harder and faster (Friday) than any meet they’ve swam this year,” Donaldson said. “They know what’s at stake.”

After Friday, Donaldson’s son, BJ, has two medals; Emma Younce has one medal; and Vines has a medal and ribbon each.

Complete results from day one of the state meet are below by swim event. Additionally, dropped times are noted after each swimmer’s event finals time.

Individual Medley (IM), Breaststroke and Freestyle

• Boys 8U 100-yard IM — Aidan Vines (8th place), 1 minute, 45.68 seconds, dropped 2.5 seconds

• Boys 9-10 100-yard IM — Alex Browning, 1:36.79, dropped 2.62 seconds

• Girls 9-10 100-yard IM — Grace Philpott, 1:35.36, dropped 5.08 seconds

• Boys 11-12 100-yard IM — Stuart Baker, 1:20.77, dropped 3.84 seconds

• Girls 13-14 100-yard IM — Cali Fillmer (9th place), 1:10.69, dropped 0.58 seconds; and Elisabeth Younce, 1:23.87, dropped 2.9 seconds

• Boys 15-18 100-yard IM — Chase Fillmer, 1:09.91

• Girls 15-18 100-yard IM — Judy Johnson, 1:23.58; and Kaden Arnold, 1:26.12, dropped 2.76 seconds

• Boys 8U 25-yard breaststroke — Zack Gayford, 26.20 seconds, dropped 1.66 seconds

• Boys 9-10 50-yard breaststroke — Alex Browning, 49.86 seconds, dropped 2.17 seconds

• Boys 11-12 50-yard breaststroke — Stuart Baker, 41.77 seconds, dropped 1.46 seconds

• Girls 11-12 50-yard breaststroke — Claire Breedlove, 48.45 seconds

• Boys 13-14 50-yard breaststroke — Josh Hudson (14th place), 35.59 seconds, dropped 1.65 seconds

• Girls 13-14 50-yard breaststroke — Elisabeth Younce, 40.73 seconds, dropped 0.43 seconds

• Boys 15-18 50-yard breaststroke — BJ Donaldson (4th place), 29.06 seconds, dropped 0.71 seconds

• Girls 15-18 50-yard breaststroke — Mary Johnson, 41.77 seconds, dropped 0.09 seconds; Elisabeth Christensen, 42.52 seconds, dropped 0.78 seconds

• Boys 8U 25-yard freestyle — Aidan Vines (4th place), 16.46 seconds; Zack Gayford (11th place), 18.03 seconds; and Josh Riley (12th place), 18.04 seconds

• Girls 8U 25-yard freestyle — Carrie Beth Pinson, 21.85 seconds

• Girls 9-10 50-yard freestyle — Ava Bailey (10th place), 32.77 seconds, dropped 0.76 seconds

• Girls 11-12 50-yard freestyle — Emma Younce (4th place), 27.35 seconds, dropped 0.40 seconds

• Girls 13-14 50-yard freestyle — Mary Beth Baker (10th place), 27.51 seconds, dropped 0.03 seconds

• Boys 15-18 50-yard freestyle — BJ Donaldson (6th place), 23.28 seconds, dropped 0.37 seconds

Medley Relay

• Boys 8U 100-yard medley relay — Andalusia swam this event in 1:40.91, dropping 5.91 seconds

• Girls 9-10 200-yard medley relay — Evie Younce, Anna Taylor, Ava Bailey and Mila Parker, 2:50.31, dropped 3.67 seconds

• Boys 13-14 200-yard medley relay — Wyatt Taylor, Josh Hudson, Brandon Hudson and Ethan Gobea, 2:18.24

• Girls 13-14 200-yard medley relay — Mary Beth Baker, Elisabeth Younce, Cali Fillmer and Katrine Christensen, 2:17.06, dropped 0.14 seconds

• Girls 15-18 200-yard medley relay — Mary Johnson, Elisabeth Christensen, Kaden Arnold and Judy Johnson — 2:30.63, dropped 5.78 seconds

The state swim meet concludes today with the butterfly, backstroke, long freestyle and free relay events.