TIFTON — The weather turned a shad chillier Monday, Nov. 13, but that did not seem to affect Tift County’s middle school swim teams, who each won in a six-team field at the Baldwin Drive Aquatic Center. The Blue Devils won easily with 240 points, the Lady Devils shading Coffee Middle, 167-152.
Tift’s Killer B’s excelled at relays again. Stella Byrnes, Bailey Brock, Jovia Burke and Stella Bryant won the 200 medley relay in 2:13.15, a gnat’s eyelash ahead of second place Coffee (2:13.81). It was not quite as close in their 400 freestyle win, 4:26 to the 4:33 of the runners-up.
Byrnes posted individual victories in the 100 individual medley in 1:16 and 50 backstroke in 35.58 seconds. Burke won the 50 freestyle in an impressive 26.49 seconds. Brock was the winner in the 50-yard breaststroke in 37.99 seconds.
The boys saw Connor Watson, Jace Howell, Porter Johnson and Davis Kunes combine to win the 200 freestyle relay in 1:58.
Chloe Brown was the winner in the 200 freestyle in 2:33.44. Like the medley relay team, her race was exceptionally close, with Coffee’s runner-up coming in at 2:33.81. Blue Devil Davis Kunes won the 50 freestyle in 28.78 seconds, sixth-hundredths of a second faster than the next man, as well as the 50 backstroke in 34.69. The backstroke was somehow even closer for Kunes as second place’s time was 34.85 seconds.
Larkin Saylor’s 6:38 and Burke’s 5:52 swept the 500 freestyle for Tift.
Others scoring for Tift:
Boys 200 medley relay: Davis Kunes, Larkin Saylor, James Fresh and Watson (2nd); Emmett Thompson, Owen Wells, Mitchell Kunes and Nolan Miller (4th); and Howell, Callen Burke, Johnson and Briggs Rowland (5th).
Girls 200 medley relay: Jana Webster, Brown and Marlee Veazey (7th, only three names listed in results); and Lucy House, Madison Schwartz, Caroline Askew and E.C. Johnston (8th).
Boys 200 freestyle: Miller (2nd), Howell (4th), Phillip Bowen (5th) and Burke (8th).
Girls 200 freestyle: Bella Burdette (7th).
Boys 100 individual medley: James Fresh (2nd), Mitchell Kunes (3rd), Watson (4th), Thompson (5th), Wells (6th) and Rowland (7th).
Boys 50 freestyle: Johnson (3rd) and Evan Roberts (7th).
Girls 50 freestyle: Webster (5th).
Boys 50 butterfly: James Fresh (2nd).
Girls 50 butterfly: Askew (6th).
Boys 100 freestyle: Miller (3rd) and Bowen (6th).
Girls 100 freestyle: Bryant (2nd) and Schwartz (6th).
Boys 500 freestyle: Mitchell Kunes (2nd) and Evan Roberts (3rd).
Girls 500 freestyle: Brock (2nd), House (4th) and Veazey (6th).
Boys 200 freestyle relay:Bowen, Rowland, Hudson Slimp and Evan Roberts (3rd); Will Fresh, Kason Mallard, Ty Alexion and Ty Roberts (6th); and Caleb Thaba, Beau Southers, John Wood and Eli Ross (8th).
Girls 200 freestyle relay: Webster, Schwartz and Brown (2nd, only three names listed); and Johnston, Martha Jane Nelson, Caroline Lodge and Katherine Currie (7th)
Boys 50 backstroke: Watson (4th), Thompson (5th) and Johnson (7th).
Girls 50 backstroke: Webster (8th).
Boys 50 breaststroke: Saylor (3rd), Wells (4th), Howell (6th) and Ty Roberts (8th).
Girls 50 breaststroke: Brown (3rd).
Boys 400 freestyle relay: Mitchell Kunes, Saylor, Miller and James Fresh (2nd); Evan Roberts, Wells and Thompson (3rd, only three names listed); Bowen, Will Fresh, Slimp and Rowland (5th); and Alexion, Easton Norris, Wood and Ross (8th).
Girls 400 freestyle relay: Burdette, Askew, Veazey and Currie (5th); and Abby Loveless,Lodge, Abby Williford and Ella Harrison (7th).