The All-Aiken Standard swim team is once again loaded with championship performers.
A different swimmer was picked for each of the eight individual races for both the girls’ and boys’ teams – with one exception – plus honorable mentions.
South Aiken High and North Augusta High had the most swimmers selected with nine apiece, followed by Aiken High with four, Midland Valley High with one and nine students from schools other than Aiken County Public Schools.
South Aiken’s trio of Kaitlyn Golyski, Hannah Gunsallus and Emily Robinson are the finalists for Girls’ Swimmer of the Year. North Augusta’s Madden Bell, South Aiken’s Lincoln Green and Aiken’s Tucker Samaha are the finalists for Boys’ Swimmer of the Year.
Golyski is the reason why there isn’t a different pick for each individual race – she made that impossible by winning state championships in two of them, the 100- and 200-yard freestyle, to add to her Region 5-AAAA championships in each. Additionally, she teamed up with Gunsallus, Robinson and Annie Hobson to finish third in the 200 freestyle and fifth in the 400 freestyle relays – they won region titles in each.
Gunsallus, in addition to those relay finishes, earned big points individually at state by finishing fourth in the 500 freestyle and ninth in the 200 freestyle.
Robinson added a second-place finish in the 200 individual medley and a sixth in the 100 breaststroke. At region she won the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle.
Bell’s top finish at state was a runner-up in the 50 freestyle to go along with an 11th in the 100 butterfly. He was also part of North Augusta’s 200 medley (16th place) and 200 freestyle relay (18th) teams. He won region championships in the 500 freestyle and 200 freestyle relay.
Green also had a runner-up finish at state, taking second in the 100 butterfly. He also finished fifth in the 100 backstroke and raced on the T-Breds’ 200 medley (12th) and 200 freestyle (15th) relay teams. He won region championships in the 200 medley relay, 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke.
Samaha again showed off his speed at the state championships, taking third in the 50 freestyle and 12th in the 100 freestyle.
The winner of Boys’ and Girls’ Swimmer of the Year will be announced at the end of the school year.
All-Aiken Standard Boys’ Swim Team
200 Freestyle: Cooper Messick, South Aiken
200 Individual Medley: Jared Allison, Aiken
50 Freestyle: Madden Bell, North Augusta
100 Butterfly: Lincoln Green, South Aiken
100 Freestyle: Tucker Samaha, Aiken
500 Freestyle: Andru Masterson, South Aiken
100 Backstroke: Max Hooper, North Augusta
100 Breaststroke: Kristian Haase, Midland Valley
Honorable Mention: Travis Brown, North Augusta; Tyler Dean, Strom Thurmond; Patrick Fields, South Aiken; Cole Mims, Strom Thurmond; Jake Mims, Strom Thurmond; Ethan Parker, South Aiken; Andrew Pond, North Augusta; Alex Riley, Strom Thurmond; Geoffrey Swann, North Augusta
All-Aiken Standard Girls’ Swim Team
200 Freestyle: Kaitlyn Golyski, South Aiken
200 Individual Medley: Emily Robinson, South Aiken
50 Freestyle: Annie Hobson, South Aiken
100 Butterfly: Allie Satterfield, North Augusta
100 Freestyle: Kaitlyn Golyski, South Aiken
500 Freestyle: Hannah Gunsallus, South Aiken
100 Backstroke: Laura Bachelder, Fox Creek
100 Breaststroke: Amelia Harper, Aiken
Honorable Mention: Taylor Dean, Strom Thurmond; Olivia Dicks, North Augusta; Eliza Holmes, Strom Thurmond; Hollis Holmes, Strom Thurmond; Lauren Strock, Strom Thurmond; Katie Swann, North Augusta; Ainsley Warden, Aiken; Haley Winburn, North Augusta.
See the full Aiken Standard article here.