County Residents compete at Districts Meet

Paige Scheriger wins 8&Under Championships

March 14, 2005……The Southeastern Swimming Districts and 8 & Under Championships were held this past weekend in Memphis TN. For those older than 9, it was a chance to compete one final time to obtain qualifying times for the upcoming Southeastern Swimming Short Course Championships. For those 8 and younger, it was their last meet of the season, their Championships. Swimmers from Nashville and Memphis and all parts in between converged at the aquatics facility at the University of Memphis to race and find out who was the best 8&Under swimmer in Middle and West Tennessee.

Excel Aquatics, led by Indian Lake Elementary Third Grader Paige Scheriger, won the 8 & Under Girl’s Team Championship. Scheriger won the coveted High-Point Trophy for the Championships, dominating all 8 of her individual events, and easily distancing herself from the High-Point runner-up. Scheriger also helped the Excel Aquatics relay team to a 3^rd Place finish in the 100 Yard Freestyle Relay, and a 1^st Place finish in the 100 Yard Medley Relay. To add icing to the cake, Paige was able to achieve this in front of 9 family members who had flown or driven in from San Francisco, CA; Centralia IL, and Hendersonville to celebrate Paige and her brother Todd’s accomplishments in swimming this year.

Scheriger, who ages up to the 9&10 year old category on Saturday the 19^th, ends the season holding two Excel Team Records in the 25 Breast and 50 Breast.

Representing Excel Aquatics in the concurrently held Districts Meet were Eric Duke, Brittany Henderson, Hannah Ray, Todd Scheriger, and Brittany Zobl.

Duke wrapped up his Short Course career for Excel Aquatics in good fashion, dropping over a second in the 50 Free, finishing 4^th in the Senior Boy’s 100 Yard Butterfly, and winning the Senior Boy’s 100 Yard Breaststroke in his last event of the meet. Henderson, swimming in the 13&14 Girls Category, dropped times in 4 of her 6 events, and placed 2^nd in the 1650 Yard Freestyle.

Todd Scheriger, a 10 year old in the 5^th Grade at Indian Lake Elementary, took home a 7^th Place in the Boy’s 10&Under 200 Yard Freestyle and a 3^rd Place in the 50 Yard Butterfly. Hannah Ray, competing in the Girl’s 10&Under events, took home a 2^nd Place in the 200 Yard Freestyle, 4^th in the 100 Yard Breaststroke, and a 6^th Place in the 50 Yard Backstroke. Ray had already qualified for the SES Short Course Championships in the 50 Yard Freestyle.

Brittany Zobl, a 11 year old 5^th Grader from Sumner Academy, dropped nearly two seconds in both the 11&12 Girl’s 200 Yard Freestyle, and the 100 Yard Breaststroke. Zobl also finished 5^th in the 50 Yard Freestyle, 6^th in the 50 Yard Breaststroke, and 8^th in the 100 Yard Individual Medley. Zobl has already achieved SES Short Course qualifying times in the 50 Yard Backstroke, and 100 Yard Backstroke.

The next meet for Excel Aquatics is the Southeastern Swimming Short Course Championships in Nashville, March 17-20^th. Sumner County residents representing Excel Aquatics at the meet are Bryce Anderson, Mary Catherine Binkley, Nikki Fulps, Haley George, Kathryn George, Kyle Lee, Chelsa Messinger, Katie Mize, Hannah Ray, and Brittany Zobl. “The key here is that we are balanced among the age groups and are not top heavy. Half of our swimmers attending are 12 or younger. That’s a nice strong base of swimmers for the future we are developing to represent Sumner County for years to come”, Assistant Coach John Barnes proclaimed. “We have grown substantially this year as a team, and have had several new qualifiers for the Championships. Kudos to Coach Andreea Mitrofan and Coach AJ Miley for their accomplishments this Short Course Season.”