Wildcats Claw Gators

          Last year, the Scottsboro Wet ‘n’ Wildcats started slowly, losing four dual meets before finding their focus and rallying to a 2^nd place District finish.  This year, the commitment has been there from day 1, and after a tough season-opening loss to defending state champion Madison, the Cats have won 4 straight contests.  Albertville came to town Tuesday night with 71 swimmers hoping to pull the upset, but they were no match as SSA cruised to victory by a score of 456-191.

          Despite the absence of several key swimmers, the Wildcats again had a balanced performance across all age groups.

          Kristin Copeland, Logan Anderson, Zach Reichle, Karah Kirkland, Michael Rossmeier, Shannon Bradbury, Kelsey Kokes and Haley Abril each swept three individual events and scored 15 points.

          Copeland won the 8-Under Girls Short Free, Breast and Long Free.  Maryann Jones (11 pts.) took first in the Back.  Savannah Latham (6), Kyla Reichle (3) and Claire Megehee (3) rounded out the scoring.  A platoon of improving teammates- Caroline Estes, Wimberly Haston, Lilly Green, Erin Valentine, Shelby Latham, Paige Megehee, Grace Butler, Taylor Welch, Chloe Wendlick, Courtney Bell, Victoria Keller, Mohymina Amjad and Anna Leight Gossett- provided excellent depth.  Copeland, Reichle, Jones and Claire Megehee combined to win the Medley and Freestyle Relays.

          Logan Anderson stepped up in the absence of Kyle Vosen to sweep the 8-Under Boys Short Free, Back and Long Free.  Curtis Cooper (Fly) and Ben Gossett (Breast) each notched 5 points with first place efforts, and Davis Bostrom added 4 points.  Warren Carlile, Butler Bell and Skylar Reichle all swam well.  Anderson, Gossett, Cooper and Carlile raced to victory in both relay events against older competition.

          Scottsboro’s 9-10 Girls- arguably the state’s best- once again dominated.  Mary Catherine Gossett and Mary Margaret Green each scored 13 points, with Gossett taking first in the Breast and Fly, and Green capturing the Short and Long Free.  Hannah Altonji (8 pts.) won the IM, and Alexis Heaton (5) took first in the Back.  Shonna Browder added 6 points.  Heaton, Gossett, Altonji and Green swam to easy wins in the relay events.  Carli Johnson, Jessica Duncan, Amanda Albin and Anna Richard swam strongly as well.

          A season-high 6 swimmers scored for SSA’s 9-10 Boys.  Drew Butler (IM and Breast) and Crossan Cooper (Back and Long Free) each scored 13 points and had two winning efforts.  Cole Cooper (4), Dalton Parks (3), Patrick Duncan (3) and Cole Johnson (2) provided excellent depth.  Newcomer Jason Harris, Stephen Jackson, Jacob Megehee, Madison Sims and Blake Welch turned in excellent performances.  Butler, Cooper, Parks and Cooper swept the relay events.

          The 11-12 Girls turned in surprisingly strong races, with Karah Kirkland’s sweep of the Short Free, Breast and Fly leading the way.  Emily Albin (11) added a victory in the Back, and Meghan Travis (5) and Nina Stewart (1) completed the scoring.  Rainy Kennemore and a tantalizing group of improving newcomers- Anna Phillips, Samantha Hastings and Amelia Braun- were nipping at their heels.  Albin, Kirkland, Stewart and Travis snared victories in both relay races.

          SSA’s 11-12 Boys were nearly at full strength for the first time in weeks.  Zach Reichle’s sweep of the Fly, Breast and Back paced the group.  Mark Richard (9), Clayton Houser (1) and Parker Kerce (1) also broke into the scoring column.  Taylor Campbell and Clayton Stewart swam well, with Campbell combining to win the Medley Relay with Reichle, Houser and Richard.

          Nate Brewer returned from “retirement” to provide a big left to the 13-14 Boys with a win in the Back.  Michael Rossmeier’s unbeaten string continued with victories in the Breast, Short Free and Fly, and Jeremiah Keller (13 pts.) added wins in the IM and Long Free.  Craig Cleaver also picked up a point, and teamed with Keller, Rossmeier and Brewer to sweep the relays.

          The majority of Scottsboro’s 13-14 Girls were out, but Shannon Bradbury and Kelsey Kokes, two of the team’s most dependable swimmers, picked up the slack.  Bradbury swept the IM, Breast and Long Free while Kokes placed first in the Short Free, Back and Fly.  Holly Gothart pitched in a point, and Ashley Baker added personal best times.

          Matt Brewer’s 13 points led the 15-18 Boys.  Brewer took first in the Breast and Long Free.  Benton Reed (9 pts.) placed first in the Short Free, and Carlos Serrano and Nathan Bradbury added 3 points each, and cemented the winning relay squads.  Will Conner provided a lift in the freestyle events. 

          Haley Abril’s sweep on the Short and Long Free and IM led the 15-18 Girls.  Allison Bivens remained automatic in the Breast and added 11 points.  Ashley Carter (8) placed first in the Back, and Mindy Didier added 3 points as well.  Caitlin Chitwood combined with Abril, Bivens and Carter to win both relay events.

          Serrano, Reed and Bivens were competing in the final home meet of their long and illustrious careers, spanning 9, 13 and 14 years respectively.

          An excited Head Coach Diane Richard praised her team’s performance.  “We had 53 State Qualifying Times, and we also won 17 of 20 relay races, including good efforts from several of our B teams.  Our younger kids are really improving as well, and we’re getting great leadership from our older swimmers.”

          Scottsboro hopes to continue its winning streak on the road Thursday at Arab.