By Griffin Callaghan | [email protected] | January 27, 2025
The River Ridge swim team is back on top after finishing first in the Cherokee County championships with 617 combined points Saturday at the Cherokee County Aquatic Center.
Two county records fell during the meet as Cherokee’s Hudson Evans broke the mark in the 200-yard individual medley (1 minute, 54.66 seconds), while Sequoyah’s Mason Thomas eclipsed the record in the 100 backstroke (51.15).
With their top finish, River Ridge became back-to-back county champions. River Ridge also won the girls category Saturday, while its boys finished third.
Sequoyah had the second-best combined score with 535 points, followed by Etowah (515), Creekview (373), Woodstock (285) and Cherokee (260).
Sequoyah won the boys crown with 317 points, followed by Etowah (308), River Ridge (228), Creekview (190), Cherokee (163) and Woodstock (81)..
River Ridge’s 389 points earned it the girls win, followed by Sequoyah (218), Etowah (207), Woodstock (204), Creekview (183) and Cherokee (97).
“We are really proud of how our team came together and gave it everything they had in the pool,” Etowah coach Kaitlyn Smith said. “We are especially proud of all of the best times from the meet and are looking forward to swimming even faster at state in a couple weeks.”
River Ridge’s girls shined in their relays, winning both the 200 freestyle and 200 medley races. The Knights had two separate units between the two events, with Ava Hoynowski, Maja Brooker, Macie Portis and Addison Hodgins in the medley, and the group of Jersey Saylor, Laura Butler, Hodgins and Brooker winning the freestyle.
Hodgins also won the 200 freestyle (1:54.87) and took second in the 500 freestyle (5:10.48). Hoynowski won the 100 backstroke (58.63) and Portis notched a victory in the 100 butterfly (59.12).
Saylor was both the 50 and 100 freestyle champion.
Etowah’s Luiza Carvalho took second in the 100 butterfly, while the Eagles snagged third in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays. Emma Reed clocked second in her 200 freestyle (1:59.69) and finished third in the 500 freestyle (5:25.69).
Lainey Blase and Olivia Parks headlined the Sequoyah girls, with Parks winning both the 200 IM (2:08.14) and 100 breaststroke (1:05.98). Blase was the 500 freestyle champion (5:03.94).
On the boys side for Etowah, Mason Reed placed second in both the 500 and 200 freestyles at 4:52.45 and 1:45.91, respectively. The Eagles won the 400 freestyle relay behind the team of Anthony Berwald, Jacob Howell, Daniel Nobrega and Reed.
Sequoyah’s Caden Alindogan won the 100 breaststroke (1:04.14) and Grant Harrison won the 100 butterfly (54.53). Mason Thomas secured two victories in the 100 backstroke (51.15) and 200 freestyle (1:45.00), while the Chiefs had the top 200 medley team of Alindogan, Harrison, Thomas and Henry Yon.
River Ridge’s Julian Brooker had a solid day, finishing second in the 100 butterfly (58.38) and a fifth-place swim in the 500 freestyle (5:51.17).
Cherokee County teams now will begin gearing up for the state championships, which are set for Feb. 5-8 at Georgia Tech’s McAuley Aquatic Center.
