High School Swim Season Underway With High Hopes For Local Teams

MADISON- High expectations is the feeling among the two local high schools’ swim teams as the 2024 season is underway with returning swimmers and divers anxious to face the challenges each will be presented throughout the regular season with the AHSAA State Championships to complete the season Nov. 22-23 in Huntsville.

Both Bob Jones and James Clemens completed the 2023 season among the top four in boys and girls competitions with the Lady Patriots bringing home a second consecutive state title. Many of the top performers for both schools return this year, thus causing the feeling of success throughout both programs.

BOB JONES
Eight seniors return for the Patriots with five of those upper classmen in the girls division who will attempt to defend their two-time state title. Danielle Nguyen is team captain, but all eyes will fall on young sensation Abby Chan who scored four medals including two individuals at last year’s state meet as a freshman. She won the 100meter backstroke last year with a time of 55.71 and was second to her sister, Samantha, in the 100meter butterfly. Chan was also on two relays (200m medley and 400 freestyle) which picked up two first place medals.

Ryan Rhoades, in his second season as head coach, said Chan is geared to capture two more individual championships in 2024, but the expectations for the entire team have become even greater looking to this season. He added, “There are several girls that will be in contention for an individual state championship, and, as a team, we expect to compete for a championship again. We plan to meet that expectation by focusing on being consistent day in and day out and to train with integrity.”

On the boys team, three returning seniors help make up the team roster with Hubert Pan the acting team captain. With a fourth place finish a season ago, this squad is on a mission to finish even higher at the State Meet this year. “These veteran seniors are developing a culture of cohesion and determination,” said Rhoades, a state champion swimmer and 2003 graduate of Bob Jones. “They continue to push each other and we have no doubt they will be successful in their mission.”

The Bob Jones program is also implementing a developmental program within the team striving to look to the future of swimming and diving at the school. Rhoades said the goal is to instruct newer athletes that are starting the sport late or may have missed making a local club swim team. “We aim to enrich the swim and dive community by cultivating love of the sport in our students,” said Rhoades. “Our core values are integrity and consistency, which we feel will play a part of our everyday lives creating skilled swimmers and decent citizens.”

An additional aspect of the 2024 team is the hiring of a new head coach of the dive team. Megan Barnett has joined the staff which includes assistant coach Jim Hanson who is returning for another year of coaching. Barnett is a U.S. Navy Academy alum and was a helicopter pilot for 20 years and represented the U.S. in diving at the World Military Games in 2003. She has been coaching for the local club dive team the Huntsville Diving Association. For Rhoades, a five-time high school state champion while with the Patriots, signed to swim for the Tennessee Volunteers after his stint with the Patriots. He is currently the youth paster at Rocket City Church and a local musician.

The boys roster includes: Braden Shankleton (Sr.), Duncan Baker (Jr.), Ethan Hughes So.), Hubert Pan (Sr.), Jacob Kim (7), Justin Roh (Sr.), Kyle MacKrell (So.), Milo Littenberg (So.), William Yang (Fr.), Cal Hamilton (So.), Russell Magonigal (7), Nathan Carbonneau (Jr.), Garin Waninger (8), Frankie Tinti (7), Hayden Hice (Fr.), Michael Steenbergh (7), Wyatt Woolley (8), Hal Brecher (7), Daniel Invernizzi (Sr.) and Pawel Yuhimchuk (So.).

The girls roster: Abby Chan (So.), Ally Kuang (So.), Anna Reker, Ava Reker (Sr.), Brynna Koehler (8), Danielle Nguyen (Sr., Capt), Ella Fitzgibbons (So.), Emilie Tesseneer (Jr.), Emma Kuang (8), Finn Koehler (Sr.), Jayne Frailie Jr.), Isabelle Park (Jr.), Kate Merrell (Sr.), Lily Meller (So.), Lyla MacKrell (Fr.), Madison Biss Fr.), Maggie Lawley (Sr.), Maiya Mbuko (So.), Meli Mbuko (Jr.), Margaret Lin (7), Ashlee Frailie (7), Audrey Walker (6), Christina Yang (Fr.), Dulce Munoz (8), Sophia Sweeny (Fr.), Abby Wilkerson (7) and Lillie Wood (8).

JAMES CLEMENS
The Jets have senior leadership in their favor in 2024 as five each senior girls and boys will bring both leadership and enthusiasm to the water to help bond together the team that finished third in boys and fourth in girls at the 2023 State Meet.

“Swimming is primarily seen as an individual sport and the high school season brings a team atmosphere where everyone must work to maximize team points and not necessarily stick to events they prefer,” sad second year head coach Kelly Davis. “Coaches alone cannot create this team atmosphere. Athletes must feel like a valuable contributor, whether by earning points or cheering on their teammates.”

Team captains are the ones Davis is looking to lead this team through the season. Those leaders are Renee Drayton and Katie Blakenship for the girls and Gavin Spivey and Jason Park for the boys.

Standouts coming back this season include Rosa Levan, Tatum Scully, Alex Kulkarni, Christian Webster and diver Laurel Hunter as this group of athletes earned over half the team points at last year’s State Meet, and Davis is looking at them to provide even better results this year. Eleven new talented members will join the Jet’s program this year with Brody Tindoll and Leland Barbour expected to impact team points immediately.

The 2024 schedule includes the annual “Dual in the Pool at Dublin Memorial Park as James Clemens will face off against crosstown rival Bob Jones. The event is set to be held two weeks prior to the AHSAA State Meet schedule to be held in Huntsville Nov. 22-23.

Davis and her assistant coaches Devin Kreitz and Andrew McKibbon believe this season promises to be an exciting one for the Jets.

“One of our goals is to be more successful than last year at the state competition and qualify even more swimmers in individual events,” said Davis. “This year’s team has proven they have what it takes to left each other up and help each other out to make this team the best it can be.”

Girls roster includes: Anna Ai, (7), Katie Blakenship, (Sr.), Ellie Chan, (Fr.), Renee Drayton (Sr.), Stella Guo (7), Laurel Hunter (So.), Chloe Kim (Fr.), Gemma King (Sr.), Rosa Levan (Sr.), Kayla Samad (Fr.), Fiona Scully (Jr.), Tatum Scully (Jr.), Emery Tindoll (Sr.), Kinsey Travis-Kinder (Fr.), Colby Tyler (Fr.), Lilly Wright (So.) and Isabel Xu (So.).
Boys Roster: Maddox Acker (8), Saquib Baig (So.), Leland Barbour (Fr.), Michael Docherty (Sr.), Zachary Johnson (Fr.), Alex Kulkarni (Sr.), Clayton McGehee (Fr.), Aaron Oppenlander (8), Luke Oppenlander (8), Jason Park (Sr.), Will Ross (Jr.), Sebastian Scully (So.), Gavin Spivey (Sr.), Harrison Taylor (Sr.), Brody Tindoll (8), Andrew Tkach (7), Daniel Tkach (Fr.), Emanuel Torres (Jr.), Anderson Weisenberger (7) and Christian Wester (Jr.).