USN Swim Team Defeats Ensworth 159-135

by Coach Justin Karpinos

The USN high school swim team took on Ensworth December 2 at Tennessee State University's Gentry Center.  In our first 25-yard dual meet of the year, the team got some valuable racing experience and earned several new lifetime bests.

The boys’ team defeated a smaller Ensworth team 109-36, while our girls’ team fell 99-50.  The boys’ margin of victory gave USN the combined win, 159-135.

Junior Logan Jones had the single most outstanding swim of the night in winning the 50 freestyle in 23.01, a new USN school record.  The previous record (23.09) belonged to Steve Miller and was set all the way back in February 1990, nearly 20 years ago!

Sophomore Holt Akers-Campbell won the 200 freestyle and the 100 butterfly, and sophomore Justin Maffett added a win in the 100 breaststroke.  These three were joined by seniors McClain Gore and Tom Coogan, sophomore John Coogan, and freshmen Ben Ghertner, Anders Hahnemann, and William Doak in winning all three relays.

Other strong swims came from freshman Miro Hurdle, who earned his first Region qualifying time in the 100 breaststroke, freshman Joey Simon, who dropped three seconds off his lifetime best in the same event, and junior William Cooper, who earned his first Region qualifying time in the 50 free.

The girls’ only event win meet came in the 200 freestyle relay, when sophomores Caroline Graham and Ellen Jones, along with freshmen Sarah Alberts and Alison Zhong, combined to win over Ensworth’s team.  Sarah and fellow freshman Sophie Campbell also posted lifetime best times in the 200 IM by four seconds.

Following this meet, our boys improve to 4-0, while our girls fall to 1-3.  Our combined record improves to 3-1.  Our next meet is on January 7 against Riverdale High School, when begins a demanding stretch of four meets in ten days.