By Shannon Gary, Special to The Press-Herald
The MTAC Stingrays turned in their highest-scoring meet of the season Wednesday at the Minden Tennis and Aquatic Club, totaling 815 points to defeat Haynesville Swim Team (612) and Bulldog Aquatics (172). The victory was fueled by event wins, relay success and numerous personal-best performances.
Top Point Earners: Maddox Snider paced the Stingrays with 32 points, while Emma Kratzer and Sawyer Pitman scored 29 each. Vivienne Fussell (27.5), Cohen Toland (26), Brooks Boyd, Sawyer Burson, Christian Lemoine and Stella Perryman (25 each) rounded out the team’s leading scorers.
Records Broken: Maddox Snider delivered a historic performance, breaking two long-standing MTAC records. His time of 59.00 in the 100-yard freestyle shattered the previous mark of 1:02.93 set by Cam Owen in 2002, while his 29.34 in the 50-yard butterfly lowered the record of 30.02 that had stood since Cody Milam set it in 2000.
6 & Under
GW Rowton swept the 25-yard freestyle and backstroke, while Reese Waller placed third in freestyle and second in backstroke. Savannah Gary scored in backstroke and posted one of the meet’s biggest improvements, dropping more than 24 seconds in breaststroke. Cannon Sunderland, Savannah Gary, Josh Allen and Reese Waller teamed up for a personal-best 100-yard freestyle relay.
8 & Under
Jo Bordelon won the 50-yard freestyle and helped lead MTAC’s winning freestyle and medley relays. Posey Belle Boyd added runner-up finishes in freestyle and backstroke, while Madeline Fussell contributed key points. Cash Smith placed second in backstroke and freestyle while cutting more than 13 seconds from his 50 freestyle. Owen Humphrey earned second in freestyle and third in breaststroke. Larkyn James dropped more than 41 seconds in the 100 IM and finished second in the butterfly, while newcomers Reece Snider and Levi Williams recorded double-digit improvements in freestyle.
9-10 Age Group
Vivienne Fussell won both freestyle events and helped MTAC’s A relay team to victory. Stella Perryman was runner-up in freestyle and won breaststroke, while Kiara Thomas placed second in backstroke and Gracelyn Pitman earned top-three finishes in both freestyle races. Brooks Boyd won the 25 freestyle and finished second in the 50 freestyle. Bronx Ulich placed third in freestyle and backstroke, and Reece Coburn posted one of the day’s largest improvements, dropping nearly 14 seconds in breaststroke and more than nine seconds in freestyle. MTAC’sngirls won both relays, while the boys added strong runner-up finishes.
11-12 Age Group
Christian Lemoine won the 100 IM and finished second in both freestyle and butterfly. Corbin Toland captured the backstroke title and added runner-up finishes in freestyle and breaststroke. Cade Rodgers, Kaleb Kidd, Brooks Boyd and Corbin Toland powered a winning 200-yard medley relay that improved by more than a minute. Nella Snider won the 100 freestyle and placed third in backstroke, while Kynlee Dale earned runner-up honors in butterfly.
13-14 Age Group
Emma Kratzer won the 100 IM, 50 backstroke and 50 butterfly, while Mackenzie Snider placed second in backstroke and third in freestyle. Ella Stahl contributed valuable points with a runner-up finish in the 100 IM, third place finishes in freestyle and backstroke, and a second-place finish in breaststroke. Maddox Snider swept the 50 backstroke, 100 freestyle and 50 butterfly, setting two club records. Sawyer Burson won the 50 freestyle and contributed to relay victories, while Cohen Toland captured the breaststroke title and added runner-up finishes in freestyle and backstroke.
15-18 Age Group
Sawyer Pitman won the 50 backstroke and butterfly and placed second in breaststroke. Camden Grubbs added ansecond-place finish in freestyle and third-place finishes in backstroke and breaststroke. Grace Dennin recorded personal-best times in all four of her events.
Biggest Improvements
Notable time drops included Reece Coburn (-13.78 in breaststroke,b-9.37 in freestyle), Savannah Gary (-24.20 in breaststroke, -10.51 in backstroke), Larkyn James (-41.55 in the 100 IM), Annabel Sunderland (-20.53 in the 50 freestyle), Levi Williams (-16.76 in the 50 freestyle), Reece Snider (-14.13 in the 50 freestyle), Cash Smith (-13.53 in the 50 freestyle) and Nella Snider, who won the girls’ 11-12 100 freestyle while improving by 9.64 seconds. Additional contributions came from Louie Kourvelas, Grant Dennin, King Daniel, Eli Curley, Bennett Brown, Sutton Perryman, Titus Waller, Trip Williams, Piper Peevy, Addison Snider, Razze Waller, Hattie Heard, Emily Burson, Zoey Dyck and Cora Rodgers, who combined for points, personal-bestnswims and strong relay performances that showcased the depth of the Stingrays roster. As the Stingrays prepare for next week’s Championship City Meet, Coaches Shannon Gary and Catherine Payne said they are extremely proud of the hard work, dedication and progress shown by every swimmer throughout the season. From record-breaking performances and event victories to personal-best swims and first-time competitors, they wish all of the Stingrays the very best as they head into the season’s finish the summer strong.