For the second year in a row, the Signal Mountain Green Giants won the Chattanooga Area Swim League's Bill Caulkins City Meet.
The Green Giants earned 2,461.5 points Friday and Saturday at the Fort Oglethorpe pool to earn the first-place trophy.
This championship means more to the swim team than just the recognition; the Giants consider it a win for the community of Signal Mountain as well.
"This will be the first back-to-back we have had in quite a while," Signal Mountain head coach Jake Sosna said. "Last year was the first year we had won it in about five years, which is huge because our numbers were dipping way down. It used to be that everyone on Signal Mountain swam, and then slowly baseball took over or football or whatever took over."
But the sport of swimming on Signal Mountain is gaining traction again, and this year the Green Giants blazed through competition in the CASL Blue Division, going undefeated.
At the city meet the Dalton Dolphins came in second with 1,960 points, and the Ooltewah Tidal Waves finished in third with 1,757 points.
"Dalton and Ooltewah are huge (communities)," Sosna said. "Signal Mountain is just a tiny town, so it really is kind of remarkable that we are able to keep churning these out."
As the coach stood beside the pool sporting his green attire, green beard included, kids both young and old approached him, but none were more excited than a group of 6-year-olds. Sosna was quick to say how important the young ones are to the sport, and the recent success of the Green Giants team.
"With these little guys we are slowly getting everyone back into swimming," Sosna said. "It starts with the 6-year-olds, and they tell their friends and make sure our coaches do a good job, and word spreads."
Sosna finds great importance in the "million little green kids running around" at every meet.
And this win, along with all the other wins throughout the 2017 summer season, is what Sosna hopes will bring more excitement to the sport on the mountain.
"It really does mean a whole lot to our community and really just the swimming sport in general," Sosna said. "It's not one of the most popular sports in a non-Olympic year, so it's good to see it get some recognition. And it's fun - the kids really love it."
Contact Tori McElhaney at sports@timesfreepress.com
Final Team Standings
1. Signal Mountain Green Giants 2,461.5 points; 2. Dalton Dolphins 1,960; 3. Ooltewah Tidal Waves 1,757; 4. Stuart Heights 1,697.5; 5. Fairyland Flash 971; 6. Country Club Wavemakers 970.5; 7. Cleveland Aqua Tigers 899.5; 8. Big Ridge Raiders 623; 9. Catoosa Great White Sharks 441; 10. Ridgeside Dolphins 274; 11. Cleveland Waterdogs 243; 12. Red Bank Gators 214; 13. Cumberland Currents 175.
Standings
CASL Bill Caulkins City Meet Friday-Saturday, Fort Oglethorpe pool Top-four event finishers 6-under girls 25-yard backstroke: Audrey Ruth (SigM) 26.12, Sloane Graham (CGCC), Keilah Holliman (Ool), Sydney Gordon (SigM). 25 free freestyle: Gordon 21.90, Holliman, Susannah Inman (Ool), Makayla McInnes (Ool). 6-under boys 25 back: Elijah Bean (Dogs) 26.20, Wyatt Henry (SigM), Hank Wingfield (Fair), Jared Foster (CGCC). 25 free: Bean 20.65, Wingfield, Foster, Ryan Carpenter (Rid). 8-under girls 100 ind. medley: Anna Boyd (Ool) 1:26.03, Lydia Mizutani (Cumb), Katie Grace Tuder (CGCC), Molly Mae Ransom (StH). 25 breaststroke: Boyd 21.15, Tuder, Sarah Griffith (RB), Chapman Mathis (BigR). 50 free: Boyd 35.84, Mizutani, Tuder, Amber Isbell (Ool). 100 medley relay: Ooltewah 1:22.93, Stuart Heights, Signal Mtn. A, Signal Mtn. B. 25 free: Tuder 16.00, Mizutani, Ava Grace Gipson (Ool), Isbell. 25 butterfly: Mizutani 16.72, Bond, Ransom, Tuder. 25 back: Boyd 19.02, Mizutani, Ransom, Ava Gardner Gipson (Ool). 100 free relay: Ooltewah 1:12:02, Stuart Heights, Fairyland, Signal Mtn. 8-under boys 100 IM: Noah Holliman (Ool) 1:36.87, Sam Laramore (SigM), Wilder Wingfield (Fair), Ethan Runkle (BigR). 25 breast: Laramore 21.58, Harrison Barnes (Fair), Wingfield, Runkle. 50 free: Kyle Powroznik (Ool) 38.99, Holliman, Wingfield, Laramore. 100 medley relay: Ooltewah 1:22.69, Fairyland, Big Ridge, Signal Mtn. 25 free: Wingfield 16.75, Holliman, Runkle, Poworznik. 25 fly: Holliman 18.43, Runkle, Wingfield, Laramore. 25 back: Charlie Whittle (Ool) 20.34, Christopher Farnham (BigR), Holliman, (tie) Bo Ozburn (Fair), JJ. Hoover (SigM). 100 free relay: Fairyland 1:11.33, Ooltewah, Signal Mtn., Big Ridge. 9-10 girls 100 IM: Sophia Wagner (Dal) 1:11.64, Scout Chapin (StH), Adelaide Bond (Rid), Frances Bohner (Fair). 50 breast: Wagner 39.03, Chapin, Bond, Ava McCoy (StH). 100 free: Chapin 1:06.66, Bond, Bohner, Ellie Lydon (StH). 200 medley relay: Stuart Heights 2:23.54, Dalton, Signal Mtn., Country Club. 50 fly: Chapin 30.65, WAgner, Bohner, Lydon. 50 free: Wagner 28.56, Chapin, Bond, Bohner. 50 backstroke: Wagner 34.04, Bond, Bohner, Rebecca Rios (Dal). 200 free relay: Stuart Heights 2:06.04, Dalton, Signal Mtn., Fairyland. 9-10 boys 100 IM: Luke Waldrep (StH) 1:14.85, Luc Chenard (Dal), Franco Valdez (Dal), Liam Runkle (BigR). 50 breast: Waldrep 39.25, Cooper Lehman (StH), Chenard, Valdez. 100 free: Waldrep 1:05.52, Runkle, Lehman, Elijah Holliman (Ool). 200 medley relay: Stuart Hts. 2:26.52, Dalton, Ooltewah, Signal Mtn. 50 fly: Chenard 31.84, Waldrep, Valdez, Lehman. 50 free: Waldrep 28.70, Valdez, Holliman, Runkle. 50 back: Valdez 34.71, Holliman, Bryson Lake (CAT), Chenard. 200 free relay: Stuart Heights 2:07.27, Dalton, Signal Mtn., Ooltewah. 11-12 girls 50 breast: Alexis Vaughn (Dal) 34.76, Caroline Schenck (CGCC), Bella Miller (SigM), Addie Margio (CGCC). 100 free: Maddie Weathers (Ool) 59.17, Schenck, Emma Pulliam (Catoosa), Madeline Bond (Rid). 100 IM: Schenck 1:08.24, Weathers, Pulliam, Bond. 200 medley relay: Signal Mtn. 2:12.00, Ooltewah, Dalton, Country Club. 50 fly: Weathers 29:32, Belle Flasch (SigM), Pulliam, Beatrice Davis (StH). 50 free: Pulliam 26.95, Weathers, Schenck, Bond. 50 back: Weathers 31.42, Lauren Thompson (CAT), Pulliam, Schenck. 200 free relay: Signal Mtn. 1:57.12, Ooltewah, Dalton, Country Cllub. 11-12 boys 50 breast: Grayson Officer (CAT) 33.26, Charlie Han (BigR), Cole Withrow (Dal), Noah Dzik (StH). 100 free: Roman Valdez (Dal) 51.41, Gavin Ollis (Dal), Han, Logan Jones (Dal). 100 IM: Valdez 59.81, Ollis, Officer, Han. 200 medley relay: Dalton 1:59.85, Stuart Heights, Signal Mtn., Cleveland Aqua Tigers. 50 fly: Valdez 25.54, Officer, Ollis, Jones. 50 free: Valdez 23.97, Officer, Ollis, Jones. 50 back: Valdez 27.32, Officer, Ollis, Ryan Berry (CGCC). 200 free relay: Dalton 1:45.28, Stuart Heights, Big Ridge, Country Club. 13-14 girls 50 breast: Ellie Taliaferro (Fair) 30.71, Breanna Belcher (CAT), Brighton Smith (Ool), Anna Thompson (CAT). 100 free: Taliferro 55.00, Ellie Waldrep (StH), Lily Parr (Ool), Leah Boyd (Ool). 100 IM: Waldrep 1:00.11, Taliaferro, Smith, Belcher. 200 medley relay: Ooltewah 1:57.67, Cleveland Aqua Tigers, Country Club, Stuart Heights. 50 fly: Taliaferro 26:62, Waldrep, Lydia Bohannon (CGCC), Boyd. 50 free: Taliaferro 25.12, Parr, Waldrep, Boyd. 50 back: Waldrep 27.17, Boyd, Bohannon, (tie) Parr, Thompson. 200 free relay: Ooltewah 1:44.54, Cleveland Aqua Tigers, Fairyland, Stuart Heights. 13-14 boys 50 breast: Henry Bethel (Dal) 27.92, Kyle Berry (CGCC), Conor Kinley (CGCC), Easton O'Donnell (Catoosa). 100 free: Aidan Sims (SigM) 50.94, Bethel, Berry, Jacob McDaniel (CAT). 100 IM: Bethel 55.19, Berry, Sims, McDaniel. 200 medley relay: Dalton 1:49.52, Cleveland Aqua Tigers, Signal Mtn., Catoosa. 50 fly: Berry 25.46, Sims, Grant Cooley (StH), Trey Parris (CAT). 50 free: Bethel 23.21, Sims, Cooley, Kinley. 50 back: Bethel 26.02, Berry, Parris, McDaniel. 200 free relay: Dalton A 1:37.85, Cleveland Aqua Tigers, Signal Mtn., Dalton B. 15-18 girls 50 breast: Jewel Gordon (SigM) 31.09, Megan Hanson (SigM), Carley Braman (Fair), Grace Pleasant (Dal). 100 free: Gordon 53.73, Grayson Payne (CAT), Dallas Woods (SigM), Jamee Mitchum (SigM). 100 IM: Gordon 1:00.84, Payne, Mitchum, Emma Scruggs (Ool). 200 medley relay: Signal Mtn. A 1:53.55, Ooltewah, Signal Mtn. B, Dalton. 50 fly: Mitchum 26.88, Payne, Gordon, Jillian Cantrell (Ool). 50 free: Gordon 25.12, Mitchum, Payne, Audrey Rackel (SigM). 50 back: Woods 27.67, Payne, Mitchum, Carlin Hudson (Dal). 200 free relay: Signal Mtn. A 1:43.25, Signal Mtn. B, Dalton, Stuart Heights. 15-18 boys 50 breast: Luke Massey (RB) 26.14, Thomas Porter (SigM), Reece Gallagher (Catoosa), Jonathan Shaheen (Dal). 100 free: Trey Freeman (SigM) 46.54, Shaheen, Max Ransom (StH), Emilio Valdez (Dal). 100 IM: Freeman 52.27, Shaheen, Massey, Ransom. 200 medley relay: Dalton 1:41.67, Signal Mtn. A, Signal Mtn. C, Signal Mtn. B. 50 fly: Freeman 23.10, Ransom, Shaheen, Alex Mashburn (Dal). 50 free: Freeman 21.44, Shaheen, Massey, Ransom. 50 back: Freeman 24.46, Ransom, Raul Valdez (Dal), Gallagher. 200 free relay: Dalton 1:30.74, Signal Mtn. C, Signal Mtn. B, Signal Mtn. A.