By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com
The Madisonville-North Hopkins swim team captured four of the last six events during Thursday evening's dual against Greenwood, yet fell four points short of winning the meet at Hopkins County Family YMCA.
North's girls team dominated the Gators 172-110, but Greenwood capitalized on the boys portion of the meet 177-111 to edge the Maroons 287-283.
The Lady Maroons boasted nine different wins led by Carli and Ellen Whittington, who each finished the meet with two individual victories.
For the boys, four individual swimmers collected first-place honors along with a relay team victory.
"As a team everybody is doing really well and swimming as hard as they can," assistant coach Jeremy Roach said. "Our practices for the last week have been our best practices of the whole year."
To begin the meet, the Lady Maroons won the first event - the 200-yard medley relay.
The victory was the first of three relay team wins for the girls.
Rachel Dorris swam the starting leg of the team's first win on the night.
Although North did not escape the meet with the overall win, Dorris said the team is in prime shape following winter break workouts.
"These past two meets, you can really see an improvement in the team," she said. "It's pretty impressive.
"It's actually surprising to see how good our boys are doing this year and all of our new girls are doing real well, so that's impressive too."
Dorris claimed a second-place (500-yard freestyle) and third-place (200-yard IM) individually to go along with her two first-place relay team awards.
The Whittington sisters finished the night as North's lone swimmers with multiple individuals wins.
Carli captured first in the 200-yard IM and 100-yard freestyle while Ellen took the top spot in the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly.
Although Carli secured a pair of wins, she said she doesn't typically swim those events, but understands the importance of placing various swimmers in different areas.
"It helps diversify the team because we want to be able to move people around in different events," she said.
"It helps the team overall like at regionals. That way we don't have just one person that swims freestyle."
Mary Katherine Kington (50-yard freestyle) and Hilary Fischer (one meter diving) also finished the meet with single first-place wins.
Coach Jason Clark said he was also impressed with Kaylynn Carver's 100 freestyle split times, which should put her in position for an open spot in next week's meet.
On the boys side, Maarten and Micah Adams, Zach Yonts and John Hilker each recorded individuals victories. Hilker claimed his individual win (100-yard backstroke) as well as North's 400-yard freestyle relay first place with incredible efforts in the final meters.
Fans and teammates cheered as Hilker came back from nearly five meters behind on the last leg of the 400 free relay.
After the meet, Hilker said it's difficult to understand what's going on outside the pool when individuals yell their encouragement.
"Not really, you can't hear them or see them," he said. "I can taste the water, that's about it. I just kind of look and go, 'I'm going to have to catch up,' so I just swim my hardest."
Hilker also divulged his technique on the backstroke, which he considers his best race.
"I developed a really big pull-out kind thing that gave me a lot of pull under water that other swimmers don't really have, so I don't have to take as many strokes to get as far," he said.
Hilker's final effort no doubt invigorated his teammates, but once the points were tallied North found itself just shy of the win.
Despite the overall meet loss, the swimmers are focused and committed to excellence as the season approaches regionals
"We're going to start tapering here soon at the end of the month," Carli Whittington said. "Coach Clark has put a lot of energy and effort into helping this team get faster, so hopefully his plan for tapering will pay off and our times will drop."
Madisonville-North next swims at 6 p.m. on Tuesday when the team plays host to Henderson County at the YMCA.
North's girls team dominated the Gators 172-110, but Greenwood capitalized on the boys portion of the meet 177-111 to edge the Maroons 287-283.
The Lady Maroons boasted nine different wins led by Carli and Ellen Whittington, who each finished the meet with two individual victories.
For the boys, four individual swimmers collected first-place honors along with a relay team victory.
"As a team everybody is doing really well and swimming as hard as they can," assistant coach Jeremy Roach said. "Our practices for the last week have been our best practices of the whole year."
To begin the meet, the Lady Maroons won the first event - the 200-yard medley relay.
The victory was the first of three relay team wins for the girls.
Rachel Dorris swam the starting leg of the team's first win on the night.
Although North did not escape the meet with the overall win, Dorris said the team is in prime shape following winter break workouts.
"These past two meets, you can really see an improvement in the team," she said. "It's pretty impressive.
"It's actually surprising to see how good our boys are doing this year and all of our new girls are doing real well, so that's impressive too."
Dorris claimed a second-place (500-yard freestyle) and third-place (200-yard IM) individually to go along with her two first-place relay team awards.
The Whittington sisters finished the night as North's lone swimmers with multiple individuals wins.
Carli captured first in the 200-yard IM and 100-yard freestyle while Ellen took the top spot in the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly.
Although Carli secured a pair of wins, she said she doesn't typically swim those events, but understands the importance of placing various swimmers in different areas.
"It helps diversify the team because we want to be able to move people around in different events," she said.
"It helps the team overall like at regionals. That way we don't have just one person that swims freestyle."
Mary Katherine Kington (50-yard freestyle) and Hilary Fischer (one meter diving) also finished the meet with single first-place wins.
Coach Jason Clark said he was also impressed with Kaylynn Carver's 100 freestyle split times, which should put her in position for an open spot in next week's meet.
On the boys side, Maarten and Micah Adams, Zach Yonts and John Hilker each recorded individuals victories. Hilker claimed his individual win (100-yard backstroke) as well as North's 400-yard freestyle relay first place with incredible efforts in the final meters.
Fans and teammates cheered as Hilker came back from nearly five meters behind on the last leg of the 400 free relay.
After the meet, Hilker said it's difficult to understand what's going on outside the pool when individuals yell their encouragement.
"Not really, you can't hear them or see them," he said. "I can taste the water, that's about it. I just kind of look and go, 'I'm going to have to catch up,' so I just swim my hardest."
Hilker also divulged his technique on the backstroke, which he considers his best race.
"I developed a really big pull-out kind thing that gave me a lot of pull under water that other swimmers don't really have, so I don't have to take as many strokes to get as far," he said.
Hilker's final effort no doubt invigorated his teammates, but once the points were tallied North found itself just shy of the win.
Despite the overall meet loss, the swimmers are focused and committed to excellence as the season approaches regionals
"We're going to start tapering here soon at the end of the month," Carli Whittington said. "Coach Clark has put a lot of energy and effort into helping this team get faster, so hopefully his plan for tapering will pay off and our times will drop."
Madisonville-North next swims at 6 p.m. on Tuesday when the team plays host to Henderson County at the YMCA.
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