The competition saw swimmers compete in the morning preliminaries, from which they advanced to the finals with a top-eight finish.
With 48 swimmers between the ages of 6 and 18, the Cyclones saw 18 swimmers make the finals. Four made the podium with top-three finishes.
The Cyclones were led by Grant Davis, who finished first, taking home the team’s lone gold medal with a time of 18.95 seconds in the 8-and-under boys 25-meter backstroke.
Davis, who had set a district record in the 50 freestyle three weeks earlier, finished second in that same event with a time of 33:40.
The Cyclones’ other top finishers included Benjamin Hendrickson (Canton YMCA), who came in second in the 18U boys 50 breaststroke, and Irina Vogt (Eagle Watch), who tied for second in the 18U girls 50 breaststroke.
For Anne Davis, the Cyclones’ team coordinator, one of the competition’s most exciting conclusions came in the 8U girls 25 yard butterfly, with Bradshaw Farm’s Laurel Blase finishing in third place.
Blase had barely snuck into the finals earlier in the day, when she placed eighth in the preliminaries and took the last qualifying spot available.
For Laurel’s father Larry, watching his daughter place in the top three was “thrilling.”
“It was so enthralling to see our daughter competing with the very best swimmers in the state of Georgia,” Larry Blase said. “With the Olympic swimming competition starting the next day, Laurel was so proud and excited to stand on the winners’ podium, clutching her third-place medal.”
Larry Blase was also enthusiastic for the Cyclones’ overall performance.
“We’re so proud of the Cyclones team, proud of the way the athletes from swim squads all over the county came together as one team to practice and compete against the rest of the state.”
Blase also credited the coaches Shawna Bourdon and Jonathan Balchus.
The Cyclones’ other finalists in individual events were Royce Dingley (fifth in 18U boys 50 breaststroke, seventh in 18U boys 100 freestyle), Austin Maxwell (eighth in 18U boys 50 breaststroke), Dylan Villhauer (sixth in 18U boys 50 butterfly, seventh in 18U boys 50 free), Kimberly Norton (sixth in girls 18U 100 free), Morgan Williams (fourth in 14U 50 breaststroke), Lauren McCloskey (sixth in 8U girls 25 breaststroke), Russell Kaeser (sixth in 18U boys 50 backstroke), Brittni Hoover (sixth in 18U girls 50 backstroke), Chantal LaFlamme (sixth in 14U girls 100 individual medley) and Meghan Peterson (seventh in 14U girls 50 backstroke).
The Cyclones also had five medley teams place in the top eight — the 18U girls 200 medley (fifth), 18U boys 200 medley (sixth), 8U girls 100 free (seventh), 18U girls 200 free (seventh) and 18U boys 200 free (eighth).
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