Cyclones swim for Senior Night, season’s bests, another state-qualifying time
Published 10:44 pm Friday, December 17, 2021
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Elizabethton's Sophia James cuts through the water in a swim meet Thursday at the EHS pool.
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Cyclone swimmer Liam Canon swims a breaststroke leg for EHS at the EHS swimming pool on Thursday.
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Grace Artz competes in the breaststroke for the Lady Cyclones.
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Kody Broussard slices through the water during the backstroke competition.
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Lady Cyclone swimmer Cadie Digby takes a deep breath during her race Thursday night.
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Elijah Smith breezes through the water during the butterfly competition.
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Cyclone swimmer Elijah Smith was recognized on Senior Night Thursday and is joined by his family.
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Lady Cyclone Cadie Digby swims the breaststroke.
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Elizabethton swimmer Kody Broussard participates in the breaststroke for the Cyclone swim team.
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Elizabethton's Morgan Roszel takes a breath during a heat on Thursday night.
Star Photo/Randall Bennett Elizabethton swimmers prepare to launch off the platform to begin a contest on Thursday. From bottom to top the swimmers are Grace Artz, Sophia James, and Liam Canon.
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BY KELLI BROUSSARD
Cyclone swimmers competed Thursday night in a small double-dual meet against Morristown East and West. In their win against the two schools, the Cyclones swam for 15 season-best times and added a second State qualifying time to their season’s accomplishments.
The meet was also marked by recognizing senior Elijah Smith for his accomplishments both in and out of the water.
The first event of the night, the 200 freestyle, saw freshman Grace Artz cut over 10 seconds for a new personal best time of 3:01.97 in a race against teammate Sophia James who came in just six hundredths of a second later.
On the men’s side, Liam Cannon improved his time by over a second.
The second event of the night was the 200 Individual Medley, an event that requires swimmers to master all four competitive strokes. Sophomore Cadie Digby swam her best time of the season by 4.76 seconds.
Morgan Roszel dropped his time to come within 23 hundredths of a second of the state qualifying time and Kody Broussard shaved 57 hundredths of a second off his time for the season.
Later in the evening, Roszel swam a personal best time in the 100 backstroke to qualify for State in his second event of the season. The sophomore had qualified in the 500 freestyle earlier this season.
Freshman Megan Royce swam for two personal best times in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke, cutting an impressive 10 seconds in the backstroke. Digby, competing in a heat with teammates Tabitha Tshuma and Layla El Helou, improved her time in the 100 freestyle by more than a second to come within 89 hundredths of her goal to qualify for the State meet.
Eva El Helou dropped 13.40 seconds in the longest event, the 500 freestyle, for a new personal best time of 8:17.84.
Immediately following that event she joined teammates Digby, Royce and Sophia James in the 200 freestyle relay for a season’s best time of 2:15.07. El Helou did not get much of a break before reentering the water for the 100 backstroke with teammate Megan Royce.
Both Cyclones smashed their previous times in the event by dropping eight seconds and 10.78 seconds consecutively.
The most demanding segment of the training season occurs during Christmas break for Cyclones swimmers.
Their next meet is January 8, 2022 at Tennessee High.
Smith recognized
Smith is the son of Josh and Kristen Smith and the brother of Lucy and Hudson Smith. Elijah’s mother, sister and brother came in support of Elijah for the competitio.
Smith began swimming competitively when he was six-years-old and qualified and competed at the State meet last season in the 50 freestyle. This season he is working toward qualifying in the 50 and 100 free, 200 IM and 100 Fly.
He enjoys competing on the tennis team and singing in the men’s ensemble for Elizabethton High School and playing guitar. He works part time at Ingles and volunteers at One Acre Café in Johnson City.
He currently maintains a 4.0 grade point average and hopes to swim in college where he is currently planning to pursue a degree in the health sciences.
