On Thursday, January 9th, Cambridge hosted the Fulton County Championships at West Gwinnett Aquatic Center. The Bears came hungry for a championship title and they did not disappoint. Taking down region powerhouse Johns Creek and Alpharetta, the Cambridge girls made it clear that not only did they deserve that title, but that they also aren't done yet. This title will only add to their momentum going into the state meet next month where, with the help of the really talented boys squad, they hope to snag a couple state titles. The girls set four new meet records which added to the alum diver Maddie Chaloux's diving record, the only record Cambridge had previously held in the meet. Those four meet records set new school records as well.
Girls Team Scores
Cambridge - 465
Johns Creek - 428
Alpharetta - 397
Chattahoochee - 210
Riverwood - 205
Centennial - 187
North Springs - 104
Northview - 99.5
Westlake - 4.50
Tri-Cities - 0
Boys Team Scores
Johns Creek - 517
Alpharetta - 435
Centennial - 282
Cambridge - 249
Riverwood - 226
North Springs - 156
Chattahoochee - 135
Northview - 88
Westlake - 0
Tri-Cities - 0
Combined Team Scores
Johns Creek - 945
Alpharetta - 832
Cambridge - 714
Centennial - 469
Riverwood - 431
Chattahoochee - 345
North Springs - 260
Northview - 187.5
Westlake - 4.5
Tri-Cities - 0
Diving
Competition began with the diving component. Over the years, Cambridge's dive program has grown substantially and is constantly showing improvement. Thus far, Cambridge has seven divers qualified for state which is the most in program history. All seven of those state qualifiers competed on Thursday for the Bears.
For the boys team, Maddox Riddick took fourth place with a score of 182.30, followed by Brendan Hunt in sixth with a score of 143.90. Jack Oblen finished in 11th with a score of 114.15.
For the girls team, Kate McKay led the girls with a fourth place finish and a score of 202.95. Emilija Ragaine took seventh with a score of 187.70. Noor El-Gazairly took 10th with a score of 177.25. Margeaux Messier took 13th with a score of 145.65.
All of the divers scored points for the Bears.
Swimming
The swim portion of the meet began with the medley relay. The boys' A-relay (John Empoliti, Gabe Montes, Aiden Goodnight, Abhi Malik) took 9th for the Bears.
For the girls, the medley relay has been a particularly strong event. With the combination of school record-holder backstroker Sophie Brison, state medalist breastroker Jayla Brown, school record-holder butterflier Claire Kerber, and school record-holder, state medalist and All-American Abby Grottle in freestyle, you just have to sit back and watch the magic happen. With a substantial lead, the relay team easily took 1st place and set a new school record and a new meet record with a time of 1:50.09. These girls have their sights set on a gold medal at state. The B-relay (Eva Medici, Grace Ghent, Camille Brown, Samantha Hamilton) had season-best splits to take 6th overall.
In the boys 200-freestyle event, Jack O'Connor took 14th, followed by Michael O'Connor in 15th. Aiden Goodnight took 18th. All scored point for the Bears. Nick Feliciani took 26th.
For the girls, Abby Grottle came into it a two-time Fulton County Champion and looked to finish her high school County career with another title and she did not disappoint. Grottle finished with a time of 1:54.28, a new meet record and a first-place finish. She can now graduate with the title of three-time Fulton County 200-Freestyle Champion. Claire Kerber finished in 5th with a state-qualifying time of 2:03.44. Morgan Young finished in 11th, Emma Solomon swam a new best time and took 13th, Phoenix Koontz took 17th with a new best time of over 10-seconds, Priscila Rodriguez Sevilla took 23rd.
In the boys 200-individual medley, school record-holder Ben Grottle swam a really solid race to take 3rd with a time of 2:00.22. Billy Blood dropped almost 1.5 seconds to take 6th overall, and Gabe Montes dropped time to take eighth place. John Empoliti shaved time to take 22nd.
For the girls, school record-holder Sophie Brison shaved time to take second overall with a new school record time of 2:07.48. Olivia Skinner swam a new best time to take 16th, Anna Kerber dropped over five-second to take 20th, Laura Watkins shaved time to take 22nd, Amelia Duffner shaved time to take 23rd, and Izzy Filipek took 27th.
In the 50-free, Harrison Cottick took 40th, and Abhi Malik took 48th.
The girls team had a very exciting race in the 50-free. Emma Guy snagged her second individual state cut in the event with a time of 26.32 and taking fifth place overall. Brooke McLain finished right after in sixth also with state qualifying time of 26.47. Samantha Hamilton dropped substantial time in the event to finish in eighth and just off the state qualifying time. Jayci Brown dropped time to take 14th, Paige Jaeger dropped time to take 19th, Emma Solomon took 27th, Daniella Ryzhkov took 36th, and Priscilia Rodriguez Sevilla took 38th.
In the boys 100-fly, Billy Blood was the first to finish from Cambridge followed by teammate Aiden Goodnight, who swam his first individual state cut in the event. Jack O'Connor took 10th, also scoring points for the Bears.
For the girls, school record-holder Claire Kerber had an amazing race by dropping almost a second and taking second place overall with a time of 58.28. Kerber holds her club's record in the event and we look forward to hopefully seeing her on the podium this year at state in the event. Eva Medici dropped time to take 5th overall. Camille Brown took ninth, and Libby Jones took 10th. All of those girls have qualified in the event for state. Olivia Cash took 13th, Laura Watkins took 17th.
In the boys 100-free, Oleg Kolesnikov took 38th with a new best time, and Abhi Malik took 39th.
For the girls, state medalist Jayla Brown took second place in the event with a time of 55.08. Emma Guy finished with a new best time of 56.26 and in third place overall. Brooke McLain took sixth with a best season time. Grace Ghent took 11th, Jayci Brown took 12th with a new best time, Sydney Forbes took 14th with a new best time, Sydney Chambers took 18th, and Morgan Young took 19th.
In the boys 500-free, Ben Grottle had an awesome race to finish in second overall with a time of 4:47.80. Michael O'Connor took 8th.
For the girls, Abby Grottle went into the event also a two-time Fulton County Champion and hoped to snag a second hat trick title. Grottle was the state champion in the event in 2018 for 6A, holds the school record for the event, and earned her All-American title with her time in the event. She did not disappoint. Grottle stole the title once more with a finish of 5:06.40, which was four seconds before anyone else touched the wall. Grottle looks to get on the podium in the event at state once again. Olivia Skinner took 9th, Anna Kerber took 10th, Daniella Ryzhkov took 11th, Phoenix Koontz took 15th, and Izzy Filipek took 16th.
In the boys 200-freestyle relay, Billy Blood, Jack O'Connor, Michael O'Connor and Ben Grottle took sixth overall with a time of 1:35.72.
For the girls, Samantha Hamilton, Eva Medici, Brooke McLain, and Emma Guy all went personal best splits to snag third place in the event with a time of 1:43.66. The B-relay (Jayci Brown, Libby Jones, Sydney Chambers, Sydney Forbes) took 8th.
In the boys 100-back, John Empoliti took 11th and Harrison Cottick swam a new personal best to take 19th.
The girls were led by school record-holder Sophie Brison in the event. Finishing over five-seconds ahead of the next finisher, Brison set a new school record and a new meet record with a time of 56.66 with her first place finish. As a freshman, Brison is definitely going to shake things up at state and is looking for a podium finish. Eva Medici finished in 3rd with a new season best time. Libby Jones swam a new personal best to take 10th, Sydney Chambers took 11th, Paige Jaeger swam a new personal best to take 12th, Samantha Hamilton swam a new personal best to take 13th.
In the boys 100-breast, Gabe Montes had an awesome performance to take seventh overall with a new best time of 1:02.94. Oleg Kolesnikov took 20th.
For the girls, school record-holder and state medalist Jayla Brown took sixth, followed by Grace Ghent with a new season best time, Camille Brown in 16th, Sydney Forbes in 18th, Olivia Cash in 25th, and Amelia Duffner in 26th with a new personal best time.
In the final event of the evening, the boys 400-free relay (Billy Blood, Jack O'Connor, Michael O'Connor, Ben Grottle) took fifth place overall. The B-relay (Gabe Montes, John Empoliti, Aiden Goodnight, Abhi Malik) took 10th.
For the girls, the core powerhouse combination of Abby Grottle, Claire Kerber, Jayla Brown, and Sophie Brison looked to secure the championship title for the team with a necessary top finish in the event. The girls were pumped up and looking for not only a top finish, but a new meet record. They checked all of the boxes. The girls finished over four-seconds ahead of the second place Alpharetta team with a new season best time of 3:36.94. The time set a new school record and a new meet record and ensured a team win for the Bears. The B-relay (Grace Ghent, Emma Guy, Libby Jones, Brooke McLain) took 6th overall.
With all the Bears working together to put up their best performances, the team was able to finish with the highest finish in program history. The region is a hotspot for top swim and dive athletes (12 new meet records were set at the meet in total this year) and the meet gave a good idea of the competition the Bears are going to see at the state meet next month. The Bears are going to use this momentum to push them through the last month of preparation before they seek to set another set of program firsts. The Bears were honored to host the area's best athletes this year at the meet and couldn't have done it without the parents who volunteered from all school and helped the meet happen. The parents from Cambridge really stepped up, led by the outstanding booster club board, and put on a great meet to show what Cambridge is all about. The Bears have the best parents around!
Come and support your Bears in their last meet of the season at Metro Atlanta Championships next weekend. Diving is on Friday and swimming is on Saturday with a prelims and finals format.
Go Bears!
