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Fleming Island second in region; top-ranked relays

By Randy Lefko Sports Editor
Posted 11/4/20

STUART - Fleming Island High defending gold medal 200 medley relay girls squad; Emma and Sarah Grimm, Christine Johnson and Abree Clark will be traveling to the Class 3A championship meet in Stuart …

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Fleming Island second in region; top-ranked relays


Posted

STUART - Fleming Island High defending gold medal 200 medley relay girls squad; Emma and Sarah Grimm, Christine Johnson and Abree Clark will be traveling to the Class 3A championship meet in Stuart on Fri., Nov.6 with the top ranking in the state in a chase of a second gold medal in the event.

With Tallahassee Chiles winning the region 1-3A team title over the Lady Golden Eagles, the rivalry will heat up at the state meet as swimmers from both schools will be populating the top five rankings in Class 3A.

Fleming Island’s 200 medley relay has just over a second gap advantage over Chiles; 1:48.59 to 1:49.75, which should make the final even faster. Niceville is third ranked at 1:51.71.

One name fast gaining attention statewide is Fleming Island freshman Maryn McDade who is second ranked in the 50 free and fifth ranked in the 100.

In the 50 free, McDade, the region champion, is a hair away from top seed Sarah Evans of Port St. Lucie; 23.93 to 24.31. with teammate Emma Grimm fourth at 24.35 in an event that could bring vital team points.

Emma Grimm and junior Julia Sheffler are third and fourth ranked in the 100 breaststroke after a 3-4 region finish about three seconds off top seed and region 1-3A champion Emma Wortman of Pace High. Four of the top five seeds in the 100 breaststroke are from Fleming Island’s region 1-3A lineup with Naples High’s Sabyne Brisson ranked second to break the top five list.

In the 100, McDade is in a cluster of top five swimmers that are separated by just a second with top seed Isabella Ekk of Chiles and, also a freshman, at 52.34 and McDade at 53.20. Abree Clark is 24th seed at 55.39. Ekk was also the 100 free region champion.

Fleming Island sophomore diver Jillian Labelle, the district champion and region runner-up is ranked 17th.

In the 200 free relay, the Fleming Island girls sit at third in a field with Countryside on top at 1:37.82 and Chiles second at 1:37.95 and Fleming Island at 1:38.06 with the final hinging on perfect execution off the starting blocks.

Fleming Island’s boys 200 free relay; with a history of gold medals, is ranked seventh about three seconds off the top seed Barron Collier.

Austin Wheeler, region champion in the 100 breaststroke, is sixth ranked in 3A. Wheeler finished second behind top ranked Hayden Kwan of Chiles by five seconds to put four swimmers between the pair at state.

In the 50 free at regions, Eric Bilyeu was crowned champion with a 21.99 split but fell to seventh in state ranks with strong speed from south Floria led by Land O Lakes senior Zuri Ramsey’s 20.97.

Bilyeu also won the region title in the 100 fly and is ranked 11th in Class 3A.

Bilyeu would team with Wheeler, Dylan Ducut and Justin Lebesch to win the region title in the 200 free relay and get a seventh rank statewide.