Nolensville Swimming Places at Division Championship
The swimmers of the Nolensville High School swim team have been busy since early October working on their skills in the water every day. With some team members practicing upward of 15 hours a week, these athletes have put in the work and been rewarded with top finishes in the region and the state.
Mentored by Coach Sarah Sarbacker, the Nolensville girls won their regular season division championship, and the boys were runner-up. Their division includes Page, Independence, Summit, BGA, Henry County, and Grace Christian Academy.
Twelve team members swam fast enough during the regular season to qualify to compete in the Middle Tennessee Regional Championship meet in Nashville at Centennial Sportsplex. Jordan Tarpy, Deena Kinsman, and Cheyanne DiCarlo dropped significantly in the last meets to secure their regional spots. Drew Baxter won the 100 Yard Backstroke at the Regional Championship and placed 2nd in the 100 Yard Butterfly. Michael Pruett earned a 3rd Place finish in the 100-yard Freestyle and a 4th Place finish in the 50-free. The boys’ relay team of Baxter and Pruett, along with Micah Baxter and Elijah Kelley, got 5th Place in the 200 Freestyle Relay. D. Baxter, Pruett, Kelley, and AJ DiMiceli placed 6th in the 400 Freestyle Relay. Abby Cook placed 10th in the 200-yard Individual Medley, and the girls’ relay team of Cook, Mikayla Pruett, Lucy Clarke, and Searcy Mooney placed 13th in the 200 Freestyle Relay and 14th in the 200 Medley Relay. Searcy Mooney shaved over 13 seconds off of her 500 freestyle to punch her ticket to the state meet.
At the Tennessee Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association State Championship meet in Knoxville, nine Nolensville swimmers competed against 139 other high school teams and over 900 swimmers. Lucy Clarke and Jenna Kinsman swam state qualifying times at the final regular season meet to earn an individual spot at the Knoxville meet. Swimming at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center at the University of Tennessee, Drew Baxter led the team with a 2nd and 4th place finish. Michael Pruett had 7th and 13th place, and Abby Cook finished 10th. The boys’ 200 freestyle relay of Pruett, Baxter, Micah Baxter, and Elijah Kelley made it to finals and finished 15th in the state.
Swimmers are already looking forward to the 2023/2024 swimming season. Nolensville has signed eleven rising freshmen from Mill Creek Middle School and Sunset Middle School. This impressive size squad includes several athletes who were high-point scorers at the Middle Tennessee Middle School Championship Meet. Deena and Jenna’s younger sister Lauren Kinsman, Lasher twins Anna and Kayla and Searcy’s younger sister Darby Mooney, who won the 100 Yard Freestyle at Middle School Champs, will all be joining Nolensville Swimming next fall.
If you are interested in an introduction to competitive swimming, you can check out Nolensville’s summer league team’s Facebook page: Nolensville Hurricanes Swim Team. If you are interested in middle or high school swimming, email: sunsetmiddleswim@gmail.com, millcreekmiddleswim@gmail.com or NolensvilleHSswim@gmail.com.
