Madison wins Region II meet, but local coaches pleased with effort
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Albertville finished sixth and Boaz seventh in the recent Alabama Recreation and Parks Association Region II swim meet, held July 10-11 in Boaz.
Bringing a powerhouse roster of 56 competitive athletes to the pool, Boaz went head-to-head with top teams in the region, culminating in a highly successful weekend of racing.
The Barracudas’ depth and determination were on full display as the team racked up an incredible 15 podium finishes, including four gold, four silver, and seven bronze medals.
Demonstrating the bright future of the program, 41 of the 56 Barracudas officially qualified for the state championship meet. Highlighting this achievement, 13 of those 41 state qualifiers are relatively new to the sport, earning their ticket to state in just their first or second year of competitive swimming.
Albertville coach Dusty Thomas noted the Gators program fielded 65 swimmers for the District II meet, compared to 31 last year when the meet was at the Sand Mountain Park.
Forty Albertville swimmers qualified for the state meet in 2026, compared to 20 last year.
“I keep up with our team’s best times for each meet,” Thomas said. “At the district meet, our team had a total of 122 best times, our best this summer.”
He said the Gators improved their team finish this season and were only 26 points away from fifth place.
“This year’s District II swim meet will go down as one of the most memorable ones I have been associated with,” he said. “Boaz was this year’s host, and they ran a very good meet.”
Madison scored 1,526.5 points — 565 points ahead of Cullman — to win the meet.
Team scores were:
Madison 1,562.5
Cullman 997.5
Guntersville 606
Arab 442.5
Scottsboro 305
Albertville 278.5
Boaz 277.5
Decatur Area 187.5
Listed are the scores from Albertville Gators, Boaz Barracudas and Guntersville who qualified in individual events for the ARPA state meet Friday and Saturday in Opelika.
100-yard individual medley
Boys 8-and-under — 6, Pablo Sharp, Albertville, 1 minute, 50.51 seconds. 11, Jude Mayer, Guntersville, 2:03.34. 13, Gan Younghouse, 2:14.49. 14, Brewer Wood, Guntersville, 2:15.10.
Girls 8-and-under — 1, Isabella Champion, Guntersville, 1:16.50. 3, Finley Lewis, Boaz, 1:32.57. 4, Jeanne Raines, Albertville, 1:38.76. 8, Skylar Pettus, Albertville, 1:53.62. 9, Charlie Richards, Guntersville, 2:14.42.
Boys 9-10 — 5, Oliver Driver, Boaz, 1:25.91. 7, Jaden Bittle, Albertville, 1:27.56. 12, William Giddens, Boaz, 1:31.39. 19, Mac Blocker, Guntersville, 1:35.72. 21, Gray Seguin, Guntersville, 1:39.95.
Girls 9-10 — 7, Yhana Maxilom, Boaz, 1:26.16. 8, Lily van der Wel, Guntersville, 1:26.24. 9, Peri Davis, Boaz, 1:26.46. 14, Whaley Pettus, Albertville, 1:32.42. 15, Genesis Garcia, Albertville, 1:32.80.
Boys 11-12 — 5, Matthew Alred, Guntersville, 1:12.39.
Girls 11-12 — 10, Tessa Cook, Boaz, 1:20.40. 11, Kendall Quinn, Albertville, 1:21.36. 21, MaddaLynn Russo, Albertville, 1:24.81. 27, Isabella McBride, Guntersville, 1:27.86. 31, Emma Martinez, Boaz, 1:30.55. 32, Lexi Davis, Boaz, 1:31.16. 33, Evelyn Turner, Albertville, 1:31.39.
Boys 13-14 — 3, Michael Alred, Guntersville, 1:00.46. 5, Benjamin Ellis, Guntersville, 1:05.36. 6, Brennan Wood, Boaz, 1:06.65.
Girls 13-14 — 7, Leigh Claire Armstrong, Albertville, 1:11.98.
Boys 15-18 — 7, Peyton Troxtel, Boaz, 1:00.86. 10, Jackson Ellis, Guntersville, 1:02.48.
Girls 15-18 — 9, Aubrey Lang, Boaz, 1:08.42. 14, Leigh Smith, Boaz, 1:10.06. 16, Scarlett McBride, Guntersville, 1:11.79. 19, Elizabeth Willoughby, Albertville, 1:14.56. 21, Ella Kay van der Wel, Guntersville, 1:14.79.
100-yard medley relay
Girls 8-and-under — 2, Guntersville A (Charlie Richards, Isabella Champion, Olivia Champion, Mary Layne Payton), 1:18.85. 3, Boaz (Mia Paredes, Josie Beam, Abigail Weathers, Finley Lewis), 1:25.35.
200-yard medley relay
Boys 13-14 — 3, Guntersville (Michael Alred, Knox Everett, Benjamin Ellis, Jax Braswell), 2:00.51.
Girls 13-14 — 3, Guntersville (Jessa Ellis, Tinsley Broadway, Clara an der Wel, Ally Rader), 2:10.60.
25-yard freestyle
Boys 6-and-under — 3, Hudson Gevers, Guntersville, 23.44.
Girls 6-and-under — 1, Olivia Champion, Guntersville, 16.13. 2, Alia Garcia, Albertville, 20.42. 3, Middleton Nolan, Albertville, 20.67. 6, Gabriella van der Wel, Guntersville, 22.59. 9, Lucy van der Wel, Guntersville, 25.51. 14, Kindley Rains, Albertville, 31.18. 15, Emily Toma, Boaz, 33.30. 18, Penelope Gunther, Guntersville, 35.30. 19, Heidi Younghouse, Guntersville, 36.18.
Boys 8-and-under — 1, John Wilson Dollar, Guntersville, 15.6 seconds. 9, Holland Walker, Albertville, 19.47.
Girls 8-and-under — 1, Abigail Weathers, Boaz, 16.11. 2, Josie Beam, Boaz, 16.66.
50-yard freestyle
Boys 9-10 — 4, Tripp Rains III, Albertville, 33.12 seconds. 8, Tyson Madden, Guntersville, 33.90. 9 (tie), Oliver Driver, Boaz, 34.35. 16, Gray Seguin, Guntersville, 35.53.
Girls 9-10 — 3, Sadie George, Guntersville, 32.04. 7, Avy Armstrong, Albertville, 33.75. 8, Genesis Garcia, Albertville, 34.09. 9, Yhana Maxilom, Boaz, 35.90.
Boys 11-12 — 2, Jace Duncan, Boaz, 27.39. 5 (tie), Brett Bright, Albertville, 30.10.
Girls 11-12 — 2, Tessa Kate Watkins, Guntersville, 27.88.
Boys 13-14 — 3, Samuel Willoughby, Albertville, 24.77. 16 (tie), Declan Turner, Albertville, 28.44.
Girls 13-14 — 3, Tinsley Broadway, Guntersville, 27.33. 5, Jessa Ellis, 27.96. 6, Ali Sharp, Albertville, 28.41. 7, Ally Rader, Guntersville, 28.60. 10, Brooksie Corbitt, Albertville, 29.43.
Boys 15-18 — 2, Cole Everett, Guntersville, 22.93. 7 (tie), Peyton Troxtel, Boaz, 23.28. 10, Pierson Cooley, Boaz, 23.30. 13, Jackson Ellis, Guntersville, 23.45.
Girls 15-18 — 2, Annabelle Jensen, Madison, 25.87. 3, Freida Pressnell, Decatur, 25.94.
25-yard breaststroke
Boys 8-and-under — 1, John Wilson Dollar, Guntersville, 22.33 seconds. 5, Brewer Wood, Guntersville, 29.08.
Girls 8-and-under — 2, Josie Beam, Boaz, 21.85. 4, Jeanne Rains, Albertville, 22.98.
50-yard breaststroke
Boys 9-10 — 2, Max Alred, Guntersville, 41.87. 4, Tripp Rains III, Albertville, 44.83.
Girls 9-10 — 5, Sadie George, Guntersville, 42.75. 6, Peri Davis, Boaz, 44.96. 8, Whaley Pettus, Albertville, 45.62. 9, Lily van der Wel, Guntersville, 46.67. 11, Avy Armstrong, Albertville, 46.77. 15, Kendall Overby, Guntersville, 48.66.
Boys 11-12 — 1, Matthew Alred, Guntersville, 36.18. 7, Brett Bright, Albertville, 42.08. 14, Nathaniel Lewis, Boaz, 45.44. 15, Thatcher Hamilton, Guntersville, 45.62. 16, Sam Weathers, Boaz, 45.94. 17, John O’Shields, Guntersville, 46.15. 18, Reece Nelson, Albertville, 46.52. 30, Jeremiah Tanner, Albertville, 55.92.
Boys 13-14 — 3, Michael Alred, Guntersville, 31.76. 4, Benjamin Ellis, Guntersville, 32.17. 6, Rowan Spears, Boaz, 33.24. 7, Brennan Wood, Boaz, 33.56.
Girls 13-14 — 3, Tinsley Broadway, Guntersville, 35.72. 4, Ali Sharp, Albertville, 36.49. 6, Brooksie Corbitt, Albertville, 37.27. 7, Clara van der Wel, Guntersville, 37.64.
Boys 15-18 — 7, Will Weathers, Boaz, 31.47.
Girls 15-18 — 6, Bella Hays, Boaz, 34.36. 7, Scarlett McBride, Guntersville, 34.85. 12, Leigh Smith, Boaz, 36.23. 17, Elizabeth Willoughby, Albertville, 38.06. 21, April Martinez, Boaz, 39.44.
100-yard freestyle relay
Mixed 8-and-under — 2, Albertville (Holland Walker, Josabet Ocanto, Jeanne Rains, Pablo Sharp), 1:11.60.
200-yard freestyle relay
Mixed 9-10 — 2, Albertville A (Avy Armstrong, Jaden Bittle, Genesis Garcia, Tripp Rains III, 2:13.91. 3, Guntersville A (Tyson Madden, Lily van der Wel, Max Alred, Sadie George), 2:15.50.
Mixed 11-12 — 3, Guntersville (Matthew Alred, John O’Shields, Hannah Pyburn, Tessa Kate Watkins), 2:03.18.
Mixed 13-14 — 2, Guntersville A (Benjamin Ellis, Jessa Ellis, Tinsley Broadway, Michael Alred), 1:47.61.
50-yard freestyle
Boys 8-and-under — 3, Pablo Sharp, Albertville, 41.81. 7, Clark Larson, Guntersville, 44.68.
Girls 8-and-under — 1, Isabella Champion, Guntersville, 30.62. 2, Finley Lewis, Boaz, 35.78.
100-yard freestyle
Boys 9-10 — 2, Max Alred, Guntersville, 1 minute, 12.49 seconds. 6, Gray Seguin, Guntersville, 1:16.93.
Girls 9-10 — 12, Whaley Pettus, Albertville, 1:20.15.
Boys 11-12 — 3, Matthew Alred, Guntersville, 1:03.46. 13, Ollie Wood, Guntersville, 1:14.93. 15, Nathaniel Lewis, Boaz, 1:15.02.
Girls 11-12 — 7, Tessa Cook, Boaz, 1:07.95.
Boys 13-14 — 8, Brennan Wood, Boaz, 57.09. 13, Jax Braswell, Guntersville, 1:00.70.
Girls 13-14 — 4, Tinsley Broadway, Guntersville, 1:01.41. 5, Ali Sharp, Albertville, 1:02.17. 7, Clara van der Wel, Guntersville, 1:04.29. 10, Brooklynn Pfeiffer, Boaz, 1:06.40. 11, Cora Lang, Boaz, 1:06.82.
Boys 15-18 — 4, Cole Everett, Guntersville, 49.99. 9, Pierson Cooley, Boaz, 52.15.
Girls 15-18 — 6, Bella Hays, Boaz, 58.86. 15, Scarlett McBride, Guntersville, 1:05.07. 17, Ella Kay van der Wel, Guntersville, 1:05.46. 21, April Martinez, Boaz, 1:06.71. 29, Zoe Madden, Guntersville, 1:14.98.
100-yard medley relay
Mixed 8-and-under — 1, Guntersville A (John Wilson Dollar, Isabella Champion, Olivia Champion, Samuel Seguin), 1 minute, 14 seconds.
200-yard medley relay
Mixed 9-10 — 2, Guntersville A (Sadie George, Max Alred, Lily van der Wel, Tyson Madden), 2 minutes, 29.88 seconds.
25-yard butterfly
Girls 8-and-under — 1, Finley Lewis, Boaz, 16.82 seconds. 2, Olivia Champion, Guntersville, 17.53. 3, Abigail Weathers, Boaz, 17.78. 5, Jeanne Rains, Albertville, 19.49. 8, Skylar Pettus, Albertville, 22.46. 13, Alia Garcia, Albertville, 23.89. 14, Josabet Ocanto, Albertville, 24.26. 16, Gabriella van der Wel, Guntersville, 24.70. 17, Mary Sims Nolan, Albertville, 25.01. 19, Middleton Nolan, Albertville, 25.31. 20, Elizabeth Blocker, Guntersville, 25.56.
50-yard butterfly
Boys 9-10 — 2, Max Alred, Guntersville, 36.63 seconds. 3, Oliver Driver, Boaz, 37.74. 4, Jaden Bittle, Albertville, 38.91. 5, Tripp Rains III, Albertville, 38.99.
Girls 9-10 — 4, Lily van der Wel, Guntersville, 37.79. 7, Genesis Garcia, Albertville, 39.90. 8, Avy Armstrong, Albertville, 40.25. 13, Addison Hatley, Albertville, 44.31.
Boys 11-12 — 1, Jace Duncan, Boaz, 29.69. 3, Brett Bright, Albertville, 32.68. 4, Nathaniel Lewis, Boaz, 33.11.
Girls 11-12 — 3, Tessa Kate Watkins, Guntersville, 31.43. 10, Kendall Quinn, Albertville, 35.43. 16, Isabella McBride, Guntersville, 36.92.
Boys 13-14 — 4, Benjamin Ellis, Guntersville, 28.40. 7, Samuel Willoughby, Albertville, 29.79. 10, Rowan Spears, Boaz, 30.71. 14, Declan Turner, Albertville, 32.23.
Girls 13-14 — 8, Clara van der Wel, Guntersville, 31.02. 9, Leigh Claire Armstrong, Albertville, 31.40. 10, Brooksie Corbitt, Albertville, 31.72. 11, Jessa Ellis, Guntersville, 31.86. 15, Cora Lang, Boaz, 33.01. 17, Josephine Schlabach, Arab, 35.29. 20, Arli Davis, Boaz, 35.57. 22, Marissa Wortham, Boaz, 36.53. 29, Ally Rader, Guntersville, 37.95. 32, Ansley Bowlin, Boaz, 40.27. 34, Claire Gibson, Guntersville, 41.65. 36 (tie), Emerson Stott, Guntersville, 42.37.
Boys 15-18 — 4, Cole Everett, Guntersville, 24.86. 5, Jackson Ellis, Guntersville, 24.86. 7, Peyton Troxtel, Boaz, 25.02. 9, Caleb Battles, Boaz, 25.22. 11, Pierson Cooley, Boaz, 26.04.
Girls 15-18 — 9, Leigh Smith, Boaz, 29.68.
25-yard backstroke
Boys 6-and-under — 3, Hudson Gevers, Guntersville, 30.15 seconds.
Girls 6-and-under — 1, Olivia Champion, Guntersville, 19.30. 2, Middleton Nolan, Albertville, 25.36. 6, Alia Garcia, Albertville, 26.99. 10, Gabriella van der Wel, Guntersville, 30.75. 11, Emily Toma, Boaz, 31.34. 14, Crimson Smith, Boaz, 33.09. 18, Kindley Rains, Albertville, 35.61. 19, Lucy van der Wel, Guntersville, 36.19. 22, Heidi Younghouse, Guntersville, 38.42. 23, Penelope Gunther, Guntersville, 38.87. 28, Addie Kinley, 42.36. 29, Ella Fendley, Albertville, 46.27.
Boys 8-and-under — 1, John Wilson Dollar, Guntersville, 18.78. 4, Pablo Sharp, Albertville, 22.41. 8, Clark Larson, Guntersville, 23.57. 10, Jude Mayer, Guntersville, 24.85. 13, Holland Walker, Albertville, 25.41.
Girls 8-and-under — 1, Isabella Champion, Guntersville, 17.52. 3, Josie Beam, Boaz, 20.22. 5, Mary Layne Payton, Guntersville, 23.15.
50-yard backstroke
Boys 9-10 — 3, Tyson Madden, Guntersville, 38.27. 6, Jaden Bittle, Albertville, 39.40. 11, Everett Lanier, Albertville, 41.72. 13, Greyson Mayer, Guntersville, 43.85.
Girls 9-10 — 1, Sadie George, Guntersville, 35.79. 3, Peri Davis, Boaz, 36.61. 6, Yhana Maxilom, Boaz, 39.58.
Boys 11-12 — 1, Jace Duncan, Boaz, 31.11.
Girls 11-12 — 2, Tessa Kate Watkins, Guntersville, 32.30. 5, Tessa Cook, Boaz, 34.70.
Boys 13-14 — 4, Michael Alred, Guntersville, 29.11. 10, Samuel Willoughby, Albertville, 31.19.
Girls 13-14 — 6, Leigh Claire Armstrong, Albertville, 32.89. 9, Jessa Ellis, Guntersville, 33.81. 11 (tie), Cora Lang, Boaz, 34.22. 15, Ally Rader, Guntersville, 35.96. 17, Marissa Wortham, Boaz, 36.49. 19, Brooklynn Pfeiffer, Boaz, 37.09. 23, Arli Davis, Boaz, 38.96.
Boys 15-18 — 8, Will Weathers, Boaz, 27.20. 13, Andrew Duke, Boaz, 28.51. 14, Judah Davis, Boaz, 28.67.
Girls 15-18 — 8, Aubrey Lang, Boaz, 31.92.
100-yard freestyle relay
Boys 6-and-under — 3, Albertville (Rutledge Nolan, Townsend Cotten, Andrew Hudgins, Greyson Russo), 2:23.51.
Girls 6-and-under — 1, Guntersville (Gabriella van der Wel, Heidi Younghouse, Lucy van der Wel, Olivia Champion), 1:39.80. 3, Albertville (Middleton Nolan, Addie Kinney, Kindley Rains, Alia Garcia), 1:51.45.
Boys 8-and-under — 3, Guntersville A (Samuel Seguin, Tate Littlejohn, Gan Younghouse, John Wilson Dollar), 1:21.20.
Girls 8-and-under — 2, Guntersville A (Mary Layne Payton, Elizabeth Blocker, Charlie Richards, Isabella Champion), 1:13.49. 3, Boaz (Josie Beam, Mary-Paige Jones, Abigail Weather, Finley Lewis), 1:15.21.
200-yard freestyle relay
Boys 9-10 — 3, Guntersville A (Max Alred, Mack Payton, Gray Seguin, Tyson Madden), 2:16.67.
Boys 11-12 — 3, Guntersville (John O’Shields, Thatcher Hamilton, Ollie Wood, Matthew Alred), 2:02.32.
Boys 13-14 — 3, Guntersville (Benjamin Ellis, Colton Littlejohn, Jax Braswell, Michael Alred), 1:47.39.
Girls 13-14 — 2, Guntersville (Jessa Ellis, Clara van der Wel, Ally Rader, Tinsley Broadway), 1:53.45.
A Boaz swimmer prepares to get in the pool during the ARPA Region II competition earlier this month in Boaz. Several local swimmers qualified for the state meet this week in Opelika. SPECIAL TO THE LEADER
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