Three Farragut swimmers with ACAC excel at top regional meet
Among 21 athletes from Atomic City Aquatic Club who recently traveled north to compete in Kingsport Summer Long Course Blast Invitational — a three-day meet held in the region’s only indoor Olympic-size 50-meter pool — three Farragut swimmers stood out.
This long course meet was unique in that it was a prelims/finals meet where younger swimmers, 12-and-under, had the opportunity to qualify and swim in the finals sessions.
Sam Duby, 11, of Farragut was one of the most impressive swimmers of the meet, earning the KSLCBI 12-and-Under High Point Award.
On the first day, Sam wowed those on hand with her pace in the 800-meter freestyle, where in her first time swimming the event she held an impressive 1:28 for 100s three through eight.
During the second day of competition, she had an amazing 200-meter freestyle race, dropping six seconds and was just shy of her first-ever SES cut.
During the finals, Sam reigned supreme in the 200-meter freestyle, finishing first overall by more than seven seconds.
“The strategy Sam executed at finals was ideal for her,” interim head coach Jessica Abrahamson said. “She took the race out just 0.40 seconds shy of her best time (1:14.84) in the 100 and came back in a 1:19.85.
“The idea was to get out fast and hold that pace to the finish,” the coach added.
To cap off the night, only a few minutes later, Sam earned a best time in the 50-free, finishing first overall.
On the first event evening, Ankit Nanda, 12, of Farragut swam a best time in the 400-meter freestyle and dropped 12.78 seconds. He pulled an impressive negative split in his last 100 meters. “It was perfection,” Abrahamson said.
Jackson King, 12, of Farragut made his very first SES cut in the 50-meter butterfly. “It was an adorable and emotional moment for the King family,” Abrahamson said. “At the beginning of the season, Jackson didn’t think it was possible. To that we say, if you show up and do the work, and are relentless to your goal, anything is possible.”
