Ashley Ridge HS swim team wraps up season
SUMMERVILLE, S.C. — The Ashley Ridge High School swim team has been a part of the school since it was built, and the team has grown each year and has improved the overall depth of the state team. Currently, ARHS is one of a handful of teams around the state that has a JV team.
The 2022 Ashley Ridge High School swim season ended in October and the Swamp Foxes and their community have much to be proud of. The boys finished in 6th聽out of 36 teams and the girls finished in 8th聽out of the 36 teams in the 5A SCHSL state meet! Coach Merritt shared: 鈥淔ive school records were broken this year! The goal for next year is to maintain our region title, grow our state team, and move up into top 5 teams in the state. At the state meet this year, Courtney Tedesco placed 3rd聽in the 50-yard freestyle and 4th聽in the 100-yard backstroke. Jack Jonas placed 4th聽in the 500-yard freestyle. Cohen Phillips placed 6th聽in the 100-yard breaststroke. The senior class is composed of 9 seniors, 4 of whom have been on the team since the 7th聽grade.鈥� The team is lead by head coach Victoria Merritt, and assistant coaches Larky Shuler and Liam Johnson (former AR grad and swimmer). Coach Merritt has also been named Region Coach of the Year for several years. This year鈥檚 team captains were: Bella Grossman, Kennedy Elwood, Jack Jonas, and Logan Southern. 鈥淭hese swimmers lead by example, showing up early and leaving late, and strive to inspire their teammates to work hard and be good leaders in the pool and in the classroom,鈥� Coach Merritt shared.
These athletes are dedicated and put in hours of work before school ever starts each and everyday. 鈥淎 lot of people don鈥檛 realize it, but we practice from 5:30-7:30 AM six days a week and then they go off to school,鈥� Merritt said. 鈥淭hey do it because they love the sport, their school, and their team and on the tough days when it would be easy to sleep in, they know that they are working towards their individual and team goals.鈥�
Over the last two years, ARHS hosted the SCHSL 4A and 5A state swim meets at the DD2/North Charleston aquatic center. 鈥淕rades are a huge part of the focus of the swim team and we strive to remind swimmers they are STUDENT-athletes,鈥� Coach Merritt said. 鈥淭hroughout many of the last several years, the Valedictorian or the Salutatorian has been on the Varsity swim: Miller Johnson (2018), Gavin Hunt (2019), Emma Page (2021), Kyra Boykin (2022). Several notable graduates from the program have gone on to swim Division 1 including Micah Bohon (Tennessee 2014), Jeremiah Bohon (USC 2014), Elijah Bohon (C of C 2011), Abbie Hassell (Wagner College 2020), and Josh Baroody (Columbia 2022). The Varsity swim team has won the last five consecutive region championships for both boys and girls teams.鈥�
Their hard work speaks for itself as the ARHS swim team members excel in class and have also set many new records this season.
2022 New Team and School Records that were Set:
- Boys 200 yard Free Relay (Logan Southern, Jack Jonas, Cohen Phillips, and Aiden Peterson)- broke the聽record聽that was set in 2013
- Boys 200 yard Medley Relay (Logan Southern, Jack Jonas, Lucas Piscitelli, and Cohen Phillips)- broke the聽record聽set in 2020
- Cohen Phillips- beating his previous聽record聽in the 100 yard butterfly by .4
- Grace Marsaa- broke the聽record聽set in 2011 in the 100-yard breaststroke
- Jack Jonas- broke the record in the 50-yard freestyle
Congratulations to a great 2022 Swim Season, Swamp Foxes! Well done on all of your hard work in class and in the pool!
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