The Cumming Aquatic Center’s parking lot was over flowing with swimmers and spectators as the North Forsyth High School Swim and Dive Team hosted the 6^th Annual High School Invitational to kick off the swim season. There were 409 swimmers from 16 teams around the region who made a splash trying to qualify for the Georgia State High School Swim Meet. Numerous high school swimmers hoped to attend this meet on February 7^th and 8^th at Georgia Tech.

One individual swimmer was Kaylyn Thomas, a senior at NFHS. Thomas’s events included the 100 and 200 yard freestyle. State Qualifying Time (SQT) for the 200 free is approximately 2:07.00, and Thomas performed with a time of 1:58.74. Thomas’s second, individual event the 100 free requires a time of 58.50 seconds or less and Thomas went with a time 55.37 seconds. Thomas was also a part of two relays: the 200 Yard Medley SQT 2:07.00 Sophomore Kelsey Robins (Backstroke), Junior Emily Carroll (Breaststroke), Senior Kaylyn Thomas (Butterfly), and Senior Elly Wagner (Freestyle) they swam it in 1:59.38; and the 200 Free Relay consisting of Thomas, Carroll, Wagner, and Robins—SQT 1:53.00 and the swam it in 1:46.91. Thomas also qualified for the 50 free due to her showing in the 200 FR relay—she was leadoff and had a time of 26.27 and needed 26.50 to qualify for state in the 50 FR. When Thomas was asked what was the key to her success today she said “Swimming hard and having fun with my friends, not worrying about my times.”

Other state qualifiers for the NFHS Girls included individual Kelsey Robins 2:23.68 in the 200 IM (Individual Medley) SQT 2:24.00, and Emily Carroll 1:13.83 in the 100 Breaststroke SQT 1:15.00.

On the boys’ side of the Raider’s pool, Freshman Jack DalMolin qualified for state in three individual events and two relays. Jack qualified the 200 Individual Medley  with a 1:05.09 SQT 1:07.00, and  100 Breaststroke with a 1:05.09 SQT 1:07.00 and for the individual 100 free style as he was the leadoff swimmer in the 400 Relay with a time of 51.93 (SQT 52.00). The boys relays that qualified were 200 Free relay 1:37.29 SQT 1:40.00 Jack DalMolin, Junior Tony Scheyer, Senior Ryan Brown, and Junior Alejandro Garcia; and the 400 Free Relay J. DalMolin, Tony Scheyer, Senior Noah Wagner, and Sophomore Gabe Brisuda.

The final standing for the day the girl’s teams was 1^st South Forsyth, 2^nd North Oconee, 3^rd West Forsyth, 4^th Carrollton High School, and 5^th North Forsyth.  The boys’ standings were 1^st West Forsyth, 2^nd North Forsyth, 3^rd Centennial Knights, 4^th North Oconee High School, and 5^th South Forsyth. “I was very pleased with the behavior of all the kids and proud of how they all swam. Forsyth County had a great showing with Forsyth Central, North, South, and West.” Coach Kris Hunt. North Forsyth next swim meet is Saturday November 16^th the Chestatee Invitational at Frances Meadows Aquatic Center in Gainesville.