Swimming siblings strike at state
LOUISVILLE | … Friday and Saturday at the University of Louisville’s Ralph Wright Natatorium as Ashland brothers J.J. and Calyx Holmes and Fleming County sisters Leia and Ariel Grannis helped their schools post historic finishes at the Pannell Swim Shop/KHSAA State Swimming and Diving Championship.
The Holmes brothers combined to help Ashland match its best finish and post its highest point total at the state meet since 2010.
The Grannis sisters went one better. They made their history by being the ONLY FCHS athletes to even compete in the KHSAA’s season-ending event. Leia also became the first two-time qualifier having her first state meet appearance last season and finishing 37th in the 100y breaststroke.
Both teams’ head coaches raved about their standouts.
“Two years ago, J.J. and Calyx began to work. They started working in the weight room. And they have spent two years perfecting their stroke, perfecting their start, perfecting their turns and they did it to the team,” Ashland’s Billy Cox said. “Two years ago, I really didn’t think this was going to happen. But, they worked so hard and they did it so magnificently that it really paid off.”
“They work harder than anyone I have ever coached,” said Fleming County’s Austin Hart, who also pilots the school’s varsity baseball team. “As a coach, you would love to show up to practice and not say a word and the team would run their own practice. These girls do that. They do their own thing and it has worked for them.”
As the lone area representative at Friday’s boys preliminaries and championships, Ashland tallied 54 points to place 15th. Last year’s squad also finished 15th, but scored eight fewer points. The team’s high-water mark was set in 2010, when it scored 58 points and placed 13th.
In his final trip to the state competition, J.J. finished third in the 100-yard freestyle in 45.86 and fourth in the 50-yard freestyle in 20.98. He previously qualified in 2018, 2017 and 2015 in a combination of individual and relay events.
In both the 50y and 100y races, which were just separated by one event, his evening finals’ times were faster than what he swam in the morning preliminaries. He left the day pleased with his results, but knew he could have accomplished more.
“(My 50y race) was my second-best time, but taking four breaths on the (last 25 yards) is kind of inexcusable for that type of race,” he said while also lamenting the execution of his turn. “With how bad it felt when I raced it, to get the time I actually got was a bit surprising. But, I knew deep down inside that if I hadn’t made those mistakes, it would have been a much faster time.
“(The 100) was a lot better than the 50. I kind of used that anger from the 50 free having done that bad race,” he added. “I did have a better time with a 45.86. … but it’s not the time I was actually going for. I was hoping for about (mid to low) 45, but it’s still a good time to work with especially for the circumstance having only one event between.”
Calyx had a slightly different result. The sophomore added time in both his 50y and 100y free races. Calyx finished eighth in the 50y in 21.61 and seventh in the 100y in 47.62. A less-than-perfect turn also plagued him in his 50y race.
“This morning was definitely a lot better than this evening. This morning I went a 21.2 which would have gotten me fifth in the finals tonight,” he said.
He was seeded ninth entering the meet and sat eighth after the prelims, but moved up a spot in the finals of the 100y event despite posting an identical time. Still, something was not quite right.
“(In the finals my race) didn’t feel normal. I just felt weak coming out of the 50 and going right into the 100 free,” he said.
J.J. and Calyx were not alone representing Ashland. Teammates Reece Pennington and Mason Gussler also swam with the brothers as part of the 200-yard free relay, which placed 18th in 1:33.95, and the 400-yard free relay, which was 19th in 3:30.10. Pennington also competed in the 200y free finishing 33rd in 1:53.92 and in the 500y free placing 36th in 5:10.57.
No area swimmers advanced past the preliminary rounds in Saturday’s girls’ competition, still just being at the state meet was cause for celebration.
Fleming County only started its program a few years ago and has no indoor pool at which to train.
Leia, a freshman, qualified in two events, finishing 34th in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:13.00 and 39th in the 200y individual medley. Ariel, a seventh-grader, placed 38th in the 100y butterfly.
Like the Holmes’, the Grannis sisters both felt they did not have their best races.
“I dropped a second (in the IM) which is kind of what I was hoping for, but I definitely feel like there’s a lot of room for improvement as well,” Leia said. “(My breaststroke) didn’t go as well as I’d hoped … but I’m not fully tapered so that was to be expected.”
Ariel was one of only a handful of swimmers in her grade who qualified for the state meet.
“I was pretty nervous because I was one of six seventh-graders that was able to come here,” she said. “The race went pretty well for me. I added just a little bit of time, but I hope to drop that next week. My turn on my 50 was a little bit slower than I hoped it would have been.”
Both coaches credited the success of their athletes to hard work.
“Leia and Ariel have been working their whole lives for this moment. Yes, they would have liked to medal at the state level but they’re still young,” he said. “Their performances today just show how hard they work.”
Cox also singled out J.J.’s impressive times.
“(He) broke 21 seconds in his 50y free … (and in) the 100y free broke 46 and went 45.86. … Those are special moments when you break that barrier and that takes a tremendous amount of effort to be able to pull that off,” the coach said. “There is a DNA component. There are some things you have to have, just be born with. But, you cannot do it without the hard work and both J.J. and Calyx did the work.”
Three other sets of locals competed in the girls’ meet. Ashland’s quartet of Sarah Shytle, Ashley Hudson, Mary Alice Thornburg and Xy Holmes finished 36th in the 200y medley relay in 2:09.35. It was the final competition for Thornburg and Hudson, and Thornburg's fourth appearance at the state championship.
Two others qualified as individuals. Boyd County eighth-grader Abby Christian was 36th in the 50y free in 26.15, while Russell freshman Jasmine Webb was 39th in the 100-yard backstroke in 1:06.37.
The Holmes brothers combined to help Ashland match its best finish and post its highest point total at the state meet since 2010.
The Grannis sisters went one better. They made their history by being the ONLY FCHS athletes to even compete in the KHSAA’s season-ending event. Leia also became the first two-time qualifier having her first state meet appearance last season and finishing 37th in the 100y breaststroke.
Both teams’ head coaches raved about their standouts.
“Two years ago, J.J. and Calyx began to work. They started working in the weight room. And they have spent two years perfecting their stroke, perfecting their start, perfecting their turns and they did it to the team,” Ashland’s Billy Cox said. “Two years ago, I really didn’t think this was going to happen. But, they worked so hard and they did it so magnificently that it really paid off.”
“They work harder than anyone I have ever coached,” said Fleming County’s Austin Hart, who also pilots the school’s varsity baseball team. “As a coach, you would love to show up to practice and not say a word and the team would run their own practice. These girls do that. They do their own thing and it has worked for them.”
As the lone area representative at Friday’s boys preliminaries and championships, Ashland tallied 54 points to place 15th. Last year’s squad also finished 15th, but scored eight fewer points. The team’s high-water mark was set in 2010, when it scored 58 points and placed 13th.
In his final trip to the state competition, J.J. finished third in the 100-yard freestyle in 45.86 and fourth in the 50-yard freestyle in 20.98. He previously qualified in 2018, 2017 and 2015 in a combination of individual and relay events.
In both the 50y and 100y races, which were just separated by one event, his evening finals’ times were faster than what he swam in the morning preliminaries. He left the day pleased with his results, but knew he could have accomplished more.
“(My 50y race) was my second-best time, but taking four breaths on the (last 25 yards) is kind of inexcusable for that type of race,” he said while also lamenting the execution of his turn. “With how bad it felt when I raced it, to get the time I actually got was a bit surprising. But, I knew deep down inside that if I hadn’t made those mistakes, it would have been a much faster time.
“(The 100) was a lot better than the 50. I kind of used that anger from the 50 free having done that bad race,” he added. “I did have a better time with a 45.86. … but it’s not the time I was actually going for. I was hoping for about (mid to low) 45, but it’s still a good time to work with especially for the circumstance having only one event between.”
Calyx had a slightly different result. The sophomore added time in both his 50y and 100y free races. Calyx finished eighth in the 50y in 21.61 and seventh in the 100y in 47.62. A less-than-perfect turn also plagued him in his 50y race.
“This morning was definitely a lot better than this evening. This morning I went a 21.2 which would have gotten me fifth in the finals tonight,” he said.
He was seeded ninth entering the meet and sat eighth after the prelims, but moved up a spot in the finals of the 100y event despite posting an identical time. Still, something was not quite right.
“(In the finals my race) didn’t feel normal. I just felt weak coming out of the 50 and going right into the 100 free,” he said.
J.J. and Calyx were not alone representing Ashland. Teammates Reece Pennington and Mason Gussler also swam with the brothers as part of the 200-yard free relay, which placed 18th in 1:33.95, and the 400-yard free relay, which was 19th in 3:30.10. Pennington also competed in the 200y free finishing 33rd in 1:53.92 and in the 500y free placing 36th in 5:10.57.
No area swimmers advanced past the preliminary rounds in Saturday’s girls’ competition, still just being at the state meet was cause for celebration.
Fleming County only started its program a few years ago and has no indoor pool at which to train.
Leia, a freshman, qualified in two events, finishing 34th in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:13.00 and 39th in the 200y individual medley. Ariel, a seventh-grader, placed 38th in the 100y butterfly.
Like the Holmes’, the Grannis sisters both felt they did not have their best races.
“I dropped a second (in the IM) which is kind of what I was hoping for, but I definitely feel like there’s a lot of room for improvement as well,” Leia said. “(My breaststroke) didn’t go as well as I’d hoped … but I’m not fully tapered so that was to be expected.”
Ariel was one of only a handful of swimmers in her grade who qualified for the state meet.
“I was pretty nervous because I was one of six seventh-graders that was able to come here,” she said. “The race went pretty well for me. I added just a little bit of time, but I hope to drop that next week. My turn on my 50 was a little bit slower than I hoped it would have been.”
Both coaches credited the success of their athletes to hard work.
“Leia and Ariel have been working their whole lives for this moment. Yes, they would have liked to medal at the state level but they’re still young,” he said. “Their performances today just show how hard they work.”
Cox also singled out J.J.’s impressive times.
“(He) broke 21 seconds in his 50y free … (and in) the 100y free broke 46 and went 45.86. … Those are special moments when you break that barrier and that takes a tremendous amount of effort to be able to pull that off,” the coach said. “There is a DNA component. There are some things you have to have, just be born with. But, you cannot do it without the hard work and both J.J. and Calyx did the work.”
Three other sets of locals competed in the girls’ meet. Ashland’s quartet of Sarah Shytle, Ashley Hudson, Mary Alice Thornburg and Xy Holmes finished 36th in the 200y medley relay in 2:09.35. It was the final competition for Thornburg and Hudson, and Thornburg's fourth appearance at the state championship.
Two others qualified as individuals. Boyd County eighth-grader Abby Christian was 36th in the 50y free in 26.15, while Russell freshman Jasmine Webb was 39th in the 100-yard backstroke in 1:06.37.
pre-meet notes:
boys' TEAMSPl. Name Team Scores
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girls' TEAMSPl. Name Team Scores
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boys' individualsPl. Name Team Scores
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girls' individualsPl. Name Team Scores
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