Tallulah Falls swimmers competed in the GHSA State Championships on Wednesday, and the meet was marked with unprecedented success as TFS rewrote its history books.
Madison Dampier, last year’s 100 Fly State Champion, defended her title in the event by breaking her own school record in the prelims and then breaking it again in the finals by shaving off over a second. She also won the 200 Free State Championship, breaking the school record in the prelims and again in the finals by taking off another nearly two seconds. Dampier is one of only two athletes in TFS history to have three state titles. Dampier’s time in the 100 Fly is up for All-American consideration.
The Boys 200 Medley Relay earned a podium spot with a 3rd-place finish, putting up a season-best time in the process. That marks the highest-ever finish for a boys relay team in the state finals, and only one other individual has placed 3rd at state for the Indians. The relay team consists of Henry Rickman, Caden Polley, William Xu, and Grayson Penland.
Others to post top-10 finishes include Girls 200 Medley Relay (4th with a school record time), Mattie Patterson (5th in 200 IM & 6th in 100 Fly), Girls 200 Free Relay (5th), Boys 400 Free Relay (6th), Boys 200 Free Relay (8th), and the Girls 400 Free Relay (9th).
The Lady Indians placed 6th as a team, while the Indians were 8th. That marks a program-best for the girls and the second-best finish for the boys.
*NOTE: individuals are limited to competing in two solo events and two relays. Those who had state-qualifying cuts that they didn’t choose to compete in are listed appropriately.
LADY INDIANS – 6th Place
- Madison Dampier
- 100 Fly – State Champion (54.99) *School Record (All-American consideration time)
- 1st in Prelims (56.13) *School Record
- 200 Free – State Champion (1:52.54) *School Record
- 1st in Prelims (1:54.48) *School Record
- 100 Fly – State Champion (54.99) *School Record (All-American consideration time)
Dampier also had state-qualifying cuts in the 50 Free, 100 Free, 500 Free, 100 Back, 100 Breast, and 200 IM
- Carsyn Griffis
- 100 Back – 17th Place (1:07.01)
- 16th in Prelims (1:06.93)
- 100 Free – 12th Place
- 13th in Prelims (1:06.93)
- 100 Back – 17th Place (1:07.01)
- Mattie Patterson
- 100 Fly – 6th Place
- 5th in Prelims (1:05.26)
- 200 IM – 5th (2:22.05)
- 5th in Prelims (2:21.19) *PR
- 100 Fly – 6th Place
Patterson also had a state-qualifying cut in the 100 Free & 500 Free
- Girls 200 Free Relay – 5th Place (1:44.93)
- 9th in Prelims (1:37.19) *SB/.01 second off School Record
- Girls 400 Free Relay – 9th Place (4:08.86)
- 10th in Prelims (4:09.07)
- Girls 200 Medley Relay – 4th Place (1:57.29) *School Record
- 4th in Prelims (1:58.05) *School Record
INDIANS – 8th Place
- Henry Rickman
- 50 Free – 14th Place (23.33)
- 13th in Prelims (23.30)
- 100 Free – 11th Place (51.18) *PR
- 11th in Prelims (51.51) *PR
- 50 Free – 14th Place (23.33)
Rickman also had a state-qualifying cut in the 100 Fly, but swam the 50 Free & 100 Free
- Boys 200 Free Relay – 8th Place (1:36.87) *SB
- 6th in Prelims (1:37.19) *SB
- Boys 400 Free Relay – 6th Place (3:30.97)
- 4th in Prelims (3:30.89) *SB
- Boys 200 Medley Relay – 3rd Place (1:45.55) *SB
- 3rd in Prelims (1:46.20) *SB
