McKeel swimming wins boys, women staff titles at Lakeland City meet

LAKELAND — The smile on his face couldn’t be large enough so far as McKeel coach Roy Wilshire was involved, and never just because junior Bryce Palmer set a meet file within the 100-yard breaststroke. That was about anticipated to occur.

Including Palmer’s record-setting efficiency, Wilshire’s girls and boys swim groups mixed to set 5 extra college information en path to sweeping the staff titles on the thirty sixth Annual City of Lakeland Championships on Thursday, Oct. 2, at Gandy Pool.

It was the fifth consecutive title for each groups, going again to 2019. There was no meet in 2020 due to Covid, and a storm washed away the meet in 2022.

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“Bryce came here to break that record in the breaststroke, but yet internally within the team we were definitely chasing some team records,” Wilshire stated.

Palmer swam the 100 breast in 1:06.09 to beat the mark of Lakeland grad Lutnya Bogdanova by lower than a second. Bogdanova, now a senior at Florida International, swam 1:06.94 in 2021 when she set meet information within the 100 breast and 100 butterfly at each the town and county meets. Palmer is taking goal at her 100 breaststroke file on the county meet on Oct. 11.

“We’re going to chase another record next Saturday in Winter Haven,” Wilshire stated. “For her, it’s very obtainable and very achievable. You just have to do it that day.”

Overall, the McKeel women received 5 particular person occasions plus all three relays. Palmer was the one double winner for the Wildcats, as she additionally received the 100 butterfly in 1:02.06.

The women 200 medley relay staff set the college file by successful in 1:56.21, and the 200 freestyle relay set a college mark by successful in 1:47.32.

Sophomores Elin Jonsson and Claire Scarborough every had a first- and second-place end for McKeel. Jonsson received the 100 backstroke in 1:03.34 and was second within the 200 particular person medley (2:21.78). Scarborough was first within the 50 free (25.33) and second within the 100 free (56.51).

Senior Lily Jonsson received the five hundred free in 5:56.10 and was fourth within the 100 butterfly. The Wildcats additionally took first within the 400 freestyle.

McKeel completed with 228 factors, and George Jenkins was second with 115 factors.

George Jenkins senior Vanessa Calva joined Palmer as the one two-time particular person winner. She took first within the 100 free (55.30) and the 200 free (2:05.72). Teammate Madeline Dolan received the 200 particular person medley (2:18.87) and was second within the 100 breaststroke (1:08.50).

The solely winner not from both McKeel or Jenkins was Kathleen sophomore Emma Ketchum, who received the diving competitors.

Swinburne leads boys

McKeel junior Chance Swinburne was the one two-time particular person winner for Mckeel within the boys competion. He received the 50 free in 22.36 and received the 100 free with a school-record 48.86.

Ryan Fallaw received the 100 again (1:00.22) and was second within the 200 particular person medley (2:07.06), and Isaiah Lamb received the 100 butterfly (1:02.69) and took third within the 100 breaststroke.

McKeel set the college mark by successful the 400 free relay in 3:25.01.

“They came very close to breaking a 30-year-old record,” Wilshire stated. “They got with three-quarters of a second.”

Lakeland set a metropolis meet file within the occasion with a 3:24.50 in 1994.

George Jenkins’ Nico Lee and Lakeland Brian Bohorquez additionally had been two-time winners in particular person occasions. Lee received the 200 particular person medley (2:04.67) and the 100 breaststroke (1:03.06). Bohorquez received the 200 free (2:01.89) and 500 free (5:15.85).

McKeel received with 209 factors, and Jenkins was second with 109 factors.

“I like the way we’re swimming,” Wilshire stated of each groups. “We just have to continue to stay healthy, maintain great attitudes with one another and just have some fun and go do this.”