Grace Swimmers Shine at Enjoyable Meet Despite Chilly Climate

November 17, 2025 – The Grace Community School swim crew bundled up and braved the chilly final week as they traveled to the TISD Aquatic Center for a uniquely designed meet stuffed with enjoyable, vitality, and some surprises. Teams in attendance included Sunnyvale, Groveton, Whitehouse, Lufkin, Kings Academy, Arp, Longview, Tyler High, Tyler Legacy, and Grace Community.

Unlike conventional UIL competitions, this meet featured a number of non-standard occasions created for enjoyment and crew bonding. Swimmers competed in a fast-paced 25-yard shoot-out – the place Grace’s Mollie Mathis completed third, lacking second place by simply .02 seconds – in addition to 75-yard backstroke and butterfly races carried out with fins. Because of those specialty occasions, no crew scores had been recorded, preserving the emphasis on enjoyable, sportsmanship, and attempting one thing new.

The most difficult side of the day, nevertheless, was not the competitors however the climate. With chilly temperatures and powerful winds sweeping throughout the out of doors pool, swimmers and households layered themselves in warm-ups, parkas, and blankets. One particularly considerate father or mother even introduced a conveyable heater, which rapidly turned a well-liked gathering spot beneath the bleachers between races.

Despite the situations, the Grace swimmers demonstrated grit, enthusiasm, and unwavering positivity. They laughed, supported each other, and embraced each occasion from begin to end. The meet turned a memorable show of not solely their toughness within the face of inauspicious climate but additionally the spirit of neighborhood that characterizes the Grace swim program.

The teaching employees expressed delight in each swimmer who stepped onto the deck and into the freezing water, benefiting from an unconventional and spirited meet.

Girls Individual Results

• Georgia Atkinson: 100 Individual Medley—eighth; 200 Freestyle—seventh
• Ella Buess: 75 Breaststroke—third
• Cora Castle: 100 Individual Medley—fifth; 75 Butterfly with fins—third
• Audrey Green: 100 Freestyle—eleventh; 75 Breaststroke—eleventh
• Ava Green: 100 Freestyle—fifth; 75 Backstroke with fins—sixth
• Natalie Jenks: 75 Backstroke with fins—fifth; 200 Freestyle—eighth
• Addie Lybrand: 100 Freestyle—seventh; 200 Freestyle—eleventh
• Mollie Mathis: 25-yard Shoot-Out—third; 50 Freestyle—1st

Mixed 200 Medley Relay Results

• A Relay: tenth (Daniel Minick, Ella Buess, Leonardo Rubio, Mollie Mathis)
• B Relay: sixteenth (Natalie Jenks, Georgia Atkinson, Cora Castle, Mateo Agudelo)
• C Relay: twentieth (Addie Lybrand, Audrey Green, Isaac Stephenson, Sam Doyle)

Boys Individual Results

• Mateo Agudelo: 100 Freestyle—4th; 50 Freestyle—2nd
• Sam Doyle: 100 Freestyle—thirteenth; 50 Freestyle—seventh
• Daniel Minick: 75 Butterfly with fins—tenth; 75 Backstroke with fins—eleventh
• Eli Murphy: 50 Freestyle—thirteenth; 75 Breaststroke—fifteenth
• Leonardo Rubio: 100 Individual Medley—ninth; 75 Butterfly—thirteenth
• Isaac Stephenson: 100 Individual Medley—eighth; 75 Backstroke with fins—seventh

Upcoming Meets for Grace Swimmers

Private School St. Nick Swim Meet: 6 December at SMU

TISCA: 21–22 November on the Texarkana Aquatic Center (Texarkana College)