New Team On the Block – Floyd County Swim Team

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Olivia Fields, Freshman Staff Writer

The Floyd County Board of Education decided that our county needed a swim team to offer a more varied range of sports. 

On October 21st, 2019, students from Armuchee, Model, and Pepperell High School went to Darlington for tryouts. From 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., they swam 50-yards using whatever stroke they wanted. Its official term is 50-yard Freestyle. In the end, 14 total students were on the team, two from Armuchee, nine from Model, and two others from Pepperell. Even though they go to different high schools, the team is very adamant about working together. “It doesn’t matter what high school they attend, they are all teammates on the Floyd County Swim and Dive Team! We think this makes our team a very unique and special one for Floyd County Schools!” said Head Coach Chuck Bryant.

Landon England, a freshman at AHS, was fortunate enough to make the team, along with senior, Blake Montgomery. “Swimming was something I did in Florida, and when I heard they were making a swim team out here, it got me more excited to move here,” said Landon. 

Coaches Chuck Bryant and Emily Brownlow were very excited to get started practicing and preparing these students. They’re both very experienced in swimming. Coach Bryant swam competitively from age five to seventeen. He’s also coached tennis, soccer, and volleyball, and won multiple championships. Along with the swim team, he’s the assistant coach for Model’s Volleyball Team. Assistant Coach Brownlow said, “Coach Bryant has consulted with an area collegiate swim coach to learn ways to help the team with entry from the block and transition as well as the best technique for each swim stroke.” This is Mrs. Brownlow’s first time as a swim coach. She’s been following the sport for the last eight years and her children have even taken place in it. She finds that to be successful in swimming you must come to practice regularly and always try your best. Before this, Brownlow coached the Armuchee Middle School Cross Country Team. 

The team’s first meet was in Adairsville on December 7th, 2019. The event had been named Tiger Plunge. Blake Montgomery placed in the top 10, getting 5th in the 500 freestyle and 6th in the 100 Breaststroke. Additionally, Landon England posted a new personal best. 

Floyd County swimmers had a great showing at the Darlington Invitational Thursday night on December 12th, 2019. Blake Montgomery took 1st place in the 500 Freestyle and placed 3rd in the 100 Breaststroke, meanwhile, Landon England placed 6th in the 100 Freestyle and 11th in the 50 Freestyle. Both swimmers also improved their previous times! The other teams at the meet were Cass and Dawson County.

The swim teams’ first competition of the 2020 year turned out great. Coach Bryant said, “The Floyd County Swim and Dive Team had a strong showing at Darlington’s Tiger Invitational Thursday evening. Many swimmers came away with top place finishes at the meet.” Blake Montgomery placed 1st in Boys 100 Yard Breastoke. Landon England came in 3rd during the Boys 100 Yard Freestyle. He also got 5th in the Boys 50 Yard Freestyle. 

On January 24th through the 25th, the team competed in Dalton on the North Georgia Regionals. They faced a strong lineup of thirteen teams. This was a two-day meet that included diving on Friday night and a full day of swimming on Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm. Saturday’s swimming started with preliminary rounds and continued into the evening with the top 12 swimmers from each event competing in the finals. The top finishing team, within FCSD, was the Model Girls’ Team which finished 8th place out of the 13 teams. 

The 2019-20 Swim and Dive season officially ended at the Last Chance Meet in Calhoun on Tuesday, January 28th. At this meet, seven of the Floyd County Swimmer and Divers beat their personal bests or P.B. Blake Montgomery made 3rd in 500 Free with a P.B. of 7:03.11. Congratulations to the 2019-20 Swim Team.