After 14 years at KISL ‘City Meet,’ FHS No. 1 again
KNOXVILLE — At one time the 26th-ranked 400-meter individual medley swimmer in the world, plus an NCAA meet finalist, freshman Jessica Hill Abrahamson was a key contributor to Farragut High School’s 2004 Knox-area Interscholastic Swim League “City Meet” championship.
With that winning pedigree perhaps taking hold of her team 18 years later, coach Abrahamson’s Aqua Ads captured the KISL crown in blowout fashion Sunday, Jan. 23, in Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center at UT.
“First time FHS has won this meet in 14 years,” the Admirals skipper said, adding her team’s 718.5 points — 339.5 points better than runner-up Maryville’s 379 — “was the largest margin win the City Meet has ever had,” which dates back “to the late ’70s; online records date back to ’98.”
Individually and relay-wise, Farragut won five of the 24 events, led in part by junior Camden Gerchar capturing first in the boys 500-yard freestyle at 4:48.60.
Freshman Karly Wolfgram was champ in the girls 100-breaststroke at 1:06.08.
The FHS foursome of Wolfgram, Abigail King, Kendall Hudgens and Grace LaCharite won the 200-medley relay at 1:48.96.
Another Admirals quartet was champion in the girls 200-free relay: Sophia Kovalevskaya, Karolina Nosarzewski, Iris Chen and Sophie Lu (1:43.01).
Gerchar was among the Farragut boys foursome to win the 400-free relay, along with Yohan LePape, Ryder Hicks and Cade Austin (3:21.91).
Highest scorers for the FHS girls at the KISL Meet were LaCharite, Lu, Katelyn Kramer, Allison Pye and Jessica King.
“These ladies are fantastic,” Abrahamson said about her individual champs and top overall scorers. “They know how to get the job done.
“We have a great deal of gratitude to them and their round team coaches at TNAQ, ACAC, Prime Aquatics and Victory Aquatics.”
Highest boys scorers were Gerchar, Hicks, LePape, Charlie Houston and Leo Karnitz.
“This group of guys are on track to break some long-term school records, and I am here for it,” Abrahamson said. “This group of guys are so well-balanced it makes it impossible to compare them. They are versatile in talent and strength in just about everything.
“They genuinely make my job fun because when I get them together in a race, it really is a guessing game on who will take the event,” she added. “The best part about that is seeing what good teammates and friends they are with each other.
“They are fantastic leaders of great sportsmanship.”
Farragut swimmers and divers who qualified to compete in the Tennessee State Championship Meet in Nashville Feb. 3-5 are: Riley Brown (100-free), Chen (six events), Meira Desai (100-breaststroke), Raina Desai (100 free and 200 free), Gerchar (eight), Sarah Morgar Godbold (six), Hicks (eight), Paul Greene (100-breast), Houston (200-free and 500 free), Narva Hu (200-IM and 100-back), Hudgens (seven), Hayden Johnson (500-free), Karnitz (eight), Abigail King (five), Jessica King (seven), Kramer (eight), LaCharite (five), LePape (three), Lu (five), Sophie Thompson (50-free), Elliot Mandl (50-free and 100-free), Nosarzewski (four), Pye (six), Noah Roettger (four), Wolfgram (eight), Evan King (100-breast) and Cam Croy (diving).
