Published 12:02 am Wednesday, July 29, 2015
BATON ROUGE — A quarter of the St. John the Baptist Parish swimmers who took part in the Louisiana state swimming championships held in mid July will be moving on to the Zone Championship.
The Louisiana Long Course Championship was held July 16–19 and featured eight swimmers affiliated with local teams participating under the banner of regional swim clubs. In all 35 swim clubs statewide participated in the event.
Of the local teams, Belle Terre is affiliated with the most state championship swimmers with appearances by Christopher Hammett with South Louisiana Swim Team, Colby Watkins with Crescent City Swim Club and Eli Boudreaux and Jacob Robinson with Louisiana Storm Aquatics.
Hammett, who took part in nine events in the 11-12 boys division, saw the most success of any of the Belle Terre swimmers. Hammett made history by becoming the first male member of South Louisiana Swim Team to qualify for USA Swimming’s Zone Championship. The Zone meet will feature state champions from throughout the southeast portion of the country.
Kier McGuire, who coaches the South Louisiana Swim Team, said Hammett set a goal to make the Zone team three years ago.
“He is just a really good kid and really deserves it,” McGuire said. “He works hard, I am not surprised he is doing so well because he puts the work in the pool. He really deserves any type of recognition he can get. We always joke if we could have a team full of Christophers that would be great because he is such a great kid.”
Hammett struggled near the end of the championship and was unsure if he would make the Zone team or not. He said he could hardly restrain himself when they announced he had made the Zone team.
“I was really excited and I tried not to smile, but a smile just broke out,” Hammett said.
Hammett said he is looking forward to the step up in competition.
“I have excelled in swimming before, but this is my first time really excelling,” Hammett said. “This is one of my first times also going on a swim meet this important.”
LARAYO had two affiliated swimmers at the state championship meet — Emily Schexnayder with Crescent City Swim Club and Owen Weber with South Louisiana Swim Team.
Of the two, Schexnayder, who tore up the River Parishes Swim League, had the most success, notching a first place win in the 50 meter freestyle as well as several second and third place finishes out of 10 races.
Schexnayder finished third in the girls 11-12 age bracket and will join Hammett at the Zone Championship.
One race at the state meet pitted Emily, along with older teammates, against a group of LSU swimmers in their early 20s who were attempting to qualify for the Olympic Trials. Only 11 years old, Schexnayder was the youngest swimmer in the relay.
Mike Falati, Emily’s coach at Crescent City Swim Club, said he put Schexnayder in with the older girls to assist with her development.
“As often as I can I stick her in lanes with those senior girls, I do,” Falati said. “I think that helps her mature and handle a lot of the pressure because she is in there with older girls and sees how they handle everything.”
Falati added the team has high expectations for Schexnayder.
Swimmers at the state meet associated with Riverlands were Grace Richoux swimming for Crescent City Swim Club and Alex Noel swimming with South Louisiana Swim Team. Richoux, 15, and Noel, 15, also swim for St. Charles Catholic High School.
This year marked Richoux’s fourth straight appearance at the state championship.
While Richoux’s best finish was 13th in the 200 meter freestyle, she felt the meet was a success.
“It was good,” Richoux said. “I improved all of my times.”
Noel’s best finish out of 13 events was 13th in the 200 meter backstroke.
Noel said being in the lower part of his age group, he was just trying to compete with older, bigger simmers.
“It was a good experience,” Noel said. “I just wanted to see how I would do and how I would place with people older than me and try the best of my ability once I get older.”
Hammett and Schexnayder will compete Monday through Aug. 9 in the Zone Championship in Tupelo, Miss.