By By MICHAEL S. HILL
Advance Staff Writer
The Atmore Stingrays Swim Team sent eight swimmers to Altamonte Springs, Fla., to compete in the 2000 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympics beginning July 30 and ending Aug. 3.
More than 300 swimmers competed in the event. The swimmers were divided into 23 associations, or regional teams, including a team composed of swimmers from Saudi Arabia.
For individual events, competitors swam a preliminary qualifying event, from which the top 16 times were allowed to swim in the finals for that particular event. Swimmers placing 17th and 18th were designated as alternates. The associations were also allowed to assemble relay teams for each day of the event. Some relay teams were mixed, or composed of swimmers from different associations.
After checking in at the Expo Center in Orlando on Sunday, the swimmers began competing Monday morning. In the 100 meter freestyle preliminaries, Cody Norton and Myles Hollingsworth each swam their best times of the year and placed as alternates at 17th and 18th, respectively. Cole Norton and Jake Hollingsworth each swam their fastest times in the 200 meter freestyle preliminaries.
Atmore had four swimmers to qualify for the finals in the 200 meter breast stroke as Jake Hollingsworth placed 12th, Cole Norton placed 13th, Blake Bell placed 14th and Kaylie Castleberry placed 15th in the preliminaries. And talk about consistency they each placed exactly the same in the finals.
Cody Norton and Myles Hollingsworth competed on the 11-12 year-old 400 meter medley relay team and won a third-place bronze medal. Kerrianne and Kaylie Castleberry competed on the 13-14 year-old 400 meter medley relay team and finished ninth. Jake Hollingsworth, Cole Norton and Blake Bell competed on the 15-18 year-old 400 meter relay team and won a fifth-place medal.
Here's the breakdown for the other days' events:
Tuesday
-50 meter freestyle preliminaries Jake Hollingsworth, Blake Bell, Kerrianne Castleberry, Cody Norton, Myles Hollingsworth and Clare Jones each swam their best times of the year. Kaylie Castleberry placed 11th and Cole Norton placed 16th.
-50 meter freestyle finals Kaylie Castleberry finished 14th and Cole Norton placed 15th.
-200 meter individual medley preliminaries Kerrianne Castleberry swam her best time.
-100 meter backstroke preliminaries Kaylie Castleberry and Jake Hollingsworth placed 14th while Cole Norton finished 15th.
-100 meter backstroke finals Jake Hollingsworth placed 14th, Cole Norton placed 15th and Kaylie Castleberry finished 16th.
-400 meter freestyle preliminaries Jake Hollingsworth placed 10th, Cole Norton placed 11th and Kaylie Castleberry finished 14th.
-400 meter freestyle finals Jake Hollingsworth placed 10th, Cole Norton placed 11th and Kaylie Castleberry finished 13th.
-Cody Norton and Myles Hollingsworth competed on the 11-12 year-old 400 meter freestyle relay team and won a fourth-place medal.
-Kaylie Castleberry competed on a 13-14 year-old mixed 400 meter freestyle relay team and won a first-place gold medal.
-Cole Norton and Jake Hollingsworth competed on the 15-18 year-old 400 meter freestyle relay team and won a fifth-place medal.
-Blake Bell competed on the 15-18 year-old mixed 400 meter freestyle relay team and wona third-place medal.
Atmore swimmers had Wednesday off.
Thursday
-Myles Hollingsworth and Cody Norton competed on the 11-12 year-old mixed 200 meter freestyle relay team and won a second-place medal.
-Kaylie Kerrianne Castleberry competed on two different 13-14 year-old 200 meter freestyle relay teams and won fourth-place and sixth-place medals, respectively.
-Jake Hollingsworth and Blake Bell competed on the 15-18 year-old 200 meter freestyle relay team and won a fourth-place medal.
-Cole Norton competed on another 15-18 year-old 200 meter freestyle relay team and won a second-place medal.
-100 meter backstroke preliminariesClare Jones swam her best time of the year.
-50 meter breast stroke preliminariesClare Jones swam her best time of the year, Cody Norton finished 14th and Myles Hollingsworth finished 16th.
-100 meter breast stroke preliminariesKaylie Castleberry swam her best time of the year, Cole Norton placed 16th, Jake Hollingsworth placed 14th and Blake Bell placed 15th.
-100 meter freestyle preliminariesClare Jones, Myles Hollingsworth, Kerrianne Castleberry, Blake Bell and Cole Norton all swam their best times of the year while Cody Norton placed 18th.
-Kerrianne and Kaylie Castleberry competed on the 13-14 year-old 200 meter medley relay team and won an eighth-place medal.
-Jake Hollingsworth, Blake Bell and Cole Norton competed on the 15-18 year-old medley relay teams and won a fifth-place medal.
As recognition of her outstanding sportsmanship and attitude during the Junior Olympics, Clare Jones was presented with a special sportsmanship medal by her association's team captain.