Commercial Appeal all-metro girls swimming team

By John Varlas
Memphis Commercial Appeal

Tickets are on sale for the 2018 Commercial Appeal Sports Awards presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans, recognizing the top athletic accomplishments in Memphis area high school sports. It will be held June 5 at the Orpheum.

Now in its second year, the ESPY-style ceremony will feature as its guest speaker former University of Memphis and NFL standout running back DeAngelo Williams.

Tickets can be purchased at sportsawards.commercialappeal.com.

Commercial Appeal Sports Awards presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans

FIRST TEAM

Nominees for girls swimmer of the year, which will be announced at the Commerical Appeal Sports Awards on June 5.

Claire Epperson, St. George's swimming

Claire Epperson

St. George's, So.

Events: 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle

Why chosen: Epperson won two titles at the Shelby County championships, taking first in the 200 freestyle (1:55.63) and in the 500 free (5:05.79). She then finished seventh at state in the 500 and 10th in the 200. 

____________________________________________________________________

Hayley Lambert, St. George's swimming

Hayley Lambert

St. George's, Fr.

Event: 100 individual medley

Why chosen: Lambert won the county title in the 100 Individual medley (59.54) and was also part of the Gryphons' championship 200 medley relay team that went on to finish second at the state meet.

____________________________________________________________________

Madeline London, Collierville swimming

Madeline London

Collierville, So.

Events: 100 breastroke

Why chosen: London won three first-place medals at the county meet, anchoring the Dragons' 200 relay team while also claiming top honors in the 50 freestyle (24.61) and the 100 breaststroke (1:06.13).

____________________________________________________________________

Erin Milligan, Collierville swimming

Erin Milligan

Collierville, So.

Events: 200 individual medley, 100 freestyle

Why chosen: Milligan won the 200 individual medley (2:09.33) and the 100 freestyle (53.26) at the county meet while helping the Dragons win their fifth team title in a row. She capped off her year with a second-place state finish in the 100 free, the best result for a Shelby County girl this year.

____________________________________________________________________

Kiara Norris, St. Mary's swimming

Kiara Norris

St. Mary's, Sr.

Events: 100 butterfly, 50 butterfly, 50 freestyle

Why chosen: Norris won county titles in the 100 butterfly (56.75) and the 50 butterfly (25.39). She then had a strong state meet, finishing third in 100 butterfly and fourth in the 50 freestyle after not competing in that event in the county meet.

____________________________________________________________________

REST OF FIRST TEAM

Sarah Clifford

Bartlett, Jr.

Events: 100 backstroke

Why chosen: Had a strong race at the county championship, winning the title in 1:01.89.

Helen Gillespie

Hutchison, So.

Events: 50 backstroke

Why chosen: Captured the county championship in a time of 28.47.

Faith Perry

Houston, So.

Events: 50 breaststroke

Why chosen: Perry won the county championship in a time of 31.46.

RELAYS

St. George's

(Hayley Lambert, Gabby Acker, Mary Miller Goldberg, Julia Fogel)

Event: 200 medley

Why chosen: The Gryphons won the event at the county championship in 1:51.91, nearly three seconds ahead of runner-up Houston, and then finished second in the state (1:48.03).

Collierville

(Erin Milligan, Rebekah Eberle, Abby Bowers, Madeline London)

Event: 200 freestyle

Why chosen: Won the county championship in a time of 1:38.36 and capped off the year with a fourth-place finish at state.

Collierville

(Madeline London, Rebekah Eberle, Abby Bowers, Erin Milligan)

Event: 400 freestyle

Why chosen: The Dragons finished first at the county meet (3:38.06) before going on to a sixth-place finish at state.

SECOND TEAM

50 breaststroke: Gabby Acker, St. George's, Sr.

100 breaststroke: Gabby Acker, St. George's, Sr.

50 backstroke: Abbey Autry, St. Mary's, Jr.

100 backstroke: Abbey Autry, St. Mary's, Jr.

100 individual medley: Abby Bowers, Collierville, Sr.

200 individual medley: Rachel Kriger, ECS, Jr.

50 freestyle: Madeline London, Collierville, So.

100 freestyle: Hayley Lambert, St. George's, Fr.

200 freestyle: Abby Bowers, Collierville, Sr.

500 freestyle: Mary Miller Goldberg, St. George's, Jr.

50 butterfly: Mary Hannah Gaushell, MHEA, Sr.

100 butterfly: Mary Miller Goldberg, St. George's, Jr.

RELAYS

200 individual medley: Houston (Kate Craft, Faith Perry, Eva Kerr, Maddie Ellis)

200 freestyle: St. Mary's (Kiara Norris, Abbey Autrey, Mason Davis, Lucy Patterson)

400 freestyle: St. Mary's (Kiara Norris, Mason Davis, Lucy Patterson, Abbey Autrey)

Selections were made based on results from the Shelby County and state championship meets.

Reach John Varlas at john.varlas@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @johnvarlas.