Gwinnett Daily Post

 

SUPER SIX BOYS SWIMMING AND DIVING

Name: Ricky Lehner

School: Parkview

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

-- State, county champion last season in 100 breaststroke

--Current state record-holder in the breaststroke

--Fifth at state in 200 IM

Favorite athlete: Eric Shanteau

Favorite movie: "What about Bob?"

Favorite music group: Black Eyed Peas

Favorite food: Lobster

College choice: Georgia Tech

Age I learned to swim: 6

Year-round swim club: SwimAtlanta

Favorite stroke: Breaststroke

Coach Jack Gayle's comment: "Ricky is the proverbial diamond in the rough. Ricky's meteoric rise is the stuff of legend, but it's also a perfect testament to just what kind of kid he is. Despite all the success in the short amount of time, Ricky has remained exactly the same -- same dedication to his academics, same heart, same friendliness. I think staying grounded and having a willingness to work hard is the secret to his success. It's no secret that he has talent, but Ricky approaches every race and every meet as a learning opportunity. You can't ask for a better team role model or team captain than Ricky. I'm going to soak up every second of his senior year because we're sure going to miss him when he's gone."

------------

Name: Anthony McMurry

School: Wesleyan

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

-- State champion in 100 freestyle last season

--Third at state in 200 free

--Helped team win state title

Favorite athlete: Mark Spitz

Favorite movie: "Gladiator"

Favorite music artist: Bei Madjor

Favorite food: Waffle House

College choices: TCU, Florida State, Alabama, South Carolina

Age I learned to swim: 8

Year-round swim club: SwimAtlanta

Favorite stroke: Freestyle

Coach Kevin Kadzis' comment: "Anthony is a fantastic swimmer who is dedicated to being the best he can be in his sport. His outstanding accomplishments in the pool are proof of this commitment to excellence. As a coach, it has been great to work with Anthony and see him come into his own as an elite swimmer and as a person. Anthony's commitment to the success of the team here at Wesleyan is evident in his unselfish attitude and ability to make his teammates better.

------------

Name: Sean Piner

School: Parkview

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

-- Last season's Class AAAAA diving runner-up with 566.95 points

--Also won Gwinnett County diving title

Favorite athlete: Derek Jeter

Favorite movie: "Remember the Titans"

Favorite music artist: Stevie Ray Vaughn

Favorite food: My dad's shrimp po' boys

College choices: Wisconsin, Louisville, Minnesota

Age I learned to swim: 4 (learned to dive at 14)

Year-round diving club: Atlanta Diving Association

Favorite dive: Reverse 2 somersault tuck (305C)

Coach Jack Gayle's take: "When I saw Sean diving off the board at a summer league practice for the first time, I knew I had stumbled upon something that would help us in the long run. He was only about twelve at the time. I don't think I, or Sean, or his parents ever expected it to go this far. Sean understands what he means to this team when he's on the board, but he also understands what he means to the team as an example and captain. Even though he now dives year-round, he still makes a point to stop by the high school practice to offer advice or be an example. We are fortunate in Gwinnett to get to see so many incredible swimmers, but divers of Sean's caliber are rare. I feel lucky to have been a part of his high school experience."

------------

Name: Chris Powell

School: Mill Creek

Class: Junior

Noteworthy:

-- Fourth at state last season in 50 and 100 freestyle

--County runner-up in 50, 100 free

Favorite athlete: Christian Ponder

Favorite movie: "I Am Number Four"

Favorite music artist: Brad Paisley

Favorite food: Grilled steak

College choice: Undecided

Age I learned to swim: 2

Year-round swim club: Athens Bulldog Swim Club

Favorite stroke: Freestyle

Coach Rick Creed's comment: "Chris is one of the top sprinters in the state. He is the fastest sprinter I've ever had the pleasure to coach. He's a tremendous leader, extremely spirited and he's well respected by his teammates. There is no limit to what he can accomplish. His goals are far reaching."

------------

Name: Aidan Sweeney

School: Brookwood

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

-- County champion in 200 IM, 500 free last season

--Four top-eight finishes at state the past two seasons

Favorite athlete: David Fleischman

Favorite movie: "Remember the Titans"

Favorite music group: Coldplay

Favorite food: Asian

College choice: Georgia

Age I learned to swim: 7

Year-round swim club: SwimAtlanta

Favorite strokes: Backstroke, freestyle

Coach Greg Puckett's comment: "Aidan is a quiet leader of the team. He is a natural leader who leads by example and I have been impressed with how the team has chosen to follow his lead. He just goes out and takes care of business, quietly and efficiently dominating the competition. He specializes in the distance events but has the versatility to also do well in some of the shorter events. His competitive nature definitely takes over on the relays and he is able to find a different gear and harness the inner sprinter rather than the strong and steady distance swimmer that he normally is."

------------

Name: Michael Trice

School: Brookwood

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

-- Second at state, county champion in 50 freestyle (with county-record time) last season

--Fifth at state in 100 free

Favorite athlete: Michael Phelps

Favorite movie: "Law Abiding Citizen"

Favorite music artist: Mac Miller

Favorite food: Mom's spaghetti and meatballs

College choice: Undecided

Age I learned to swim: 4

Year-round swim club: Doesn't swim year-round

Favorite stroke: Freestyle

Coach Greg Puckett's comment: "There have been many great sprinters that have competed in Gwinnett over the years -- Jack Gayle, David Fleischman, Andrew Ruffing. Michael surpassed their outstanding records as a junior so I look forward to seeing what he can do his senior year. He definitely has the mentality of a true sprinter and seems to thrive on the chase and hunt when he is anchoring a relay. His abilities as the anchor have impressed me as he often turns a good relay into an excellent relay with his competitive nature to hunt down and chase the competition that may be ahead of him."

SUPER SIX GIRLS SWIMMING AND DIVING

------------

Name: Allison Carr

School: North Gwinnett

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

-- County champion, state runner-up last season in 100 breaststroke

--Sixth at state in 100 free

Favorite athlete: Apolo Ohno

Favorite movie: "The Devil Wears Prada"

Favorite music artist: Adele

Favorite food: Brownies

College choices: Emory, Davidson

Age I learned to swim: 8

Year-round swim club: SwimAtlanta

Favorite stroke: Breaststroke

Coach Doug Nieman's comment: "Allison is awesome. I am very grateful that she lives in our district. She is competitive and doesn't like to lose. When I share with the North staff about our swimming and diving results, teachers and administrators communicate to me how much they enjoy Allison in class. She does it right when it comes to being a true student-athlete. I am very proud of Allison. She is a huge part of our team and school. She will be missed when she graduates."

------------

Name: Rachael Dudley

School: Mill Creek

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

-- State, county champion in 100 butterfly last season

--Second at state, county champion in 100 backstroke

Favorite athlete: Sommers Creed

Favorite movie: "Bridesmaids"

Favorite music group: The Killers

Favorite food: Anything from Moe's

College choice: Naval Academy

Age I learned to swim: 4

Year-round swim club: SwimAtlanta

Favorite stroke: Distance freestyle

Coach Rick Creed's comment: "Rachael is perhaps the most outstanding student-athlete ever to walk the halls of Mill Creek. She is a phenomenal role model for all that know her. She is a multiple All-American, state champion and carries a 3.92 GPA. She is strong in every stroke and excels in butterfly, distance free and relays. She is an outstanding leader and she's committed to attend the U.S. Naval Academy."

------------

Name: Kelsey Gouge

School: Brookwood

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

-- Second at state, county last season in 50 freestyle

--Third at state, county champion in 100 free

Favorite athlete: Michael Gouge

Favorite movie: "Finding Nemo"

Favorite music artist: Taylor Swift

Favorite food: Buffalo chicken

College choice: Florida Southern

Age I learned to swim: 3

Year-round swim club: SwimAtlanta

Favorite stroke: Freestyle

Coach Greg Puckett's comment: "Kelsey has been the go-to girl on the team for the past few years. I can always count on her to go out and compete in every event I put her in. It doesn't matter how far ahead of the competition that she may be, she is always going to bring her 'A' game and have an impressive performance and time. She specializes in sprint freestyle but is by far one of the most versatile swimmers on the team. She currently has the third and fourth fastest 50 and 100 freestyle in Brookwood history. She also has top 10 times in 200 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke."

------------

Name: Lauren Hall

School: Wesleyan

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

-- Won Class AAAA-A state diving titles the past three seasons

--Broke state record as a junior with 534.80 points

Favorite athlete: Chad Hall

Favorite movie: "She's the Man"

Favorite music artist: Britney Spears

Favorite food: Deep dish pizza

College choice: Hawaii

Age I learned to swim: 3

Year-round diving club: Atlanta Diving Association

Favorite dive: Reverse 1 pike

Coach Kevin Kadzis' comment: "Lauren is without a doubt the best diver I have had on a high school roster. As valuable as she is to our team as a three time state champion, she is even more valuable to us as a team captain. Her ability to both lead and serve our team is a testament not only to her status as an elite athlete , but also to her commendable character and wonderful personality."

------------

Name: Lydia Jones

School: Archer

Class: Junior

Noteworthy:

-- State, county champion in 50 freestyle

--Third at state, county runner-up in 100 butterfly

Favorite athlete: Rachel Muller

Favorite movie: "Pride and Prejudice"

Favorite music artist: Adele

Favorite food: Panera macaroni and cheese

College choice: Undecided

Age I learned to swim: 2

Year-round swim club: SwimAtlanta

Favorite strokes: Butterfly, freestyle

Coach Pam Autrey's comment: "Lydia is Archer High School's first state champion in any sport and you could not ask for a better representative. She exemplifies what an athlete should be. She is gracious in winning, complementary, supportive and helpful to her teammates, and her work ethic is unbelievable. Lydia is a natural swimmer but her work ethic is what takes her to the next level. Lydia is also a star in the classroom and applies the same work ethic to her studies. She is just intrinsically motivated to do her best at everything she tries. We are proud of Lydia, her accomplishments and her character."

------------

Name: Frederique Lefebvre

School: Mill Creek

Class: Senior

Noteworthy:

-- Second at state, county in 200 individual medley

--Seventh at state in 500 free

Favorite athlete: Ryan Lochte

Favorite movie: "Crazy, Stupid, Love"

Favorite music group: Girl Talk or LMFAO

Favorite food: Popcorn

College choice: Vanderbilt, McGill, Duke

Age I learned to swim: 3

Year-round swim club: SwimAtlanta

Favorite stroke: Anything but breaststroke

Coach Rick Creed's comment: "Frederique is one of those special student-athletes that coaches only get a few times during their coaching career. She is a remarkable role model for all that know her. She is fluent in French and English and carries a 3.97 GPA. She is an All-American and a tremendous relay swimmer. She is strong in every stroke and excels in IM. She has her sights on medical school."