By Horace Davis
Sports Editor
JACKSONVILLE - St. John’s Country Day School’s Spartan Aquatic Club received record-breaking performances from swimmers Krissy Morgan, Kaitlyn Dressel, Sherridon Dressel and Caeleb Dressel at the River City Swim League Championship held last weekend at Cecil Field Aquatic Center.
The event, one of the largest in the country with more than 2,100 swimmers representing more than 20 teams, again was dominated by the Spartans, who repeated as champions despite having relatively few swimmers.
“We’re a smaller club than others that participated,” Spartan coach Dale Porter said. “However, we’ve been together for several years, and that’s one of the advantages of being a smaller unit.”
Thirteen-year-old Caeleb Dressel led the St. Johns charge, posting record times in the individual medley, 50-meter butterfly and 50-meter freestyle as the Spartan team outpointed second-place San Jose Country Club of Jacksonville, 2,909-2,324.
“It was not only a special day for Caeleb with his record performance,” Porter said. “It was special for his siblings and all the kids involved. It was fun, and I’m very proud of the kids.”
Eleven-year-old Sherridon Dressell and her 16-year-old sister, Kaitlyn, made it a family affair of record breaking performances, as Sherridon won the 50 backstroke and Kaitlyn took the 50 freestyle.
Krissy Morgan, 17, grabbed top honors in the 50 fly, while St. Johns’ relay team of Kristina Morgan, Grace Hutton, Katharine Meyer and Kaitlyn Dressel ruled the girl’s 200 relay.
Porter said the accumulation of points was very important in leading them to the win, but he pointed to his staff of Bernadette Johnson, Leebett Cioffi and Julian Albino as other integral components of the Spartan program.
“We had very few disqualifications, which is a testament to the staff,” Porter said. “They really work hard on the development of all the kids.”
Here are the final standings:
1: Spartan Aquatic Club, 2,909.50; 2: San Jose Country Club, 2,324; 3: Julington Creek, 1,693; 4: Episcopal Amberjax, 1,403.50; 5: Baymeadows, 1,394; 6: Beaches Aquatic Club, 1,126; 7: Wahoo, 1,010.50; 8: Epping Forest, 892; 9: Argyle Waves, 802.50; 10: Flying Fish, 681; 11: Deerwood, 644; 12: Deer Creek, 471.50; 13: Team Fernandina, 410.50; 14: Rolling Hills, 397; 15: Oceanway, 269.50; 16: Timuquana Yacht Club, 267.50; 17: Ponte Vedra, 245; 18: Arlingwood, 125; 19: JCA Makos, 102; 20: University Stingray Association 20.