GPAC’s Third Annual Gravy Bowl Invitational swim meet was a tremendous success for the team, as GPAC hosted over 600 swimmers from around the South, including 129 of its own. GPAC claimed the team title by 700 points over nearby Coast Aquatics, and posted an impressive 77% best times, and 3 individual high point winners.

Brooke Ferrara, 16, claimed the senior girls’ high point award, winning six of her seven events, and set four new meet records (50 Fr, 500 Fr, 100 Bk, 200 Bk). Brooke was also a member of the 200 freestyle and medley relays that set new meet records, along with Jacquie Kinman, Brianna Mount and Olivia Weekley.

Makayla Ludwick, 12, was GPAC’s other female high point winner, taking the top spot in her age group. Ludwick won six of her eight individual events and set personal bests in all of them. Makayla set a new meet record in the 50-yd backstroke, and was the freestyle anchor leg of both the 200 medley and freestyle relays that set new meet records. She also made a new Southeastern champs cut in the 200-yd IM and went on to set two new Age Group Sectional cuts (50 Bk, 200 IM).

Walker Parra, 12, won the high point race for the boys 11-12 age group. Parra had a close race for the award, but his wins in four of his eight individuals was enough to grab the trophy. He also swam personal best times in seven of the eight events.  Walker set three new meet records (500 Fr, 100, 200 Bk) and was a member of the meet record-setting 200-yd medley and freestyle relays, along with Braden Barkley, Cason Forst, William Henderson andCameron Jones. He also posted two new Sectional cuts in the 100 Fly and 100 Free.

More GPAC team records were set during the meet. Individually, Steffen Mount set a new team record in the boys’ 100-yd backstroke, posting a blistering 51.72 seconds. The boys’ 200-yd freestyle relay of Mount, Grant Bridges, Nate Thomas and Cameron Walton erased the long-standing team mark from 1997, and the girls’ free relay of Ferrara, Kinman, Mount and Weekley also reset the team record from last  year.

Several GPAC swimmers established new meet records at this year’s Gravy Bowl. Aside from the swimmers mentioned, these swimmers set new meet records: Parker Brandt (200 back), Nate Thomas (50 free), and both 13-14 boys’ medley and freestyle relays (Coulson Barfield,James Henderson, Austin Lee, Nick Petruska and Thomas Young).

Twenty Seven GPAC swimmers combined for 55 new Southeastern Championships qualifying times:  Claren Anderson (200 Bk), Coulson Barfield (50, 100, 200 Fr, 200 IM), Braden Barkley (100, 500 Fr, 50 Bk, 200 IM), Parker Brandt (100 Bk), Paige Bridges (50 Bk, 200 IM), Lexi DeJesus (200 Fr), Sophia Diagne (200 Fly), Cason Forst (50 Fly), James Henderson (200, 400 IM, 50, 100 Fr, 100 Br), Renee Henderson (100, 200 IM, 50, 100, 200 Fr), William Henderson (50 Bk), Berkeley Humphreys (100 Bk), Jacquie Kinman (200 IM), Rebekah Loesch (50 Fr), Makayla Ludwick (200 IM), Anna Luth (400 IM), Maren Mackey (500 Fr, 100 IM), Gracie Matthews (50, 100 Fr, 100 Fly), Brianna Mount (100 Bk), Steffen Mount (200 Bk), Tatiana Oberley (400 IM), Walker Parra (50 Fr, 100 Fly), Nick Petruska (200 Bk, 100 Fr), Noah Scoggins (100, 200 Fr, 100 IM, 100 Br), Seth Scoggins (100, 200 IM, 100 Bk), James Tracey (100 Fr), and Cali Wilson (100 IM, 50 Bk, 50, 100 Fr).

Many new Sectional qualifying times were made during the meet. Heidi Schellin (200 Br) and Nate Thomas (500 Fr) set new Senior Sectional qualifying times. In the 14 and under age groups, 14 different swimmers made new Age Group Sectionals cuts: Coulson Barfield (50, 100 Fr, 200 IM, 100 Bk), Parker Brandt (200 Bk), Paige Bridges (50, 100 Bk, 200 Fr, 200 IM), Lexi DeJesus (200 Br), James Henderson (50 fr, 200 IM, 200 Bk), Renee Henderson (50, 100, 200 Fr, 100, 200 IM, 200 Br), William Henderson (50, 100 Bk, 200 Fr, 200 IM), Cameron Jones (200 Fr, 100 Bk), Makayla Ludwick (50 Bk, 200 IM), Gracie Matthews (50, 100 Fr, 100 Fly), Walker Parra (100 Fr, 100 Fly), Noah Scoggins (100 Fly), Seth Scoggins (100 IM), and Cali Wilson (100 IM).

GPAC boasted several individual event winners during the meet. Congratulations to Parker Brandt, 12 (200 Bk), Renee Henderson, 11 (200 IM), Cameron Jones, 12 (50, 100 Fr), Nate Thomas, 17(50 Fr), and Olivia Weekley, 17 (200 Fly). Steffen Mount, 16 won three out of his five individual events and set a new GPAC team record in the 100-yd butterfly.

Congratulations to the following swimmers who posted best times in all their individual events: Brandon Anderson, 12, Claren Anderson, 17, Cynthia Anderson, 10, Hayden Anderson, 8, Coulson Barfield, 13, Braden Barkley, 11, Jacob Bell, 11, Paige Bridges, 10, Amy Brown, 14, Mattie Cochran, 9, Cason Forst, 12, Landry Hadder, 9, Claire Han, 8, Isabel Harris, 11, James Henderson, 13, Renee Henderson, 11, William Henderson, 11, Amelia Hoitt, 8, Cannon Hutchens, 12, Austin Lee, 14, Rachel Lee, 11, Rebekah Loesch, 17, Malia Ludwick, 9, Maren Mackey, 10, Sarah Marks, 9, Gracie Matthews, 12, Kobi Menser, 10, Grace Menzies, 14, Ria Pabby, 9, Dimitri Pahountis, 16, Roman Popovich, 7, Francisco Ramirez, 10, Adriana Rivera, 10, Seth Scoggins, 12, James Tracey, 12, Laila Trawick, 13, Delaney Turner, 11, Anna Van Wormer, 10, Hope Waggoner, 8, Zoe Warner, 10, Cali Wilson, 12, Nevada Wood, 13, and Thomas Young, 13.

GPAC swimmers will split forces for the next meet, the last competition before the new year. Thirty swimmers will travel to Baton Rouge to compete at LSU, while another 30 will stay locally and compete in Gulf Shores, AL right after the Thanksgiving holiday.