Two swimmers from Georgia Coastal Aquatic Team (GCAT) returned from a meet this past weekend that saw young swimmers from across Georgia represent the state in a regional competition.
Wesley Hatala, 14, and Oliver Lin, 13, traveled with Team Georgia to Orlando for the Southern Zone Age Group Championships, which took place from July 30 to August 2 at the Rosen Aquatic Fitness Center.
Across all swim disciplines, Team Georgia finished in fifth place, earning 1,407 points. North Carolina finished first, pulling far ahead of the rest with 3,035 points. (Florida, second place, finished with 2,172 points).
Notable finishes for Hatala include finishing 1st in the 200 meter medley relay, 2nd place in the 200 meter mixed free relay, and 3rd place in the 50 meter individual free.
Meanwhile, Lin finished 2nd in the 200 meter individual free, 3rd in the 400 meter individual free, and 4th in the 1,500 meter individual free.
In addition, Hatala was named team captain by the Team Georgia coaching staff, and the entire team was awarded the Charlene Chaddock Sportsmanship Award
Ahead of the meet, the two boys said that they were looking forward to the tournament and all of its new experiences.
“It’s exciting because it’s another level of championship meet that I personally haven’t gone to [before]’,” said Hatala, who is a current freshman at Richmond Hill High School.
“You get to be with a lot more people instead of just being with your team. You’re with a bunch of kids from around Georgia,” said Lin, who goes to Coastal Middle School in Savannah.
And their coaches couldn’t be prouder of the boys’ efforts over the years.
“I just think that they’ve worked tremendously hard," said Ben Umbreit, GCAT coach. “The state is high pressure and these guys are able to go into those high pressure situations and really rise and do better in these situations than others.”
“Oliver is a hard worker and a great teammate, we enjoy having him on the team,” said Bill Forrester, GCAT coach who’s worked with Lin since he joined the club four years ago.
“He just loves to race,” Umbreit said of Hatala. “I can’t remember when I've haven’t seen him at practice. He’s always there, bringing a positive energy. He’s always projecting where he wants to go, he’s very locked in,” he said.