Some local swimmers shine for the Dolphins

The Dalton Dolphins swim team has lost its first two meets of the summer season.

But some local swimmers have been early standouts during those first couple of meets.

Recent Calhoun graduate Phoebe Reid has done well in the older divisions, having racked up 31 points for her team in their first two competitions.

On the strength of a first-place and another second, Reid had 19 points in the Dolphins’ first meet against the Ooltewah Tidal Wave. She then had 12 more last Monday in the Dolphins’ event against Stuart Heights.

Reid is just a point behind the team’s leading scorer, Jazzy-Kate Watson, who had 32 points in the Dolphins’ first pair of swims.

Watson and Reid tied for team-high honors against Ooltewah with each securing 19. Watson had 13 points on Monday and will try to stay the leader in their final three meets before the postseason begins.

Payton Woodring is also right in the mix to be the Dolphins’ top pointgetter, having collected 30 going into this weekend.

Woodring had been solid in the their first two meets, securing 17 points against the Tidal Wave and then coming back with 13 Monday against Stuart Heights.

Roman Valdez is another Dalton Dolphin who has gotten off to a good start this month, having earned 29 points for the team so far.

And Valdez has been very consistent, scoring 15 points in the first meet and then 14 more last Monday.

Sebastian Rodriguez has also been consistent for the Dolphins, having accumulated 20 points altogether with 10 in each of their two swims.

Several other local racers have contributed heavily in the one meet they have swam in as not everyone in the team attends every meet with summer officially here.

Lillian Withrow has made the girls team that much stronger, participating in her first meet this year last Monday and she had a team-high 16 points to pace the Dolphins’ against Stuart Height.

Sophie Martinez also had a strong debut with the girls team on Monday, notching 14 points against Stuart Heights.

On the boys side, Luke Mederios and Jackson Farmer had 10 points each in that same meet.

Against the Tidal Waves, Favio Caceres, Aurora Caceres, and Owen Smitherman produced double-digit points with their solid efforts.

Favio had 13 points for the Dolphins in their first meet and Aurora Caceres had 12 more. Smitherman finished that season opener with 10 points on his own.