Gallagher named co-winner of Fugate Memorial Scholarship
Last week, Catoosa Great White Sharks swim team member Reece Gallagher was named as one of two overall winners of the 2020 Jennifer Fugate Memorial Scholarship, presented each year by the Chattanooga Area Swim League (CASL).
Gallagher, an area resident and a 2020 graduate of the McCallie School, swam in the CASL for 10 years, first with the Fort Oglethorpe Marlins and later with the Catoosa Great White Sharks after the Marlins merged with the Ringgold TigerSharks several years ago.
In the pool, Gallagher was a member of the Blue Tornado’s back-to-back state championship team and is the current McCallie record holder in the 100 breaststroke, the 200 medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay. He was a four-time state championship finalist and a member of the McCallie Athletic Council.
Gallagher also swam for the McCallie/GPS Aquatics USA Swimming
Club, where he was a team record holder, a Southeastern Championship finalist and a four-time NCSA Junior Nationals qualifier.
He had a 3.8 GPA at McCallie while taking Honors and AP courses and made the Headmaster’s List (over a 4.0 GPA for any given semester) five times. He was also named to the Faculty Recognition List for outgoing and hardworking students.
His college future will be at Queens University in Charlotte, N.C. where he will swim competitively and study biology or exercise science as he works toward physical therapy school.
“It’s been an honor to work with my teammates, especially the little ones at Catoosa and old Fort Oglethorpe as well, Gallagher said. “It’s been a really fun time swimming.”
Two other Great White Shark swimmers, Abigail Dodd and Austin Riddell, both 2020 graduates of Heritage, were among those nominated for the scholarship.
“It means a lot,” said Dodd, who will study nursing at Dalton State. “It means that it shows a lot about the character that you put into (working) with your other teammates. Just to be nominated means a lot to me.”
“It’s really special to me to be nominated,” added Riddell, who will major in computer engineering at Kennesaw State. “It shows how much we’ve all worked to help our team and (to) help all the younger people on our team get better at swimming and be better at the sport.”
According to the CASL, the scholarship nominees should be a high school senior, swimming or diving in their final year of CASL eligibility, and should have participated