Coker places first at KISL Championship
One area high school swimmer came home with a city championship following the Knoxville Interscholastic City Swimming and Diving Championships.
The city championships, originally scheduled for Jan. 19-21, were rescheduled for last weekend due to inclement winter weather.
They concluded Sunday night at the University of Tennessee’s Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatics Center.
It was a big day for Anderson County High School junior Avery Coker, who medaled in a pair of events and posted a first-place finish in the boys 100-yard butterfly with a time of 51.02 seconds.
Coker, son of ACHS head Coach Stephanie Coker, also posted a third-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke, touching the wall in 56.60 seconds.
Due to the schedule change, Avery Coker was the only Mavericks swimmer to compete at the city championships.
Donovan Rainey, a sophomore for the Lady Mavericks, along with her older brother, Landon, (a junior), qualified for the city championships. They were unable to compete due to prior commitments.
They will compete at the state championships at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, which will be held Feb. 9-10.
“We’ve had a great season,” Stephanie Coker said. “And we’re hoping to end on a high note.
“Expectations are high and we’re hoping to have kids (make the) final in their events,” she said. “It’s always great to travel and compete in a different venue.
“We’re hoping that there’ll be some college recruiters there and that we can get the recruiting process started.”
Avery Coker will compete in the 100 back and the 100 free in the midstate, while Donovan Rainey will swim in the 200-yard individual medley. Landon Rainey will be in action in the 200 and 100 free events at Vanderbilt.
Coker said she with pleased with her son’s showing at UT.
“It was great, and all three of our kids are looking forward to the state,” she said.