NewsAthleticsStudent LifeAcademicsSwim and Dive
Swimming in success: Bryant excels at Darlington
Jan 29, 2009 12:00 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
From the Rome News-Tribune, published 1/23/2009
Kristopher Bryant is quickly becoming the Michael Phelps of Darlington. And that's not an exaggeration.
The sophomore swimming star has set seven school records - including five this season - and has established himself as one of the premiere performers in the area.
His latest record-setting performance came Wednesday night [Jan. 21], when he finished the 100 Butterfly with a time of 53.37 during a meet at Darlington. His time in the event broke the old record by almost two seconds. (The previous makr was set by Mark Kothe in 1984.)
Bryant now owns all but one of Darlington's eight individual records. He will attempt to break the school record in the 50 Freestyle later this month at the Metro Atlanta Championships, and at the state meet in February.
Several of the records Bryant has set had been standing for 25 years or longer before the sophomore came along.
"He is definitely the best swimmer ever at Darlington," said Darlington swim coach Alan Parish. "(And) he is having a huge impact on our program, because he is causing people to notice and pay attention to swimming, a small sport that rarely gets recognition."
Bryant's success has had a contagious effect on the entire program. Last season, for example, the Tigers sent several simmers to state, marking the first year that Darlington had any male swimmers qualify since 1993. Bryant was among those who did. He qualified individually and also helped one fo the boys' relay teams qualify.
This year, he has qualified in every event, and his teammates have followed suit. Darlington will be sending two boys' relay teams to state next month, and a third relay team missed out on qualifying by two tenths of a second.
"Kristopher is very dedicated to swimming and has been working hard at it for years," said Parish. "He swims for a year-round club team out of Kennesaw (Tidal Waves). He sacrifices many other areas of his life attending swim practice, and traveling back and forth to practice. It is obviously paying off."
Parish said Bryant has embraced prep swimming this year. "Because he practices with a club team, and swims in many meets with them, it took him a while to grasp high school swimming because it is so different than USS (United States Swimming)," said Parish. "(But) this year he got very excited about high school swimming and really wants to make sure the other boys are also able to go to state, being on the same relays with them."
Bryant is one of several Darlington swimmers to be enjoying heavy amounts of success. For the Lady Tigers, Alexandra Dodd - a four-year varsity member - has helped set a school record in a relay event, and is again headed for the state meet. (She is the only girl currently on the team with those accomplishments.) Also, senior diver Katie Stout has finished first in just about every meet this year.
During Wednesday's meet, Darlington's boys won the 200 Free Relay and qualified for state with a time of 1:39.10. The event featured an amazing come-from-behind victory, with Bryant out-touching Woodstock's anchor for the win. Team members were Bryant, Scott Travis, Jason Lu and Jack Lynch.
The 400 Freestyle Relay was led off by Bryant with a split of 48.96, his fifth school record this season. The overall time was 3:41.72, and the team finished second in the event. Team members were Lu, Benjamin Womble, Travis and Bryant.
Darlington's girls' team was led by Dodd, who won the 100 Breaststroke and anchored three relay teams. The girls' relay team finished third in the 200 Medly. Team members were Melissa Picon, Anna Grace Rutledge, Dodd and Mary Morgan Yancey.
The Darlington girls also finished second in the 200 Free Relay (where team members included Picon, Yancey, Rutledge and Dodd) and the 400 Free Relay (where team members were Melissa Picon, Monique Picon, Yancey and Dodd).
Additional first or second place finishers for Darlington included Scott Travis (second in boys' 200), Katie Stout (first in girls' diving), Payton Payne (second in girls' diving) and Anna Grace Rutledge (second in 100 Breaststroke).
Kristopher Bryant is quickly becoming the Michael Phelps of Darlington. And that's not an exaggeration.
The sophomore swimming star has set seven school records - including five this season - and has established himself as one of the premiere performers in the area.
His latest record-setting performance came Wednesday night [Jan. 21], when he finished the 100 Butterfly with a time of 53.37 during a meet at Darlington. His time in the event broke the old record by almost two seconds. (The previous makr was set by Mark Kothe in 1984.)
Bryant now owns all but one of Darlington's eight individual records. He will attempt to break the school record in the 50 Freestyle later this month at the Metro Atlanta Championships, and at the state meet in February.
Several of the records Bryant has set had been standing for 25 years or longer before the sophomore came along.
"He is definitely the best swimmer ever at Darlington," said Darlington swim coach Alan Parish. "(And) he is having a huge impact on our program, because he is causing people to notice and pay attention to swimming, a small sport that rarely gets recognition."
Bryant's success has had a contagious effect on the entire program. Last season, for example, the Tigers sent several simmers to state, marking the first year that Darlington had any male swimmers qualify since 1993. Bryant was among those who did. He qualified individually and also helped one fo the boys' relay teams qualify.
This year, he has qualified in every event, and his teammates have followed suit. Darlington will be sending two boys' relay teams to state next month, and a third relay team missed out on qualifying by two tenths of a second.
"Kristopher is very dedicated to swimming and has been working hard at it for years," said Parish. "He swims for a year-round club team out of Kennesaw (Tidal Waves). He sacrifices many other areas of his life attending swim practice, and traveling back and forth to practice. It is obviously paying off."
Parish said Bryant has embraced prep swimming this year. "Because he practices with a club team, and swims in many meets with them, it took him a while to grasp high school swimming because it is so different than USS (United States Swimming)," said Parish. "(But) this year he got very excited about high school swimming and really wants to make sure the other boys are also able to go to state, being on the same relays with them."
Bryant is one of several Darlington swimmers to be enjoying heavy amounts of success. For the Lady Tigers, Alexandra Dodd - a four-year varsity member - has helped set a school record in a relay event, and is again headed for the state meet. (She is the only girl currently on the team with those accomplishments.) Also, senior diver Katie Stout has finished first in just about every meet this year.
During Wednesday's meet, Darlington's boys won the 200 Free Relay and qualified for state with a time of 1:39.10. The event featured an amazing come-from-behind victory, with Bryant out-touching Woodstock's anchor for the win. Team members were Bryant, Scott Travis, Jason Lu and Jack Lynch.
The 400 Freestyle Relay was led off by Bryant with a split of 48.96, his fifth school record this season. The overall time was 3:41.72, and the team finished second in the event. Team members were Lu, Benjamin Womble, Travis and Bryant.
Darlington's girls' team was led by Dodd, who won the 100 Breaststroke and anchored three relay teams. The girls' relay team finished third in the 200 Medly. Team members were Melissa Picon, Anna Grace Rutledge, Dodd and Mary Morgan Yancey.
The Darlington girls also finished second in the 200 Free Relay (where team members included Picon, Yancey, Rutledge and Dodd) and the 400 Free Relay (where team members were Melissa Picon, Monique Picon, Yancey and Dodd).
Additional first or second place finishers for Darlington included Scott Travis (second in boys' 200), Katie Stout (first in girls' diving), Payton Payne (second in girls' diving) and Anna Grace Rutledge (second in 100 Breaststroke).
