First Baptist Christian Academy headed to TAAPS state swimming meet

Story and photo by Tracy Brown
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (January 30, 2020) The First Baptist Christian Academy swimming team competed at the TAPPS Eastern Region Swimming Championships on January 18 at the University of Houston Natatorium with an exciting day of competition in the pool.

It was a rough week leading up to the competition.  Two of the relay swimmers came down with a fever and cough which kept them out of the practice pool for week.  Couple this with the ongoing cough, and we saw boys in the water who used every ounce of determination in their bodies to swim the assigned events.  The coach didn't have to yell things like "don't breathe every stroke" because they couldn't breathe at all!  Once they hit the water in the 200-yard medley relay though their training took over and the team of Timothy Henry, Christopher Brown, Harrison Brown, and Ayden Moore battled to a sixth-place finish and a new school record with their time of 2:12.34.

With only two events to rest, Harrison Brown stepped back up to the blocks to swim the 200-yard freestyle and charged to a fifth-place finish with his personal best time of 2:06.16 in his school record setting race.  This great effort by the sprinter was met by loud applause.  Teammate and fellow sophomore, Timothy Henry, reached the wall in eighth place with his own personal best time of 2:34.17.

Junior Stephen Lawson swam the 200-yard individual medley to represent the Warriors and finished in eighth place in Division 3 with a personal best time of 2:58.33.

When the Lady Warriors took to the blocks in the 50-yard freestyle each one set a new personal best time.  They were rocking the blocks for sure. Last  year's girls MVP, Makenzee McComb, proved that she still has the drive to win with her 13th place finish at :33.07.  Annalyn Henry and Keeleigh Wilbanks both improved their times to finish 15th and 16th in the East Region.

When it was time for the boys to swim the 50-yard freestyle, freshman Ayden Moore set a new personal best when he hit the wall at :31.46.  Fellow first year swimmer, Owen Lambert touched the wall at :33.63 narrowly holding off sophomore and teammate John Harding who reached the wall with his personal best time of :36.48.

In the 100-yard freestyle Annalyn Henry showed off her endurance and training as she set a new personal best time of 1:21.95.  Teammate and fellow sophomore, Keeleigh Wilbanks touched with wall with a new personal best of 1:33.71 proving her value in the pool after a stellar performance on the basketball court earlier in the week.

By event 14, Harrison Brown had rested and was ready to swim.  He attacked the water in his 100-yard freestyle to sprint to a bronze medal with his new personal best and school record time of :55.35.  

Proving how opposite brothers can be, Senior Christopher Brown, powered through the longest event at the meet, the 500-yard freestyle in order to qualify for his fourth trip to the State Championship Meet with his fifth-place finish, less than a second behind the senior from Logos Prep.  Stephen Lawson swam in the same event to a personal best time and seventh-place finish.

The Brown boys combined forces again this time joined by Ayden Moore and Stephen Lawson to reach the wall with a new school record in the 200-yard freestyle relay.  Their fifth-place finish qualified the relay to swim at the State Championship in San Antonio.

Their journey continues at the TAPPS State Championship Swim Meet on February 5, where we look forward to watching these Warriors in action in San Antonio.