The Calhoun Blue Barracudas brought home two gold, two silver, two bronze medals. as well as several top eight awards from the State GPRA Swim meet held in Tifton, Ga. on July 22-23.

Bryant Mathis and Marah McEntrye both won first place in the 50-yard breast stroke with Mathis repeating as the 13-14 year old boy’s champion and McEntrye winning the girl’s 15-18 division.

Mathis’ time of 30.36 was just off the state record and would have placed him first in the 15-18 boys division as well. Mathis also won a bronze medal for a third place finish in the boy 13-14 year old individual medley.

McEntrye, who had won a previous championship in the 13-14 year old division, took fifth place in the 50-yard free style.

Silver Medalist for the Blue Barracudas were Lindsey Driggers in the girls 15-18 medley relay and Cody Workman in the 11-12 year old boys 100-yard free style.

Allie Workman added a bronze medal for the team in the 9-10 year old girls 25-yard free style.

The Barracudas had nine other swimmers who received awards for individual top eight finishes including Grace Converse, Geanna Funes, Kailey Klingbeil, Micah Klingbeil, Nena Marcus, Andrew McEntrye, Cal Parker, Rucker Reeves and Cassie Workman.

In the team relay competition the 9-10 boys finished in sixth place in the medley relay and seventh in the free style relay. The 11-12 girls and boys finished eighth and seventh in the free relay. The 13-14 boys finished sixth in the medley relay and eighth in the free relay. The 15-18 girls finished fifth in the medley and eighth in the free.

Coach George News and Assistant Coach Rachel Giammarella led the team to a winning season and an excellent performance at the district and state swim meets.

The Blue Barracudas were sponsored this year by the following businesses and individuals: Gold sponsors: Advance Rehabilitation, Redmond Family Care Center; Silver Sponsors: Calhoun Anesthesia, PC; Prater Ford; Robert E. Sullivan Family Practice; Rodney L. Mathis, Attorney; Starr Mathews Insurance; Tonya W. Baker, DMD, Specialist in Orthodontics; Bronze Sponsors: Angel Pure Mountain Spring Water; Kent Chapman, State Farm Insurance; Dobbs, CPAS; Gary Edgmon, DDS, MS Orthodontics; Gordon Hospital Rehabilitation, Tom Peters, Director; Owasa Family Medicine; Southern Surgical Arts; South Tel Communications; Tommy White’s Body Shop; and Ledford Chiropractics.

The Blue Barracuda officers and parents would like to express their appreciation for their coaches, sponsors and for Kim Townsend and the staff at the Calhoun Recreation Department for a successful season.

State qualifiers for the Barracudas included Lysander Alvarez, Caleb Babb, Bryce Bates, Brock Bates, John David Box, Grace Converse, Allison Driggers, Lindsey Driggers, Micah Fromm, Geanna Funes, Vivianne Funes, Andrew Gallman, Joshua Gallman, Jack Haley, Will Haley, Meredith Holden, Anne Fogle Jones, Grace Jones, Kailey Klingbeil, Micah Klingbeil, Nena Marcus, Cohen Marcus, Griffin Mashburn, Bryant Mathis, Andrew McEntrye, Marah McEntrye, Cal Parker, Bailey Reeves, Rucker Reeves, George Russell, K.J. Sturkey, Daniel Sullivan, Ethan Sullivan, Katherine Sullivan, Cecelia Swink, Tommy Swink, Brylyn To, Chantelle Waddell, Austin Warren, Sarah Weaver, Allie Workman, Cassie Workman, and Cody Workman.