Area swim teams gearing up for division championships

Camp chairs lined the edge of the Jones Creek pool, two and three rows deep in some places.

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Children, from age 3 to 18, turned the deck into a hub of activity, moving from place to place, preparing for their next event or showing off various slogans written on their bodies.

In the pool, swimmers cut through the water as they attempted to shut out what was going on around them.

This past Tuesday, the Jones Creek swim team squared off with Springlakes during the final week of the CSRA Swim League season. The meet pitted two of the strongest teams in Division 3.

Jones Creek entered without a loss. Springlakes had one.

Both will meet again in the upcoming Division Championships, so this was just a precursor.

The teams' coordinators, responsible for organizing the chaos in the pool area, said the swim league is about competition, but it's also about the communities it brings together.

"To me, it's just neat," said Sharon Burr, meet manager for Jones Creek. "It's the one thing where we get to meet our neighbors, and they get to do things with kids within the neighborhood."

Burr's daughter, Jesslynn, swam for Jones Creek 13 years before becoming head coach this season. A shoulder injury is keeping her from competing this summer, but the 18-year-old Lakeside graduate has been able to pass along her accumulated knowledge to the 6-and-under group on up. Jesslyn plans to resume swimming when she starts as a freshman at Appalachian State University in the fall.

She said the CSRA Swim League gives area swimmers options.

"Some people love swimming and don't want to do it year-round, or some people who are committed to sports during the year, summer league helps with that," Burr said.

The league is divided into four divisions, based on strength and size of teams.

Division 1 includes giants like Petersburg Racquet Club. Jones Creek and Springlakes compete in Division 3. With about 90 team members each, both teams had 75 participants in Tuesday's meet.

Yolanda Leahy, Jones Creek's team president, said the Sharks are comfortable with their division because of its level of competition and proximity to other division clubs. She said Jones Creek had struggled in the past to field a balanced team.

"If you don't have anybody to enter, it's like giving away points," Leahy said "This year, we have enough."

Jones Creek will have the opportunity to prove its standing in Division 3 during its division championship July 15. Each division will hold its championship that week, beginning with Division 1 on July 13. The top 20 times in individual events for all divisions will be invited to an All-Star meet July 18.