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For North Hall’s Paul Powers, the Hall County Championship swim meet is a time to fine tune skills before the state meet, as well as a weekend full of “friendly competition.”
The meet, which featured teams from six out of nine county schools, offered a chance to compete against the area’s best swimmers along with promoting the growth of the sport, which Powers believes has a bright future in Hall County, even if it’s still working to gain popularity.
“Hall County Championships for swimming is not too big of a deal,” Powers said. “Well, for everyone who swims it is, but it’s not really recognized around the county.”
The local mindset, however, is changing, especially with Powers making a name for himself along with the introduction of swim programs in other local schools, like West Hall and Lakeview, both new to this year’s meet.
At the championships last weekend, Powers set new county records in the two individual events he won, the 100-yard butterfly and the 100 backstroke, and helped the relay teams break records in the 200 medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay.
For his efforts, Powers is The Times Boys Athlete of the Week.
For Powers and the local swimmers, the championships are a big deal because “everyone knows everyone, and they really want to show off,” he said.
“When you’re racing your friends, you want to be able to say, ‘hey I beat you in this race,’” Powers added.
He admits it isn’t the biggest meet of the year — “that’s high school state,” he said — but it’s certainly a chance for him to exhibit his skills.
“Personally, I didn’t set any of my best times,” Powers said, “but it was a good tune-up for high school state.”
Powers spends an incredible amount of time training and competing with everyone from Debby Duncan, the North Hall swim coach, to Olympic trainers, to his family. And, in this final stretch of the season, it begins to pay off.
“I would say going into this week, it’s really tough,” he said. “I mean ever since summer it’s been non-stop, hardcore training, but about halfway through last week we started laying off the yards and fine tuning the technique and we will do miniature races at practice.”
Powers’s training is especially tough considering some of his biggest competition comes from the same house.
“I love having a younger brother who swims because were kind of both on the same path,” he said. “We have goals of carrying swimming through college. There’s always family competitions. In state, I’m seeded first in the 50 free and he’s seeded second.
“We’re training partners, but when it comes to the race, we’re arch rivals.”
Heading into this weekend’s state meet, held at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Powers is excited to swim both with and against his brother, Ty, who won the 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke at the Hall County Championships and is a member of both of the Trojans’ relay teams.
“I’m excited about both of my individual events, primarily the 50 because I get to race my brother,” Powers said.
Powers wants to show his absolute best not only in order to beat his brother, but also to impress the many college scouts looking at him.
“This week is really where I have to show up,” he said. “The Auburn coaching staff is coming to watch.”
After state, Powers has one more regional short-course meet in March before he picks up intense training again for the summer. As for his future in college swimming, Powers is focusing on all aspects of each school, including academics, relationships with coaches, and of course, the quality of the swimming program.
“I have a couple options, but I wouldn’t say I have any favorites right now,” he said.
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