Young Myrtle Beach swimming squad starts off strong at Ripley’s Invitational

Kirk Gallion knows this year’s Myrtle Beach girls swimming team is young.

Based on Saturday’s results, it might just mean that the squad is going to be really good for years to come.

Olivia McGonigal won the 100-yard backstroke, Kennedy Drew won the 100-yard freestyle and the Seahawks took first in the 200-yard medley relay en route to a second-place finish behind Academic Magnet in Saturday’s season-opening Ripley’s Invitational hosted by Carolina Forest at Pepper Geddings Recreation Center.

“I was just really happy with everybody,” Gallion said. “From our standpoint, I thought our younger kids stepped up and we just focused on trying to win the heat that we were in. The strokes and turns are one thing, but I like seeing the heart and determination of the kids.”

Former Seahawk standouts and past Toast of the Coast Girls Swimmers of the Year Maggie Langdale and Kandes Soapes are getting ready to begin their careers at South Carolina and Savannah College of Art and Design, respectively, leaving Myrtle Beach with a squad dominated by seventh- through 10-graders and no seniors and only one junior.

“We lost our best swimmers, but we have depth and have replaced them with kids that are really good,” Gallion said.

The meet featured more than 20 teams and annually is one of the bigger meets area schools compete in.

Drew also finished third in the 200-yard freestyle, McGonigal was second in the 100-yard freestyle and fellow Seahawk Danielle Flaherty placed second in the 200-yard individual medley.

“We beat a lot of big (Class) AAAA schools that have a lot more kids than us,” Gallion said.

On the boys side, Isaiah Ivey claimed a gold for Myrtle Beach, winning the 100-yard backstroke.

Socastee’s Jenn Paul (200-yard freestyle) and Eddie Bateson (50-yard freestyle) and Waccamaw’s Patrick Sullivan (100-yard freestyle) were the other area performers to win events.

Conway’s Catherine Jackson (50-yard freestyle, third) also reached the podium and Paul (500 freestyle, second) did a second time. Other area boys with podium finishes were: Socastee’s Chad Bateson (200-freestyle, second; 100-freestyle, third); Sullivan (500-yard freestyle, second); Eddie Bateson (100 breaststroke, third); and Myrtle Beach’s Sean McGonigal (100 backstroke, third).

In the boys’ 400 freestyle relay, Waccamaw took second and Myrtle Beach was third.

“Coming from somebody who’s done this for 30-some years, I was really proud of Horry County Schools today; they all stepped up,” Gallion said. “It was a good day for Horry County swimming.”

The next area meet is scheduled for 9 a.m. next Saturday at the Georgetown YMCA.

This story was originally published August 22, 2015 at 10:39 PM with the headline "Young Myrtle Beach swimming squad starts off strong at Ripley’s Invitational."