Madison Dolphins take to water, grab awards in Birmingham
Swimmers with the Madison Dolphins celebrate after their wins at the Alabama Sports Festival in Birmingham. (CONTRIBUTED)
MADISON – The Madison Dolphins, 53 swimmers strong, left the competition all wet at the Alabama Sports Festival in Birmingham on June 21-22.
The swim team is headquartered at Dublin Park.
Christina Tarsitano, 12, served as torchbearer for the Parade of Athletes during opening ceremonies at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.
Hannah Krings, 9, won $1,000 in scholarship money.
“Madison Dolphins brought home the ‘Large Team Championship Trophy.’ The majority of the team scored individual medals, including the adult masters swimmers,” team parent and festival participant Terri Krings said. Swimmers’ ages ranged from six to 53 years old.
Dolphins coaches are head coach Gayle Marbury, Blakeley Flemming, Katie Fogg, Anna Fogg, Kyle Young and Denae Young. Coaches and parents “helped make this happen. Way to go, Dolphins. Madison is proud of your accomplishments,” Krings said.
Joe Palenapa earned seven gold medals for six individual wins, along with one win for relay. Gold medal winners included Chris Day with three individual ‘golds’; Eric Messer with four; and JoAnne Stevens with three.
Boys, age 9-10, in the 100-yard individual medley earned gold, silver and bronze medals. Dolphins girls, age 11-12, also won gold, silver and bronze in the individual medley.
Boys, age 9-10, in the 50-yard breaststroke won gold, silver, bronze and fourth place. Dolphins girls, age 11-12, in the breaststroke won gold, silver, bronze and fourth and fifth places. Boys, age 9-10, in the 50-yard fly captured gold, silver, bronze and fourth, fifth and sixth places.
“All swimmers scored at least a point for the team to win the first-place, large-team award,” Krings said. From the Dolphins, 39 swimmers won medals, including 44 gold, 29 silver and 22 bronze. “Twenty-three of 52 swimmers got a gold medal in at least one event, individual or relay.”
All swimmers winning a medal qualified for national competition. Nineteen Dolphins will enter the national meet in Pennsylvania in August.
