TRIBUNE/Matthew Gorry
Elkin Wet Lightning head coach Emily Morrison talks to the team during the teams’ postseason party earlier this month.
TRIBUNE/Matthew Gorry
Elkin Wet Lightning coach Oz Prim hands out the Mark Burkenbine Award to Isaac and Chandler Ann Powell at the teams’ postseason party earlier this month.
ELKIN - Success and championships are nothing new to the Elkin Wet Lightning swim team.
For the 11th-straight season, Elkin captured the Blue Ridge Swim League championship earlier this summer behind a familiar mix of depth, quality older swimmers and a slew of young swimmers.
“We are solid in every age group, especially the older kids. Our senior group and the 13-and-older’s are by far the biggest in the conference,” Wet Lightning coach Oz Prim explained. “Our young kids did surprisingly well this year. And the older kids came back on the second day to encourage the younger kids, and you couldn’t ask for much more than that.”
Under the guidance of third-year head coach Emily Morrison, Elkin turned in another successful season.
“We had a great season,” she said. “All the kids worked really hard.”
Prim says the key to the success is Morrison.
“Emily does a wonderful job. She’s an organizer, does all the paperwork; she is great,” he said. “You can tell that she loves these kids. I have never seen an individual so loved and respected by kids and parents. I’ve been around this sport for a long time, but she’s a special person and we are blessed to have someone like her.”
In the annual postseason party earlier this month at Elkin Municipal Pool, Morrison, Prim and the Wet Lightning coaching staff handed out awards to the team.
Sierra Holbrook and Caleb Swarey were named the most improved swimmers on the team, while Luke Bellia and Kandice Darnell were awarded with the most team spirit.
Isaac and Chandler Ann Powell received the most prestigious award of the afternoon, the Mark Burkenbine Award, named after a Wet Lightning swimmer that died years ago.
Prim wanted to thank the parents and older kids on the team at the party.
“The parents were very supportive this year, like they always are. It takes a lot to run a meet. We always do a great meet; probably the best in the conference,” he explained. “You build a swim team by having older kids that are really good role models, and we couldn’t have eight better seniors who are positive role models.
“I think that is what makes us a good team for many, many years. The key is we have been able to keep the older kids involved. They are wonderful role models, and it shows,” Prim added.
Reach Matthew Gorry at 835-1513 or mgorry@heartlandpublications.com.
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