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Published Thursday, February 09, 2012 in Sports

Special

Kelsey Taliaferro was an avid swimmer growing up in Florida, competing in synchronized swimming.

Prep Swimming: Taliaferro able to shift swim career to next level at East Coweta

By Doug Gorman

The Newnan Times-Herald

Kelsey Taliaferro has spent most of her life around the pool.

She first took the plunge as a 5-year-old kindergarten student, but only began competitive swimming four years ago.

It's been a unique journey to the pool for the East Coweta junior.

Before Taliaferro thought about how quickly she could race across the pool as a member of the Lady Indians' swim team, she competed in synchronized swimming in Florida.

Starting Friday, Taliaferro gears up for one of the biggest meets of her high school career as she swims in the GHSA state meet at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center.

She's part of a large contingent of swimmers from Coweta County where all three GHSA schools will be represented in Class AAAAA and AAAA-A meets. East Coweta qualified all three relays among boys and girls and will have individual swims from juniors Taliaferro and Ashley Delgado among girls, as well as sophomore Nick Hogsed and senior Michael Dean among boys.

All four swimmers competed at the state level last season.

Qualifying will be held Friday at Georgia Tech, with finals to be held Saturday.

Just a few short years ago, Taliaferro only used "speed swimming" as a way to stay in shape for synchronized swimming, a sport that is part dance, part gymnastics in the water.

Once her family moved to Georgia, she switched gears, taking up the more traditional form of the sport.

In addition to swimming for the Lady Indians, she also competes for Southern Crescent Aquatics Team in Peachtree City.

"In the summer I did speed swimming to stay in shape," she said. "Since there wasn't a synchronized swim team here in Georgia, I thought why not. I love swimming, and when I made the team, I found out I really liked this."

East Coweta swim coach Darrell Hynson is amazed at the strides she has made since joining the Indians.

"She has had a phenomenal year," said he "She is fairly new to competitive swimming. She is so disciplined, and it shows."

It didn't take Taliaferro long to find out she was good at her craft.

This year, she has qualified for seven events, including the 200-yard freestyle, 200 Individual Medley (IM), 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke. She has also earned a spot on the team's 200 medley and 400 free relay team.

The Georgia High School Association limits swimmers to two individual events so Taliaferro has some decisions to make.

One event, Taliaferro is locked into is the 200 IM, her favorite event, which combines the butterfly, the backstroke, the breaststroke and freestyle. She has a best time this year of 2:21.78.

Taliaferro is also expected to compete in the 100 breaststroke, qualifying with a mark of 1:15.71, in addition to joining 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays.

"To see her times get better, and the hard work she puts in is really something," Hynson said.

Taliaferro is hoping for a strong showing at the state meet.

"I just want to better my times," she said. "That is really my goal."

It's been an exciting year for Taliaferro. She warmed up for this week's state meet by helping her teammates capture the Tribal Challenge two weeks ago.

It showed her exactly how far she and her teammates have come this year."

"I am so happy," Taliaferro said after helping her team win the Tribal Challenge. "When we swam at the county tri-meet, Northgate beat us by like three points. So now we came out on top. I remember we were so sad watching them celebrate. We knew it was all or nothing this time."

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