It’s been a great year for local swimmers both in personal goals and competition.
One of the most challenging efforts was the Lake Chatuge swim undertaken by six local swimmers.
In this 3.5 mile effort, swimmers represented Franklin, Franklin High School and the Franklin Amateur Swim Team.
The route took the swimmers an average of two hours to complete. Franklin High School teacher and swim coach Scott Hanna was on hand to supervise with local parents.
The swim started at Ridges Marina in Hiawassee and concluded at the beach just before the Chatuge Dam.
Junior Olympics
The region was well-represented in Des Moines, Iowa at the 2026 Junior Olympics. Swimmers hailed from Highlands, Cherokee, Jackson County under the Mountain Swim League.
Franklin swimmer Gavin Alverson, 16, competed in seven events at Junior Olympics including four individual events and three relays.
He had a particularly strong meet, earning top-10 finishes in five of his seven events. He also set personal bests in all four of his individual events.
- 50-meter freestyle: 8th place – 28.29
- 100-meter freestyle: 13th place – 1:05.62
- 100-meter backstroke: 11th place – 1:17.82
- 100-meter butterfly: 9th place – 1:10.52
- 200-meter freestyle relay: 10th place
- 200-meter medley relay: 8th place
- 400-meter medley relay: 10th place
“I definitely couldn’t have gotten to Junior Olympics without my coaches – the Picous, teammates, family and everyone who has supported me along the way,” Alverson said (pictured top with his medals). “I’m really thankful for all the people in Franklin who have encouraged me and cheered me on. It was really cool to represent our community in Des Moines and race against swimmers from all over the country.”
His mom, Kristin Krancer said, “I am incredibly proud of Gavin, not only for getting to compete at Junior Olympics, but for the work and dedication it took to get there. Swimming requires extreme discipline, consistency and mental toughness, and he has worked incredibly hard to continue improving.”
Highlands was also well-represented :
- Justin Powell
- Ian Batista
- Bella Batista
- Luka Masako
- Zana Masako
- Rocco Basil
Representing Smoky Mountain High School and Jackson County Swim Team:
- Joseph Friddle
- Jack Park
- Miles Park
Unfortunately, we did not have other results at press time.
The AAU was founded in 1888 to establish standards and uniformity in amateur sports. The Junior Olympics are considered the largest national multi-sport event for youth in the United States.
