For the first time, the Pine Bluff Sharks Swim Club won the Arkansas AAU State Championships over the weekend.
The team hosted the three-day event at the Pine Bluff Aquatic Center, which was a first for the facility. The team has been swimming and representing Pine Bluff for nearly 20 years, and it joined forces this year with the Pine Bluff Aquatic Center and its new director and coach, Farrin Cain.
Sharks Coach Troy DeBill was excited for the opportunity to collaborate with someone as accomplished as Cain.
"Working with and learning from someone who has won four national championships and coached swimmers at the highest level is the chance of a lifetime," DeBill said. "I knew that if we joined forces, the team could win titles."
That turned out to be true over the weekend.
The Sharks scored 743 total points to win first place in Arkansas. The competition wasn't easy, Cain said.
"We were up against some of the best swimmers in the state," Cain said. "These kids train year-round for moments like this. Every team that came out had a great meet, and every swimmer was at their best. We really want to thank all 14 clubs that came from around the state, along with all the officials and volunteers that made this meet possible."
The Sharks had swimmers who won high-point awards in their age divisions.
Cade Cobb, 17, won the boys 15-18 division with 83 points.
Jodi Barnes, 17, tied for the win in the girls 15-18 division with 65 points.
Farida Sallam, 11, won the girls 11-12 division with 72 points.
Atalia Burbank, 7, won the girls 8-under division with 38 points.
Swimmers who placed first, second or third over the weekend qualified to compete at the Junior Olympic AAU Nationals in Houston in July.
Final team standings were: Pine Bluff Sharks Swim Club, 743; Central Arkansas Racers, 607; Shark ATAC Swim Team (Searcy), 570; Area Texarkana Aquatic Club, 510; Monticello Marlins, 444; Magnolia Dolphins Swim Team, 309; Warren Waves Swim Team, 141; PAC Dolphins (Pocahontas), 109; Bryant Aquatics Swim School, 71; Dart Frogs Aquatics (Jonesboro), 47; Crest (Crossett), 46; Hope Piranhas Swim Team, 34; Mountain Home Hurricane, 23; and City of Arkadelphia Swim Team, 13.
More information about the Pine Bluff Aquatic Center or about becoming a Shark can be found by visiting the front desk, by logging on to cityofpinebluff-ar.gov/aquatics, or by visiting the Facebook page at facebook.com/pinebluffaquatics.