By: Blake McCowan

On February 20th, the Rebels traveled to Lexington for their final meet of the season: the state championship. Boyle County showed up ready to compete and made it to the finals in almost every event they swam. From the start, the team made sure every swim in prelims counted, setting the tone for a big day.

The meet kicked off with the medley relay team of Clark Coyle, Beau Bostick, Evan Perry, and Anders Pekius placing 3rd and breaking the school record. Evan Perry also had an incredible performance, swimming a personal best and breaking the school record that had stood since 1998. Both relays broke records they had already set earlier in the state competition, proving just how strong this team has been all season.

Senior Beau Bostick shared his thoughts on the season, saying, “Going into my senior year, I was excited and focused on finishing strong. The team did really well this season, and I’m proud of every one of my teammates. It was emotional swimming my last race with Bostick and Boyle County. In my final individual race, a few tears might have fallen after finals, but it was worth it. Before regionals, Coach Jeremy said the class of 2026 is the most winning class in the history of the program. I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished in the last six years, and I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. Shoutout to Crystal and Jeremy Ellis for being two amazing coaches.”

During finals, Boyle County placed near the top in almost every event. One of the biggest moments of the night came when Clark Coyle surprised everyone in the 50 freestyle and won the event with a time of 20.65 seconds. It was an exciting, momentum-shifting swim that fired up the entire team and the Boyle County crowd.

On the girls’ side, the 200 freestyle relay finished 14th in the state, while the 200 medley relay placed 5th overall. Ivy Sadler finished 9th, and Abigail Heath placed 6th in the 100 freestyle and 5th in the 50 freestyle, adding even more strong finishes for the Rebels.

With the end of an unforgettable season, Boyle County heads home proud and accomplished after an extremely successful state meet.

By: Blake McCowan

Title: Seniors to State

On Saturday, February 7, the Boyle County Rebels continued their exciting postseason swim run at the University of Louisville. With the competition narrowing down, the atmosphere was more intense than ever. Compared to earlier meets in the season, there were far fewer swimmers competing, as only the top athletes had advanced to this level. The Rebels got off to a strong start, especially on the boys’ side.

The relay teams made an immediate impact by placing near the top of both events.

Individually, several Rebel swimmers delivered standout performances. Beau Bostick, Clark Coyle, and Evan Perry each qualified for the state finals in their individual events, earning their spots among Kentucky’s best swimmers. Their dedication and countless hours of practice paid off in a big way. In addition, Anders Petkus qualified as part of a relay team, while Blake McCowan and Cooper Costello will serve as alternates, ready to step in if needed.

Senior Cooper Costello said, “I am super happy with what has happened, it really means a lot to be a part of such an amazing team.”

The girls’ team also had an impressive showing. Abigail Heath, Ivy Sadler, and Becca Hoffman all advanced to the state meet after strong performances in their events. Natalie Spencer and Ella Perry earned alternate spots.

The Rebels will now turn their focus to the final round of the state meet, which will take place February 20–21 at the University of Kentucky.

By: Blake McCowan

On Friday, January 23rd, the Rebels began their postseason run at Centre. Since Boyle County competes in the 6th Region, they faced tough teams like West Jessamine and South Oldham. The Rebels got off to a strong start, placing in the top five in every event. This year’s regional meet was different from past years because it only lasted one day instead of two, which meant swimmers had to give their best effort right away.

Senior Clark Coyle said, “It was super special my senior year to have a team this talented, with almost all of them making it to state. I’m really proud of this team.” Overall, 38 out of 49 swims were personal bests for Boyle County. The Rebels finished as Region 6 runner-up, with the girls placing fourth and the boys placing second.

For the girls, those advancing to semi-state are Abigail Heath, Becca Hoffman, Ivy Sadler, and Becca Hoffman, along with all three relays. For the boys, Beau Bostick, Walker Costello, Clark Coyle, Blake McCowan, Evan Perry, and Anders Petkus advanced, along with all three relays. 

The first round of the state meet will take place on February 7th at the University of Louisville.

Written by Blake McCowan

Last night, Thursday, January 9th, Boyle County had their last swim meet at home, which was their senior night!

The seniors recognized were Beau Bostick, Cooper Costello, Clark Coyle, Abigail Heath, Andrew Lockhart, Natalie Spencer, Jackson Thornberry, and Lydia Williamson!

The meet started strongly with Boyle County finishing in the top in almost every heat and event! Danville’s team, which was down many swimmers due to sickness, came in close in a few events, but Boyles' numbers overwhelmed them!

During the swim meet, the dive meet took place! Senior Night went well for Andrew Lockahrt and Jacksnon Thornberry, placing first and second! On the girls' side, Ella Bottoms from Danville won the meet, with the rest of the Boyle girls coming in behind!

Boyle County let their swimmers choose their events, and the last relay was magical! With just Boyle County in the pool, they did flips off the blocks and did different strokes even though it was a Freestyle Relay!!

Boyles' next meet will be Regionals at Centre College!!

Written by Blake McCowan

On November 24th, the Rebels traveled to Marion County for their third meet of the season. To keep the meet fair, Boyle only brought the other half of their team! Boyle County was off to a strong start, getting first and second in the majority of the relays, with Blake McCowan winning the 50 free and getting second in the 100 free. Evan Perry won the 100 Fly and the 100 Breast! Every swimmer who went got a best time!

Senior Natalie Spencer said, “Despite only a handful of the swimmers going, we showed up and showed out. The ten of us represented what it means to be a swimmer for Boyle County- hard working and happy- all while getting faster times and even more wins.”

Despite the smaller squad, Boyle County battled through a competitive field and secured an impressive 3rd-place finish. Nearly every swimmer who competed earned points for the team, proving the Rebels’ depth!

 The team will stay at home on December 13th for their next swim meet!

Written by Blake McCowan

On November 19th, the Rebels traveled to Woodford County for their second meet of the season, and even with limited entries, Boyle County made a statement in the pool. Because only half the roster was able to compete, the Rebels knew they’d have to make every race count.

Sophomore Anders Petkus said, “Overall, the meet went well. The pool felt really slow because it was hot water, but the team performed well against some good competition.”

Despite the smaller squad, Boyle County battled through a competitive field and secured an impressive 3rd-place finish. Nearly every swimmer who competed earned points for the team, proving the Rebels’ determination. It was a strong showing early in the season and a promising sign of what this team can accomplish at full strength.

The other part of the team will head to Marion County on November 24th!

Written by Blake McCowan

On November 11th, the Boyle County Swim and Dive team launched their season with a statement performance. Competing in their home pool at Centre College, the Rebels faced a crowded field that included East and West Jessamine, North and South Laurel, LCA, and cross-town rival Danville.

From the first event, it was clear that Boyle County came ready to compete. The Rebels jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, stacking up wins in race after race. Many younger swimmers started to step up and fill the roles of past seniors.

By the midpoint of the meet, Boyle had built a commanding advantage, and the momentum kept rolling as both the boys and girls squads continued to dominate their heats. With Evan Perry winning the 50 freestyle and Clark Coyle winning the 500 Free!

Junior Evan Perry said, “We had a really good meet. The team has improved a lot from last year, and I’m excited to see how we progress through the season.”

When the final scores were tallied, Boyle County had secured a decisive victory with 833 total points—an impressive combined total that gave both the boys and girls teams comfortable wins in the season opener!

On Saturday, February 8th, The Swimming Rebels went to the University of Louisville to compete in the semi-state competition. Numerous Rebels, including Clark Coyle, Beau Bostick, Evan Perry, Ben Gilbert, Kate Hoffman, Ivy Sadlar, Abigail Heath, Hannah Bischoff, and Becca Hoffman, made it to the state competition.

Coach Crystal Ellis said, “The girls' relay is in a position to do something that has never been done before at Boyle, which is to get into the top eight in a relay. They are ranked eighth right now and have the potential to move up. The boy's medley relay is also seeded high, as are Clark and Abigail in their events. Evan made it to state for the first time in an individual event, which is great. We also have Beau and Ivy coming back in their events.” 

Ivy Sadlar, a transfer from Danville, made it to state while breaking her own school record!

Congratulations to all those who get to participate in the state competition! State will be held at the University of Kentucky on Saturday, February 15th.

Last Friday and Saturday, Boyle County’s Swim team hosted regionals in their home pool.

The boys team came out on top and had a 5-peat. The girls placed third and the team placed second only behind North Oldham. 

Beau Bostick said “Overall the team did really well this weekend. You can tell how the team has improved and gotten closer. Some swimmers came in clutch when we needed them the most“ He was also injured and said, “Going into the meet I knew I’d be at a disadvantage because of my shoulders and the hard club practices leading up to the meet. I went into my swim ready to swim and do my best. I knew my whole body would hurt more than my shoulders after my 200 free. It’s all about recovery and how you perform during hard times.”

Their coach Crystal Ellis said,  “The team had an amazing regional meet this weekend! Before the meet we were predicted to finish no higher than third in boys, girls, or combined, they fought and swam fast and were able to move boys up to first and combined to second, only 45 points off first, making up a 130-point deficit.“

Even though the Rebels couldn’t make the combined 5-peat the Rebels still had a great meet. With the following making it to state: Kate Hoffman, Ivy Sadler, Abigail Heath, Hannah Bischoff, Ben Gilbert, Evan Perry, Beau Bostick, Clark Coyle, Anders Petkus, Maggie Gnann, Finley Briese, Natalie, Becca Hoffman, Walker Costello, Issac Dennis, Cooper Costello, and Andrew Lockhart. Congratulations to the Rebels!

On January 22nd, the Rebels Dive team headed to a regional dive competition at the University of Louisville. Andrew Lockhart and Anni Huttunen competed and placed fourth!

Their coach Crystal Ellis said “Anni did great in her first year diving! We are glad she joined the team and are hopeful she made it to state as an at-large bid” Which is awesome for being selected to state by overall performance!

With the Rebels down a couple of divers due to last year's graduation, both Rebels placed at regionals and ultimately earned a ticket to state!

On Wednesday, December 11, at 6:30, the Swimming Rebels headed to Woodford County. The Rebels had no trouble at the beginning, starting and sustaining a commanding lead against Woodford County, Danville, both Jessamine teams, and Anderson County.

 At smaller meets, the Rebels experiment with what their swimmers are best at, often having them swim their off-stroke. Abigail Heath said “It’s so fun to be back in the pool where we used to swim regions! During smaller meets, we get to swim events outside our specialty, which is always good to experiment with!” 

The men's team had a total score of 108. The closest team to them was Woodford County with 70 points. The women's final score was 105, the closest team to them was Woodford with 77.5 points, with a combined score of 213. The second-place team, Woodford with a combined score of 147.5. 

The team this time had most of their swimmers. Some of them were still battling illness. Even going through hardships the Rebels pulled out the road victory. The Rebel’s next meet will be Saturday, at the University of Louisville.

Last night, Boyle County swam against Danville, East Jessamine, West Jessamine, and Maddison Central, the meet started at 6:30.

The Rebels looked a little shaky at first, but towards the end of the night, the Rebels just extended their lead. The Rebels finished first with 380 points and the closest team was Danville with 250. The Rebels had a commanding lead of over 100 points! 

For the girl's team, they scored 452 points. The closest team to them was Madison Southern at 312 points. It is very rare for the girl’s team to outscore the boys but last night they made it look easy.

The most shocking part is Boyle County was missing some key swimmers. Some of them include Clark Coyle, Beau Bostick, Kate Hoffman, Anders Petkus and their siblings. 

Hannah Bischoff states “I think we did well as a team and I'm super proud of everyone! The work we’ve put in so far has shown just how far we’ve come in these past few weeks and how much further we can go leading up to regions and hopefully state! We had several PR’s last night which was awesome to see and be a part of… As for the new facility, I know all of us are beyond grateful for the opportunity to use it and I definitely couldn’t have asked for a better place and atmosphere to swim in my senior year.”

 The Rebel's win may have been fueled by the new facility that Centre College built last year. The facility has an indoor Olympic-sized pool and a full-size indoor track!

On Veterans Day, the Rebels went to Lebanon to swim against Marion County at 6:00. This was the season's first meet, and the Rebels won by over 200 points! 

What led the Rebels to victory was that 5 of the 6 relays won their event! Also, many of the boy swimmers including Clark Coyle placed to 5! Clark Coyle swam the 500 Freestyle, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay, and the 200 I.M. Clark Coyle stated “The team performed well. There was a lot of fast swimming and everyone should be proud of themselves!¨

Congratulations on an opening win to the Rebels Swim Team! The next meet will be on December 5th at Centre College!