Tega Cay’s Breakers preparing for another title defense

Coming off their seventh straight Metrolina Swim League championship, the Tega Cay Breakers swim team shows no signs of slowing down in the quest for an eighth straight title.

The Breakers, who have ruled the past decade, winning eight of the previous 10 league titles with only brief interruptions from rivals River Hills, will be led by new coach Sara Weddington. Weddington, 23, is a former Breakers swimmer herself and has served five years as an assistant with the Breakers. Last year, she was head coach of a swim team in Mount Pleasant while finishing up her degree at the College of Charleston.

Weddington said she feels good about her team’s chances to win another title this year.

“We have a strong group of 15 to 18 (year-old) swimmers and a lot of year ‘round swimmers,” she said. “We are still going to be one of the largest teams.”

The Breakers will have 200 swimmers on this year’s squad and although Weddington said she hated to turn kids away, there really wasn’t another option.

“We had to cap it because I don’t see how we can handle anymore,” she said.

Tega Cay’s 7-to-8-year-old swimmers are its largest group with nearly 50 kids. The 11-to-12-year-old group has around 40 and the teenage groups from 13 and up is nearly 40 swimmers.

Weddington said she has lots of support from her assistant coaches and head assistant Michelle Case, a Campbell University college swimmer, who swam for both the Breakers and Fort Mill High.

“I knew the support I would have with Michelle,” Weddington said. “She is an asset because this team is big and there is a lot of behind the scene work that goes on.”

Tega Cay opens its season June 6 against newcomer to the Metrolina Swim League in Lancaster. The June 6 meet is one of two that the Breakers will have at home with the other one coming June 13 against rivals River Hills.

The Metrolina Invitational and Championship meets will be held June 25 at the Rock Hill Aquatics Center.

This story was originally published May 27, 2016 at 4:49 PM with the headline "Tega Cay’s Breakers preparing for another title defense."