TUPELO, Miss. — The USA Swimming season is officially over for St. John the Baptist Parish swimmers.

Emily Schexnayder and Christopher Hammet, both 12 year olds, traveled to Tupelo, Miss. to participate in the Zone Championship. At the swim meet they matched up against the best swimmers from an 11-state area spanning the southeast portion of the nation.

Both swimmers qualified for the Zone Championship by finishing near the top at the Louisiana State Championship swim meet in July. In fact, Schexnayder came in first place at that meet in the 50 meter freestyle and finished in second and third place in a number of other events.

Schexnayder, 12, swims locally in the summer for LARAYO but for the USA Swimming Zone Championships she was swimming with the year-round Crescent City Swim Club.

In competition against 70 other swimmers in her age group, Schexnayder regular finished in the 20s and 30s in most events.

Schexnayder’s father, Kent Schexnayder, said Emily did well at the Zone Championship.

“She achieved some personal best times in that meet,” Kent Schexnayder said. “So she did improve some of her times. But I think the meet gave her a better idea of competition outside of the state of Louisiana.”

Mike Falati, Schexnayder’s coach at Crescent City Swim Club, said the meet was good experience for her.

“I think that she went through a true learning experience of what the next level of swimming is,” Falati said.

“I think she has come home reenergized, motivated and ready to go. I think the experience was a positive one for her. In the future there will be bigger meets and she’ll be qualifying for higher competition. It was a big stepping stone.”

The next step beyond the Zone Championships is the sectional meet. Falati said Schexnayder is making good progress towards making the sectional meet in the future.

“She is a little young for that stuff, but hopefully by the time she is 14 she has the times,” Falati said. “We are looking forward to the next few years with her.”

Hammet, who swims locally at Belle Terre, went to the Zone Championships under the South Louisiana Swim Team banner.

Hammet, 12, saw average results at the meet, but his mother, Lakeisha Hammet, said he was not expected to move to the next level this early in his swimming career.

Hammet has already set a goal for himself to shoot for sectionals next year.

“Most swimmers go to sectionals around 14 or 15,” Lakeisha Hammet said.

“But now that we have come back from zones that is what he working towards. His whole thing is to start working for sectional times.”

Lakeisha Hammet said her son benefitted from participating in the meet.

“I think he did very well and we are definitely very proud of him,” Lakeisha Hammet said. “I think most importantly it was an opportunity for him to really get motivated and now we are definitely moving to the next level.”

Kier Braendel, one of Hammet’s coaches for the South Louisiana Swim Team, said Hammet’s progress, as shown by his appearance in the Zone Championship, has been swift.

“Just to be on the team is an accomplishment,” Braendel said. “In the state meet there were over 40 boys in his age group and they only picked eight (from Louisiana) to go.”

At the meet Hammet set a few personal best times.

“Christopher is a rally hard worker,” Braendel said. “He is so determined and just has an exceptional mindset and work ethic and has progressed by leaps and bounds every year.”

Braendel said Hammet has the ability to go far with swimming.

“This is a big first step for him,” Braendel said.

“Whatever he achieves going here is not all he is going achieving in swimming. He is such a good kid and a hard worker that is he wants to perfect his craft he had more places to go in the future. We are super proud him.”

Schexnayder and Hammet both chose not to take any time off after the meet.

“He has not taken a break,” Lakeisha Hammet said of her son. “When we were driving back I said ‘Chris you don’t have to practice on Monday,’ but he said ‘oh no after this weekend I still have a lot of practice to do.’”