By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

Five St. Charles swimmers placed in the U.S. Swimming approved Metro New Orleans High School Swim League Championship meet on Nov. 7 and 8 at Tulane’s Reilly Center.

Those included Kaila Klibert, who placed first in 100 yard backstroke and 14th in 50 yard freestyle; Adam Fisher, fifth in 100 yard breaststroke and ninth in the 50 yard freestyle; Alex Zenicki, 16th in the 100 yard butterfly; and relay team members Ben Brady, Fisher, Pierre St. Martin, and Zenicki, who placed fifth in the 200 yard medley relay, and sixth in the 200 yard free relay.

In total, 500 swimmers from 30 area schools participated at the event.

“When I first took over seven years ago, we maybe had two swimmers at most to place at Metro,” said St. Charles swimming coach Denise Falgoust. “Now, everyone’s shooting for metro times. It boosts up the program.”

Only four boys participated for SCC, and the Comet boys finished eighth out of 20 teams with 78 points.

Jesuit won the boys event with 429 points.

The SCC girls finished 17th out of 20. Northshore won the girls’ side with 350 points.

Klibert’s win in the backstroke was dramatic. She finished a hair ahead of Mount Carmel’s Allie Gonzales to take the win, 102.61 to 102.98.

“She won at the very last moment, the touch of the wall,” said Falgoust. “She wanted to go out a winner.”