Resident reports middle-school swim results, urges transportation and team consolidation

Rodney Padet, who identified himself as a resident, addressed the board during public comment to report results and observations from the 2025 Nets Middle School Championship and to request support for the program.

Padet provided event-level results for Sullivan East Middle School and the Junior Wolves (a combined team from Central and Sullivan Heights), listing medalists and noting that Brockman Winfrey won the boys 100-yard freestyle and qualified for Southeast Regionals. He said 19 girls and six boys traveled from Sullivan East and the Junior Wolves sent 17 girls and 12 boys to the meet; he highlighted several placements and individual performers across events.

Padet recommended several changes to strengthen the program: improved transportation for practices and meets (to ease parental burdens and increase participation), consideration of formally combining middle-school teams so the district can compete on equal footing with jurisdictions that combine schools, and adding assistant coaches where budget allows. He noted that when Sullivan County’s middle-school rosters are combined, the district’s teams would have ranked higher in overall standings — "If you combine all of our middle school teams, we would have been third out of seven," he told the board.

Board members thanked Padet for the report and for compiling results and suggestions. The board did not take formal action during the public comment period but acknowledged the recommendations for follow-up and appreciation of student effort.