History

Sunkist Team History

Prior to 1975 – Swimmers in Jackson competed in various leagues. The Jackson Swim Association “Flying J’s” was an inter-club league team. There was also a YMCA league whose members competed as the River Hills Team. Because of shut down of the city pools in the 1960’s indoor pool facilities were few. These teams practiced at the Downtown YWCA – a 4 lane pool, at Jackson State, at the Riverside Park Pool (where the Museum of Natural History is located) and at Millsaps College Pool.

Fall of 1975 – The Jackson Acquatic Club (JAC) was formed. Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Bebin organized the team with 30 swimmers. These swimmers came primarily from the River Hills Team and the Flying J’s Team. Dr. Bebin was also the parent-coach for the team. JAC was incorporated on March 2, 1976. The initial Board of Directors were Dean M. Miller, Dr. Joseph Bebin, Catherine Hester, Pat Bebin, Gerrit Maris, Mary Ann Phillips, Lyons Walsh, Garnet Zubatuk, Mary Herlihy, Dr. Myron Lockey, John tracy, Eileen Wilson, Dr. Hardy Woodbridge, myrtle Goff and Dot Moore. The Tradition of excellence had begun.

May 1976 – JAC hired their first full-time coach. Mr. Rick McMahan. Workouts continued at Riverside Pool, Millsaps College Pool, Bellhaven Pool and Jackson State Pools.

By 1978 – JAC had swimmers attending the US National Championships, High School All Americans , Top Ten Age Group Best times in the US, and Outstanding Age Group Swimmers in MS and LA.

1979 – JAC had 5 qualify for the AAU National Junior Olympics with a 7^th Place finish in the Womens 400m Medley Relay. 3 Swimmers had top 25 rankings in the Country. Julie Miller ranked top 3 in the Nation and 10 in the World in the girls 11-12 100m backstroke.

1980 –The team had over 100 swimmers. At this time the city government was looking into building a public indoor pool. Jackson was the only major city in the US without a public indoor pool. MS Swimming was being constrained because of the lack of regulation-size indoor pools. The team at this time was still training at the Millsaps College, Jackson State and Bellehaven College Pools and the Riverside Park Pool.

Sunkist had its first national champion, Julie Miller was the Girls 11-12 National Champion in the 100m backstroke.

1981 – JAC had 6 swimmers qualify for the Junior and Senior National Meets. In the latter part of the year, The JAC team presented Mr. Kenneth Brown of Brown Bottling with the need for a team sponsorship, and the need for a 50 Meter pool for full-time training. Various local businessmen provided the seed money for the pool as well as countless hours of their time.

1982 – JAC becomes Sunkist Swim Team. The pool currently known as the “Courthouse Pool” was completed and in the Fall, a large orange “Sunkist bubble” was constructed over the pool for winter training. This was the first indoor 50 meter facility in the State.

1983+ – Sunkist won their first MS State Swimming Team Championship. Sunkist continued to send its swimmers to State and National Qualifying Meets; as well as providing many colleges around the country with swimmers on scholarships. In 1987 Sunkist again won the MS State Swimming Team Championships and continued to dominate MS swimming in both the short course and long course seasons for 16 years. Winning their last State Title in 2002.

1994 – Sunkist Team has over 120 swimmers. Mimi and Maggie Bowen represent Sunkist at the US Senior Nationals, with Mimi making an Olympic Trials qualifying time. Both girls earned Top 16 times at this meet.

1997 - The team had 146 swimmers. Sunkist swimmers broke 25 MS State Individual and Relay Records over the year, and 13 swimmers had Top 16 Reportable Consideration times for the US. Also, the Sunkist Website is on-line being the first MS swim team with a web-site. In August, the Website won the “Stroke Award” which is a national award for the best web page promoting the sport of swimming.

1998 - Sunkist has152 swimmers on the team. At the end of the short course season, the team had set 53 state records. Four Sunkist swimmers were U.S. Swimming National Qualifiers and 14 swimmers had Top 16 Reportable Consideration Times for the US

1999 - The team had 10 swimmers qualify for the MS Zone Team. It won its 13^th consecutive MS Swimming Summer Championship, and won every state championship contested from Jan 1990 to July 1999 – 20 straight titles. 36 MS records were broken during the year and 33 swimmers qualified with MS Top 5 times.

2000 - The team had 150 swimmers. Sunkist had 5 swimmers qualify for the MS Zone Team and 2 qualify for the Junior Southeast Championships

2001 - The team won its 15^th consecutive Short Course State Championship. Sunkist hosted the first ever Speedo Sectional Championship Meet at the University of MS . This meet replaced the Junior National Championship meet. 11 Sunkist swimmers qualified for this meet. 45 swimmers qualified with MS Top 5 times. Sunkist had 2 Senior National qualifiers and 2 Junior National qualifiers, and 5 swimmers with Top 16 Reportable Consideration Times for the US. Seven swimmers qualified for the MS Zone Team. Sunkist also had its first World Champion Swimmer with Maggie Bowen winning a gold medal in the womens 200m IM at the World Swimming Championships in Japan.

2002 - The team wins its 16^th consecutive Short Course State Championship. 7 swimmers qualified for the Speedo Sectional Championships. Sunkist Swimmers break 8 MS Swimming records. 21 swimmers qualified with MS Top 5 times

2003 - The team had 4 swimmers attend the Speedo Sectional Championships and 3 attend the Age Group Sectional Championships. 5 Swimmers represented MS in the Southern Zone Championships. Sunkist makes its home base the YMCA of Metropolitan Jackson. Practices are held at the I-55 and Reservoir YMCA’s until the new 25 meter Flowood YMCA location is completed. Also Sunkist starts a Clinton Team, which practices at the I-55 YMCA and the New Clinton YMCA pool. This team began with 15 swimmers and 2 coaches.

2004 - The team had 6 swimmers qualify the Age Group Speedo Sectional Championships and one swimmer attend the Speedo Sectional Championship and Junior Nationals. The team had 4 swimmers qualify for the Southern Zone Championships. Due to pool construction delays, the team continues to train at the Fortification and Reservoir YMCA’s. The ablility of the team to recruit new swimmers is challenged for the 2^nd yr because of the split training locations. The team finishes the season with 90 swimmers.

2005- The new Flowood Y, with the Kenneth Brown Natatorium opens Febuary 14, 2005. Sunkist with the financial assistance of our premier sponsor, Brown Bottling Co. and several local businesses host 2 Olympians, Lenny Krayzelburg, and Ian Crocker along with Former Sunkist Swimmer and World Champion, Maggie Bowen at the Opening ceremony and fundraiser dinner. Sunkist finishes 3^rd in the State in the short and long course season. The team sends 5 swimmers to sectionals and 7 swimmers to the Long Course Zone Meet. One swimmer attends Sr. Nationals. The team set several state records. Also, senior John Henry Dasinger qualifies for the US Open. Sunkist hires new coaches W. Matthew Benedict from Rutgers University as Head Coach, and Former Sunkist swimmer, and 2 time Olympic Trial qualifier, Marcy Warriner Rushing.

2006- Sunkist had a very successful first year in their new facility. Sunkist achieved 40% team growth with the team averaging 80 members for the year. Sunkist had 6 MS High School State Champions and 2 MPSA State Champions – Including the MPSA Girls Outstanding Swimmer for grades 10-12. The team had 10 Mississippi Swimming State Champions and Timmy Dasinger broke 2 MS Swimming State records. The team went from 28 State qualifiers in 2005 to 46 qualifiers in 2006. We had 21 of 46 swimmers achieve Top 5 times in the state (45%) with 81 Top 5 Time Swims. We went from one Senior Sectional qualifier in 2005 to 9 qualifiers in 2006 and Sunkist was the highest scoring Mississippi team at The Eastern Sectionals Meet and the only team from Mississippi at Eastern Sectionals to have qualified every relay team. Also we were one of two MS teams to have a finalist at The Eastern Sectionals.
Sunkist was the only MS Swim Team represented in a 2006 National Meet, and had one swimmer ranked Top 16 in the nation 2005. John Henry Dasinger was selected as a 2004-2005 Scholastic All-America Team qualifier. 3 Sunkist Seniors received Swimming/&/or/Academic Scholarships to Auburn Univ., US Coast Guard Academy, Delta State. Sunkist hosted 3 meets at the Kenneth Brown Natatorium (City Meet Finals, Sprint to Christmas – 8 teams and over 260 swimmers, Last Chance Meet). Sunkist was awarded the MS Swimming 8&Under Developmental Meet for the 2007 and 2008 Seasons. Sunkist was visited by the Univ. of TX Head Coach and former US Men’s Olympic Coach Eddie Reese. He