Episcopal's Blakely Hammel leads the Varsity 4 All-News4JAX girls swimming team

Blakely Hammel loves the challenge and racing the clock. There’s only so much time in a day, either on land or in the swimming pool, that the Episcopal junior tries to squeeze the very most out of it. Hammel, the Varsity 4 All-News4JAX girls swimmer of the year, defended her title in the 100 free and added a title in the 200 free by slicing nearly 3 full seconds from her best time. As an elite athlete in a sport that demands no short cuts, Hammel has gotten quite adept at facing them head on and raising the stakes.