The Shenandoah Marlins Aquatic Club (SMAC) won the small team short course state championship for the seventh year in a row, March 13th- 16th in Christiansburg, Va. Short course swimming refers to meets held in 25 yard pools and a small team is any team with less than 100 swimmers. The age group state championship meet is comprised of the fastest swimmers in Virginia, who are both under 15 years of age, and who have achieved one or more qualifying times during the season. It is a great accomplishment just to have qualified for the state championship swim meet. All of the age group swimmers came prepared and helped SMAC win the girls, boys, and the combined state titles.
The following 7 SMAC swimmers are in elite company that qualified for and competed in the age group state championship meet : Miles Fitzgerald (10) Sarah Loomis (14), Charlotte Rumsey (14), Hanna Shifflett (12), Cameron Murie (12), Kristen Wagner (12), and Emma Woodworth (12).
Swimmers placing in the top sixteen in each event score points for their team. Kristen Wagner led the way with a 7th place finish in the 200 fly, an 8th place in the 500 free style and placing 16th in both the 200 free and the 200 back. Wagner also had an amazing 9 personal best times at the meet. Rumsey scored points for the team by placing 7th in the 500 yard free and 7th in the 200 yard fly. In addition, Rumsey obtained a YMCA National qualifying time in her 200 fly. Miles Fitzgerald, the lone boy in attendance for SMAC, contributed heavily to the team’s point total by placing 11th in the 500 free, 11th in the 100 free, and 12th in the 50 free. Sarah Loomis started off the meet for SMAC in fine fashion, placing 15th in 1000 free. She then went on to place11th in the mile, getting a personal best time in the last event of the meet. The 12 year old girls also participated in relays, with Cameron Murie, Emma Woodworth, and Hanna Shifflett each getting a best time in one of their legs of the relay.
The swimmers in attendance would not have excelled as they did if it weren’t for their teammates that they train with every day. The state championship title comes as a result of a total team effort from all SMAC swimmers.
For more information regarding SMAC swimming contact Coach Norm Wright, Director of Competitive Swimming at the Waynesboro Y at 942-5107 or email him at [email protected]
For more information about SMAC, please visit their website: http://www.smacswimming.org/
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