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SMAC wins age group state title for fifth year in a row

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The Shenandoah Marlins Aquatic Club won the small team state championship for the fifth year in a row March 8-11 in Christiansburg.

The age group state championship is comprised of the fastest 14-and-younger swimmers who have met the qualifying times for the most competitive meet in Virginia. It is a great accomplishment just to be able to attend this meet. SMAC had their work cut out for them as a few of their perennial high point scorers (Remedy Rule & Jessie Arnold) had turned 15 and moved into the senior swimming division. 

All of the age group swimmers came prepared and helped SMAC win the girls, boys and combined state titles.  SMAC more than doubled the score of the closest team in the combined competition.

The following 17 SMAC swimmers are in elite company that qualified for and competed in the age group state championship: Peyton Brooks (11),  Bobby Carey (14), Maya Chatterson (8), Alex Flowers (13), Colleen Higgins (13), Norah Hunt (14), Hunter McMillon (14), Justin Merritt (14), Jordan Miller (13), Brazil Rule (13), Charlotte Rumsey (12), Sanannah Scarbrough (13), Hanna Shifflett (10), Max Tempkin (14), Kristen Wagner (10), Gannon Willcutts (14) and Emma Woodworth (10).

Norah Hunt and Charlotte Rumsey brought home individual state titles.  Hunt won the mile and 1,000 free and placed second in the 500 free and fourth in the 200 fly, while Rumsey dropped six seconds off her best time to win the 100 breast.  She also placed third in the 50 breast. Other highlights of the meet included McMillon placing second in the mile and 1,000 free, sixth in the 100 fly and ninth in the 500 free & 200 fly.  He also set four new SMAC Team records in the 500, 1,000 and mile free as well as the 200 fly. The records were held by Jeff Boatright, who swam at Florida State, and Lee Robinson, who swam and was team captain at UVA.

Tempkin placed in the top 16 in six of seven of his events and finished sixth in 100 free and seventh in the 200 IM.  Carey finished in the top 16 in four of his seven events and placed fifth in the mile. Rule placed in the top 16 in four of her seven events and finished fifth in the mile and seventh in the 1,000.  Willcutts placed in the top 16 in four events and the top eight in the mile.

Higgins placed eighth in the 100 breast and had two other top 16 finishes.  Wagner finished 11th in the 100 free and 12th in the 200 free.  Miller placed 14th in the 200 fly and Flowers placed 1Fifth in the mile.  The SMAC relays scored numerous points for the team in the 13/14 boys and girls age groups and the 10-and-under girls of Chatterson, Shifflett, Wagner and Woodworth helped the team with their outstanding relay performances especially their last relay on Sunday when they made it to the podium for the 400 free relay.

Rumsey, Carey and Higgins are to be commended for being chosen to represent Virginia on the Virginia Swimming Allstar team which will compete against other Northeast States in the Eastern Zones Swim Meet in Rochester, N.Y., later this month.  Hunt, Rule and Higgins have qualified to compete at Y nationals in early April.

Y nationals and Zones will wrap up the short course season (25 yard pools) for SMAC who will then turn their attention to the summer long course season (50 meter pools).

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: www.smacswimming.org.

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