Y swimmers excel at Eastern Zones

Brazil Rule and C.J. Higdon of SMAC swimming represented the Virginia State Swim Team recently in Rochester, N.Y.

They competed against the best swimmers from all the Northeastern states. Virginia Swimming selected Rule and Higdon to represent Virginia against 11 other states and regions in the 2011 Eastern Zones All-Star Championships.

The Eastern Zones All-Star Championship meet is an end-of-season meet made up of teams from Adirondack, Niagara, Metropolitan N.Y., Middle Atlantic, Allegheny Mountain, Maryland, Virginia, Potomac Valley, New Jersey, Connecticut, New England and Maine.

There were more than 6,500 eligible swimmers in Rule’s age group and more than 3,500 eligible swimmers in Higdon’s group that vied for spots in the championship meet.

Rule was selected to represent Virginia in the 500 freestyle. She was seeded eighth in her heat when her event began. She was able to advance two places in the rigorous competition to finish sixth in her heat and an impressive 22nd overall. This was Rule’s first selection to the Eastern Zones All-Star Championships.

Higdon was selected to swim the 200, 500, 1,000 and 1,650 freestyle and 200 butterfly as well as two team relays. Higdon medaled with two 10th-place finishes the 500 and 1,650 freestyle and earned an 11th, 13th and 16th in his other individual events. He also helped his relay team achieve two eighth-place team relay finishes. Higdon completed the meet with three personal best times and has qualified for his first national championship meet. He will participate in the 5K National Open Water Championships at Fort Myers, Fla., in June.

Now that the short-course yards season is complete, Rule and Higdon will transition to the long-course meters season. SMAC swimmers will be hosting the Commonwealth Games from June 24-26 at the outdoor War Memorial Pool in Ridgeview Park.

For more information on SMAC swimming, call coach Norm Wright, director of competitive swimming at the Waynesboro Y, at 942-5107 or e-mail him at [email protected] or visit www.smacswimming.org.