Middlebury, Vergennes face off in swim meet
By ANDREA SUOZZO
MIDDLEBURY — The sky was overcast and the breeze cool as the Middlebury Panthers and Vergennes Champs entered the municipal pool in Middlebury Tuesday evening. It was the only meet of the summer season in which the county rivals would face off.
Each team had about 60 swimmers at the meet. A team from Winooski was also in attendance, swimming against Vergennes.
The Champs fell to the Panthers 192.50 to 254.50, while Vergennes beat Winooski.
With two weeks to go before league championships, the swimmers struggled for their best times in the chill air.
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“It’s pretty cold out here,” Champs coach Clara Loebenstein said after the meet. “But they’re all swimming well.”
Panthers head coach Monica Jaferian agreed.
“They’re right on their best times,” she said, while noting that the cold weather was making it difficult for the swimmers to set personal records.
But the longstanding rivalry between the two teams was helping.
“The kids get really excited for this meet. They’re always rivals,” Jaferian said.
“It helps them swim faster,” said Loebenstein.
Although the Panthers pulled ahead early on in the meet and held their lead, the teams remained competitive over the course of the evening.
“Harlie Vincent is doing great—she’s winning all her events,” Loebenstein observed of one of the Champs’ triple winners.
Others from Vergennes who won two events were Paige Vincent and Chris Cantin, while Maxwell Bicknell was a triple winner.
“The whole team is working really hard,” Jaferian said of her Panthers. “They’re doing awesome.”
Double winners for Middlebury were Grace Weinberg and Kess Moulton, and triple winners Annie Bolton, Grace Pyne, Parker Beatty, Cullen Hathaway and Max Moulton.
Swimmers with top-three individual finishes were:
BUTTERFLY
• U-8 girls: Annie Bolton (M); Larkin Kenney (M); Caitlin Walsh (V).
• U-8 boys: Parker Beatty (M); Casey Kimball (V); Jeffrey Stearns (V).
• U-10 girls: Grace Weinberg (M); Kess Moulton (M); Olivia Hawkins (V).
• U-10 boys: Maxwell Bicknell (V); Sam Comac (V); Burkes Weekes (M).
• U-12 girls: Harlie Vincent (V); Courteney White (M); Harper Smith (M).
• U-12 boys: Cullen Hathaway (M); Chandler Devaney (M).
• U-14 girls: Grace Pyne (M); Brianna Foley (M).
• U-14 boys: Joshua Cook (V); Matteo Palmer (V).
• U-18 girls: Paige Vincent (V); Krista Camp (M); Greta Krahn (V).
• U-18 boys: Chris Cantin (V); Andrew Saward (M); Derek Hathaway (M).
BACKSTROKE.
• U-8 girls: Eleanor Solomon (M); Bolton (M); Walsh (V).
• U-8 boys: Beatty (M); Ezekiel Palmer (V); Stearns (V).
• U-10 girls: G Weinberg (M); Moriah Cushing (V); Abigail Gleason (M).
• U-10 boys: Bicknell (V); Andrew Gleason (M); Nicholas Wilkerson (M).
• U-12 girls: Shiloh Solomon (M); Nickilette Salley (V); Harper Smith (M).
• U-12 boys: Hathaway (M); Nathan Lalonde (M); Lathrop Brownell (V).
• U-14 girls: Eklutna Kenney (M); Brianna Foley (M); Casey Jones (V).
• U-14 boys: Max Moulton (M); Joshua Cook (V), Keegan Bosworth (V).
• U-18 girls: Sarah Snider (M); Abby Bronish (V).
• U-18 boys: Derek Hathaway (M); Linus Biederman (M); Austin Burnett (V).
BREASTSTROKE .
• U-8 girls: Bolton (M); E Solomon (M); Sarah Rathburn (V).
• U-8 boys: Owen Maille (M); Stearns (V); Robbie Bicknell (V).
• U-10 girls: K Moulton (M); Olivia Hawkins (V); Moriah Cushing (V).
• U-10 boys: Andrew Gleason (M); Devon Kimball (V); Julian Schmitt (M).
• U-12 girls: H Vincent (V); Shiloh Solomon (M); Courtney White (M).
• U-12 boys: Robert Ritter (M); Nathan Lalonde (M); Gabriel Doane (V).
• U-14 girls: Pyne (M); Casey Jones (V); Rebecca Hardin (V).
• U-14 boys: M Moulton (M); Jacob Bourgeois (V).
• U-18 girls: Greta Krahn (V); P Vincent (V); Krista Camp (M).
• U-18 boys: Cantin (V); Nicholas Brush (M);Austin Burnett (V).
FREESTYLE.
• U-8 girls: Bolton (M); L. Kenney (M); Walsh (V).
• U-8 boys: Beatty (M); Richard Landis (M); Kimball (V).
• U-10 girls: K Moulton (M); Olivia Hawkins (V); Amalia Herren-Lage (M).
• U-10 boys: Bicknell (V); Andrew Gleason (M); Nicholas Wilkerson (M).
• U-12 girls: H Vincent (V); Nickilette Salley (V); Shiloh Solomon (M).
• U-12 boys: Hathaway (M); Chandler Devaney (M); Lathrop Brownell (V).
• U-14 girls: Pyne (M); Brianna Foley (M); Casey Jones (V).
• U-14 boys: M Moulton (M); Matteo Palmer (V); Joshua Cook (V).
• U-18 girls: P Vincent (V); Krista Camp (M); Sarah Snider (M).
• U-18 boys: Andrew Saward (M); Cantin (V); Derek Hathaway (M).