MIDDLEBURY/BRISTOL — Young swimmers in the Middlebury Aquatic Club (MAC) and the Addison Otter Swim Team, which practices at the Mount Abraham pool in Bristol, have been busy the last few weeks competing in several high-level meets.
Six Middlebury Aquatic Club swimmers on Feb. 21 and 22 competed successfully against swimmers at the New England Silver Championship Meet held at Greater Lawrence Technical School in Andover, Mass.
In order to compete at this championship meet swimmers must have achieved a qualifying time this season. The Silvers meet is a mid-level championship meet where swimmers can qualify for the highest-level New England championship events, including the New England 12 and Under Championship Meet.
At the Silvers meet, MAC swimmers Thomas Denton, Mary Ann Eastman and Ellie Ross each won events and qualified to swim at a later championship meet. MAC swimmers who achieved top-10 performances were:
10-Year-Old Boys: Denton was first in the 100 freestyle and second in the 500 freestyle.
11-Year-Old Girls: Anna Rakowski was 10th in the 100 Individual Medley and 100 Butterfly.
12-Year-Old Girls: Ross won the 100 Breaststroke, was 4th in the 100 Individual Medley and second in the 100 Butterfly.
Eastman won the 100 Freestyle, was seventh in the 100 Individual Medley, eighth in the 50 Breaststroke, and ninth in the 50 Backstroke and the 50 Butterfly.
12-Year-Old Boys: Fraser Milligan was eighth in the 200 Breaststroke, and ninth in the 100 Breaststroke and 50 Breaststroke.
12-and-under championship
Top swimmers representing 76 teams from Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island competed in the New England 12 and Under Championship Meet at Upper Valley Aquatic Club in Hartland this past weekend. MAC’s Denton, Eastman and Ross each qualified to swim in the meet.
Thomas Denton qualified to swim in 11 events but swam the maximum nine events, achieving best times in seven of them. His best result in the 10-year-old boys’ age group was seventh place in the 50 Breaststroke.
Denton was also one of only five 10-year-old boys to swim the five IMX events (100 Breaststroke, 100 Backstroke, 100 Butterfly, 200 Freestyle, 200 Individual Medley), placing fifth. Swimming all five of these events is a national challenge competition that contributes to a swimmer’s national ranking.
Eastman qualified to swim in three events. She achieved best times in all three of her events. Her highest place in the 12-year-old girls’ age group was ninth in the 100 Freestyle.
Ross also qualified to swim in three events and achieved best times in all three. Her highest place in the 12-year-old girls’ age group was 15th in the 50 Breaststroke.
Anna Rakowski and Grace LeBeau joined Eastman and Ross in swimming two relay events in the 11-12 girls’ age group; they were 25th in the 200 Freestyle Relay and 24th in the 200 Medley Relay.
Coached by Mike Delaney and Zach Wahl, Middlebury Aquatic Club placed 42nd out of the 76 teams at the meet.
ADDISON OTTERS
As a warm-up to the Silvers and Golds Championships, the Addison Otter Swim team competed in the Cabin Fever Invitational in Ballston Spa, N.Y., on Feb. 21. Among the many strong performances, 17-year-old Otter Katie Mayer placed first in two of her events: the girls’ 13 and over 50 freestyle with a time of 26.85, and the girls’ 13-and-over 100 breast, with a time of 1:14.38. Emily Rooney, age 12, won the girls’ age 12-and-under 100 fly with a time of 1:11.20.
The Addison Otter Swim Team with their coach Peter Bicknell competed in the Adirondack Silver Championship at RPI in Troy, N.Y., this past weekend. This was the final meet of the season for some of the swimmers, and it was very successful with many best times.
Allison Croke, age 10, placed 5/20 in the girls (9-10) 200 free, with a time of 2:54.19.
Among the top finishers were 8-year-old Ethan Croke who placed second in the 50 free for his age group; and 8-year-old Eliza Doucet, who was third in the 50 breast for girls her age.
Congratulations to all of the Addison Otter swimmers for an outstanding season. Good luck to the swimmers that made it to the Gold Championship: Allison Croke, Ethan Croke, Leah Croke, Eliza Doucet, Emma Huestis, Katie Mayer,  Erich Reitz, Emily Rooney and Tess Ruddy.