WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Both the Vergennes Champs and Middlebury Marlins won four individual state titles at the Vermont Swim Association (VSA) state championship meet this past weekend, while the Champs won Division III and placed sixth overall among the 20 teams competing.
Six-year-old Champ swimmer Will Clark won two races and set new VSA records in both, prevailing in the 6-and-under  boys’ 25-yard backstroke in 24.63 and the U-6 25-yard freestyle in 18.61. Clark set two of the six new marks set this past Saturday and Sunday.
The Champ boys’ U-10 100-yard free relay team of Parker Kayhart, Noah Konczal, Nate Muzzy and Carson Hoffmann prevailed in 1:07.19, while the Vergennes U-12 200 free relay squad of Anna Rakowski, Emma Huestis, Jordan Jewell and Grace LeBeau won in 1:57.69.
The  Marlins finished third in Division II, with the divisions being determined by the size of the teams, and seventh overall.
Middlebury had three individual state champions: Mary-Ann Eastman in the girls’ 13-and-14-year-old 100-yard free in 58.10, Fraser Milligan in the boys’ U-12 100 breaststroke in 1:23.52, and Thomas Denton in the boys’ U-12 100 butterfly in 1:12.37.
The Marlins boys’ U-12 200-yard medley relay team of Denton, Will Carpenter, Nathan Stone and Milligan also won with a time of 2:16.06.
Organizers from both teams were happy that most of their swimmers swam season bests in the summer’s final meet, and credited their coaches: The Marlins are co-coached by Colleen Rueppel and Courtney Gray, while Champ head coach Jen Bechtold  is assisted by Dan Anderson and Josh Cook.
Teams from the Champlain Valley Swim League took six of the top seven spots. Racquet’s Edge (4,041.5 points) was the overall winner, followed in D-I by Essex (2,643.5) and Burlington Tennis Club (1,936.5).
Brattleboro (1,351.5) won D-II, followed by Burlington Country Club (1,107.5), Middlebury (971.5) and Manchester (963.5).
The Champs (1,053.5) breezed in D-III and avenged a regular-season loss to the Marlins by outpointing them at the state meet.
Swimmers (774 competed) scored points with top-18 finishes in individual races and top-12 finishes in relays.
Scoring points this past weekend for the Champs and Marlins were:
Girls’ U-8 Breast
4. Amelia Giroux, V, 25.53; 11. Emersyn Brookman, M, 26.71.   
Boys’ U-8 25 Breast
3. Clark, V, 25.84.   
Girls’ U-10 25 Breast
6. Maddie Crowne, M, 20.56; 8. Carlyn Rapoport, V, 21.09; 11. Hadley Harris, V, 22.50.    
Boys’ U-10 25 Breast
2. Muzzy, V, 21.08; 5. Konczal, V, 21.45; 6. Hoffmann, V, 21.67; 17. Tyler Kimball, V, 24.45.   
Boys’ U-8 25 Free
4. E. Croke, V, 18.21.
Girls’ U-6 25 Free
3. Ellie Brooks, V, 27.85; 5. Ellie Eckels, V, 32.06.
Boys’ U-6 25 Free
1. Clark, 6. VST, 18.61.
Girls’ U-10 25 Free
16. Hadley Harris, V, 16.88.    
Boys’ U-10 25 Free
2. Hoffmann, V, 14.48; 14. Muzzy, V, 17.50; 17. Clyde Malhotra, M, 18.08.   
Boys’ U-8 100 IM
3. Ethan Croke, V, 1:54.76.   
Girls’ U-10 100 IM
11. Natalie Rockwell, M, 1:36.04; 17. Meghan Denton, M, 1:39.23.   
Boys’ U-10 100 IM
8. Calder Rakowski, V, 1:40.20.   
Boys’ U-10 100 Medley Relay
6. VST, 1:38.54 (Jackson Coffey, Kimball, E. Croke, Clark).
Boys’ Open 500 Free
2. Archie Milligan, M, 5:52.12.   
Boys’ U-12 100 Fly
1. Denton, M, 1:21.37; 10. Tucker Stearns, V, 1:40.14.   
Middlebury’s Thomas Denton, shown in the backstroke, won the boys’ U-12 100 butterfly in 1:12.37. Below left, Vegennes Champ Will Clark was also a state champ.
Girls’ age 13-14 100 Fly
9. Leah Croke, V, 1:16.80.   
Girls’ 15-16 100 Fly
6. Calista Carl, M, 1:19.48.   
Boys’ 15-16 100 Fly
6. Ethan Sausville, V, 1:10.57.   
Girls’ 11-12 50 Breast
8. Holly Staats, M, 40.24; 10. Rakowski, V, 40.44; 12. Huestis, V, 40.89; 17. Sydney Jewell, V, 42.27.   
Boys’ 11-12 50 Breast
2. Carpenter, M, 35.57; 7. Noah Engvall, V, 41.92; 10. Tucker Stearns, V, 42.98.    
Girls’ 13-14 50 Breast
10. Rachel Merrill, M, 38.20.    
Boys’ 13-14 50 Breast
6. Devon Kearns, M, 34.44; 14. Spencer Doran, M, 39.25.
Girls’ 15-16 50 Breast
5. Olivia Hawkins, V, 37.93; 10. Alyse Beauchemin, V, 39.68.
Boys’ 15-16 50 Breast
11. Julian Schmitt, M, 34.35.
Girls’ 11-12 100 IM
4. LeBeau, V, 1:16.59; 16. Allie Croke, V, 1:22.70. 
Boys’ 11-12 100 IM
2. F. Milligan, M, 1:16.67; 3. Denton, M, 1:16.69; 4. Carpenter, M, 1:16.82; 14. Jarret Muzzy, V, 1:31.09. 
Girls’ 13-14 100 IM
5. Eastman, M, 1:08.95; 11. L. Croke, V, 1:14.02.  
Girls’ 17-18 200 IM
2. Harriet Milligan, M, 2:37.84.
Girls’ 11-12 50 Free
3. Rakowski, V, 28.98; 4. LeBeau, V, 29.03; 7. Jewell, V, 29.80; 11. Ivy Kate Doran, M, 30.96; 12. Huestis, V, 31.07; 13. S. Jewell, V, 31.40.  
Boys’ 11-12 50 Free
6. F. Milligan, M, 31.02; 8. Jarret Muzzy, V, 31.62; 9. Carpenter, M, 31.65; 12. Stone, M, 31.97; 13. T. Stearns, V, 32.90; 15. Levi Ryan, M, 33.96; 17. Adam Clark, V, 35.02; 18. Andy Rockwell, M, 35.08.  
Girls’ 13-14 50 Free
4. Eastman, M, 26.96; 12. L. Croke, V, 28.47.
Boys’ 13-14 50 Free
8. Devon Kearns, M, 27.37; 9. Robert Kenfield, V, 27.48; 16. Spencer Doran, M, 29.69.
Girls’ 15-16 50 Free
6. O. Hawkins, V, 28.62; 7. Kess Moulton, M, 28.84; 12. C. Carl, M, 29.96; 15. A. Beauchemin, V, 30.72.
Boys’ 15-16 50 Free
13. Max Ratti-Bicknell V, 26.47; 17. E. Sausville, V, 26.96. 
Girls’ U-12 100 Back
11. Doran, M, 1:24.24.
Boys’ U-12 100 Back
2. Denton, M, 1:18.98; 10. Rockwell, M, 1:36.81. 
Boys’ 15-16 100 Back
5. A. Milligan, M, 1:07.58; 8. Ratti-Bicknell V, 1:12.53.  
Girls’ U-12 200 Medley Relay
2. VST A, 2:17.98 (Rakowski, Huestis, Jewell, LeBeau); VST B, 2:30.77 (A. Croke, Jordan Kimball, S. Jewell, Summer Chabot).
Boys’ U-12 200 Medley Relay
1. M, 2:16.06 (Denton, Carpenter, Stone, Milligan); 6. V, 2:40.93 (A. Clark, Noah Engvall, J. Muzzy, T. Stearns).
Girls’ U-18 200 Medley Relay
11. V, 1:50.78 (A. Beauchemin, Hawkins, L. Croke, Emma Beauchemin).
Boys’ U-18 200 Medley Relay
9. M,  2:06.66 (A. Milligan, Schmitt, D. Kearns, Jacob Brookman); V, 2:11.18 (Ratti-Bicknell, Max Konczal, Sausville, Kenfield).
Boys’ U-8 25 Fly
3. Croke, V, 23.46.  
Girls’ U-10 25 Fly
12. Rockwell, M, 17.78; 15. Denton, M, 18.33.  
Boys’ U-10 25 Fly
8. Calder Rakowski, V, 18.80; 12. Kayhart, V, 20.23.  7. 14. Clyde Malhotra, M, 20.75.  
Girls’ U-6 25 Back
2. Brooks, V, 27.15; 5. Eckels, V, 32.06.   
Boys’ 6. & Under 25 Back
1. Clark, VST, 24.63.
Girls’ U-10 25 Back
14. Rapoport, V, 20.91.
Boys’ U-10 25 Back
7. Rakowski, V, 20.56; 11. Hoffmann, V, 20.93; 15. P. Stone, M, 22.21.
Boys’ U-8 50 Free
4. Clark, V, 42.44; 5. E. Croke, V, 43.92.
Boys’ U-10 50 Free
13. N. Muzzy, V, 38.88; 18. C. Rakowski, V, 40.28.  
Girls’ 10 & Under 100 Free Relay
5. V, 1:09.64 (Rapoport, Bee Eckels, Acadia Clark, Harris).
Boys’ 10 & Under 100 Free Relay
1. V, 1:07.19 (Kayhart, Konczal, Muzzy, Hoffmann);  V B, 1:19.32 (Clark, Kimball, Rakowski, E. Croke)
Girls’ U-12 200 Free
13. A. Croke, V, 2:49.33.
Boys’ U-12 200 Free
2. N. Stone, M, 2:26.44.
Boys’ 15-16 200 Free
3. Ratti-Bicknell V, 2:08.62.
Girls’ 11-12 50 Fly
3. Ellie Ross, M, 31.56; 4. Rakowski, V, 31.58; 7. LeBeau, V, 32.98; 9. J. Jewell, V, 33.80; 12. S. Jewell, V, 34.88.
Boys’ 11-12 50 Fly
3. Carpenter, M, 33.89; 4. N. Stone, M, 35.19; 13. J. Muzzy, V, 39.42.
Girls’ 13-14 50 Fly
5. Eastman, M, 30.49; 7. L. Croke, V, 31.18; 15. Merrill, M, 32.96.
Boys’ 13-14 50 Fly
12. S. Doran, M, 35.09.
Girls’ 15-16 50 Fly
14. K. Moulton, M, 32.38.
Girls’ 17-18 50 Fly
4. Courtney White, M, 30.06.
Boys’ 17-18 50 Fly
11. E. Sausville, V, 29.68; 15. Brookman, M, 31.14.  
Girls’ U-12 100 Breast
5. Ross, M, 1:23.19; 9. Huestis, V, 1:27.66; 11. Holly Staats, M, 1:27.79.  
Boys’ U-12 100 Breast
1. F. Milligan, M, 1:23.52; 3. Denton, M, 1:27.04.
Girls’ 13-14 100 Breast
14. Merrill, M, 1:27.18; 15. E. Beauchemin, V, 1:30.23
Boys’ 13-14 100 Breast
5. D. Kearns, M, 1:16.44.
Girls’ 15-16 100 Breast
7. Hawkins, V, 1:22.58.
Girls’ 17-18 100 Breast
3. Milligan, M, 1:18.13; 8. Ally Stearns, V, 1:32.24.
Boys’ 15-16 100 Breast
10. Schmitt, M, 1:15.76.
Girls’ 11-12 100 Free
2. LeBeau, V, 1:03.92; 3. Ross, M, 1:06.34.
Boys’ 11-12 100 Free
2. F. Milligan, M, 1:07.10; 8. J. Muzzy, V, 1:12.64; 9. Levi Ryan, M, 1:19.19.
Girls’ 13-14 100 Free
1. M. Eastman, M, 58.10.
Boys’ 13-14 100 Free
6. D. Kearns, M, 1:01.56.
Girls’ 15-16 100 Free
5. Hawkins, V, 1:03.41; 8. Carl, M, 1:08.29.
Girls’ 17-18 100 Free
2. White, M, 59.72.
Boys’ 15-16 100 Free
7. Ratti-Bicknell V, 57.06.
Girls’ 11-12 50 Back
4. Ross, M, 34.91; 5. Rakowski, V, 34.92; 10. Doran, M, 36.63; 15. Huestis, V, 38.25; 18. J. Jewell, V, 38.78.
Boys’ 11-12 50 Back
11. Rockwell, M, 42.45; 12. A. Clark, V, 42.77.
Boys’ 13-14 50 Back
7. S. Doran, M, 34.53; 10. Kenfield, V, 36.02.
Girls’ 15-16 50 Back
7. A. Beauchemin, V, 34.32; 10. Moulton, M, 36.05.
Boys’ 15-16 50 Back
5. A. Milligan, M, 31.71; 9. Schmitt, M, 33.97; 11. Brookman, M, 34.73.
Girls’ U-12 200 Free Relay
1. V, 1:57.69 (Rakowski, Huestis, Jewell, LeBeau); 6. M, 2:06.66 (Mischa Yurista, Staats, Doran, Ross).     
Boys’ U-12 200 Free Relay
3. M, 2:04.25 (Ryan, Denton, Carpenter, F. Milligan); 6. V, 2:15.10  16. (J. Muzzy, Engvall, A. Clark, T. Stearns).
Girls’ U-18 200 Free Relay
5. M, 1:52.02 (Milligan, Moulton, White, Eastman); 12. V, 2:01.43 (Stearns, E. Beauchemin, A. Beauchemin, Hawkins).
Boys’ U-18 200 Free Relay
12. M, 1:56.19 (A. Milligan, Brookman, S. Doran, Schmitt).
VERGENNES CHAMPS COACHES Dan Anderson, left, Jen Bechtold and Josh Cook hold the Division III championship trophy the team won at last weekend’s Vermont Swim Association state championship meet held in White River Junction.