ESSEX — Led by two wins by 10-and-under swimmer Will Clark and one apiece from Allie Croke and Flint Crary in 14-and-under and 8-and-under races, respectively, the Vergennes Champs earned fourth place at this past weekend’s Champlain Valley Swim League meet in the Essex town pool.
Clark, a league and state champion a year ago as an 8-and-under swimmer, prevailed in the 50-yard freestyle and 25-yard backstroke. Croke won the 50-yard butterfly, and Crary finished first in the 25-yard freestyle.
Champ swimmer Clark Clary also took second in the 10-and-under 25-yard butterfly, as did 12-and-under girls Carlyn Rapoport and Madelyn Giroux in the 50-yard breaststroke and 50-yard butterfly, respectively
Three Champ relay teams finished second. The 12-and-under girls’ team of Rapoport, Giroux, Acadia Clark and Hadley Harris accomplished that feat in both the medley and freestyle relays, and the 8-and-under girls group of Ellie Brooks, Reece Muzzy, Petra Fearon and Ella Bearor were second in the freestyle relay. 
VERGENNES CHAMP ELLIE Brooks competes at last weekend’s Champlain Valley Swim League Championships.  Photo by Al Frey/alfreyphotography.com
The Middlebury Marlins finished eighth, led by five second-place finishes. Holly Staats finished 11-hundreths of a second behind Croke in the U-14 butterfly, while Connor McNamara in the U-12 boys’ 50-yard freestyle, Archie Milligan in the boys’ U-18 100-yard backstroke and Mitzi Poduschnick in the girls’ U-8 25-yard breaststroke also earned silver.
In the relays the U-18 boys’ foursome of Archie Milligan, Oliver Poduschnick, Nathan Stone and Fraser Milligan were second in the 200-yard medley relay, and Will Carpenter joined both Milligans and Poduschnick in finishing second in the 200-yard freestyle relay.
Several swimmers from both teams also took third-place finishes. For the Marlins Constantin Bellman (three) and McNamara (two) picked up multiple bronzes, and Sadie Chance, Archie Milligan, Fraser Milligan and Oliver Poduschnick earned one apiece.
Individual Champs finishing third were Brooks, Will Clark, Acacia Clark, Harris and Sophia James.
VERGENNES CHAMP PETER Maneen competes at last weekend’s Champlain Valley Swim League Championships. Photo by Josh Kaufmann
Three Vergennes freestyle relay teams also came in third: the U-10 boys’ group of Cohen Howell, Tiegen Buskey, Clark Crary and Will Clark; the U-12 boys’ quartet of Ethan Croke, Tyler Kimball, Calder Rakowski and Grey Fearon; and the U-18 girls’ foursome of Olivia Hawkins, Emma Beauchemin, Anna Rakowski and Leah Croke.
As expected, the large Chittenden County teams claimed the top spots. Multi-time defending league and state champion The Edge took first with 2,597 points, followed by Essex (1,694); 3. Burlington Tennis Club (1,525.5); 4. Vergennes (978.5); 5. St. Albans (909.5); 6. Burlington Country Club (865); 7. Winooski (636.5); and 8. Middlebury (588).
The teams will gather again this Friday and Saturday in Hartford at the Upper Valley Aquatic Center for the Vermont championship meet. Middlebury, which has smaller numbers than Vergennes, will probably compete in a lower division.
 
VERGENNES CHAMP ADDIE Brooks swims in a breaststroke event at last weekend’s Champlain Valley Swim League meet in Essex.  Vergennes earned fourth place at the meet.
Photo courtesy of Al Frey/alfreyphotography.com
POINT SCORERS
Swimmers who scored points for the Champs or Marlins with top-12 finishes were:
•  Girls’ U-18 100 Butterfly: 5. M. Giroux, V, 1:16.75.
•  Boys’ U-18 100 Butterfly: 4. Ethan Sausville, V, 1:03.47.
•  Girls’ U-8 100 IM: 4. James, V, 1:56.80.
•  Boys’ U-8 100 IM: 3. Bellman, M, 2:00.75.
•  Boys’ U-10 100 IM: 3. W. Clark, V, 1:28.22.
•  Girls’ U-12 100 IM: 3. Ac. Clark, V, 1:17.55; 4. Giroux, V, 1:18.84; 10. Bee Eckels, V, 1:29.03.
•  Boys’ U-12 100 IM: 3. McNamara, M, 1:18.22; 7. Rakowski, V, 1:26.36.
•  Girls’ U-14 100 IM: 4. A. Croke, V, 1:11.06.
•  Girls’ U-18 100 IM: 6. L. Croke, V, 1:11.19; 12. Bailey St. Louis, V, 1:34.00.
•  Boys’ U-14 200 Free: 5. Adam Clark, V, 2:28.15.
•  Girls’ U-18 200 Free: 9. Beauchemin, V, 2:27.86.
•  Girls’ U-18 100 Breaststroke: 7. Hawkins, V, 1:22.77. 8. Ac. Clark, V, 1:26.53.
•  Boys’ U-18 100 Breaststroke: 3. F. Milligan, M, 1:11.28; 9. Dylan Rapoport, V, 1:22.28; 10. Gideon Palmer, V, 1:26.65.
•  Boys’ U-18 100 Backstroke: 2. A. Milligan, M, 59.15; 7. Aidan Chance, M, 1:16.78; 11. Ad. Clark, V, 1:21.17.
•  Girls’ U-12 100 Free: 9. Mackenzie Flint, V, 1:21.99.
•  Boys’ U-14 100 Free: 5. A. Chance, M, 1:06.43.
•  Girls’ U-19 100 Free: 5. L. Croke, V, 1:00.75; 8. Hawkins, V, 1:04.90; 10. Beauchemin, V, 1:05.90.
•  Boys’ U-18 100 Free: 3. A. Milligan, M, 53.47; 5. F. Milligan, M, 55.83; 10. Charlie Hodson, M, 1:00.96; 11. Jarret Muzzy, V, 1:02.75; 12. D. Rapoport, V, 1:06.02.
•  Girls’ U-10 100 Medley Relay: 9. M, (Eleanor Orten, M. Poduschnick, S. Chance, Louisa Orten) 1:30.67.
•  Boys’ U-10 100 Medley Relay: 7. V, (Julian Potter, Buskey, Quinn LeBeau, Howell) 1:34.02; 9. V, (De La Cruz, Smits, Goodfellow, Vorsteveld) 1:45.45.
•  Girls’ U-8 50 Free: 6. Brooks, V, 42.99; 9. Bearor, V, 45.54; 10. James, V, 46.77.
MIDDLEBURY MARLIN EIGHTEEN-and-under swimmer Will Carpenter, seen here competing in a butterfly race, placed in three events at the Champlain Valley Swim League championships held last weekend in Essex.
Photo courtesy Al Frey/alfreyphotography.com
•  Boys’ U-10 50 Free: 1. W. Clark, V, 32.90; 9. Howell, V, 38.40.
•  Girls’ U-8 25 Butterfly: 3. S. Chance, M, 22.15; 4. James, V, 23.14; 7. M. Poduschnick, M, 24.71; 9. Bearor, V, 26.55; 11. P. Fearon, V, 27.85.
•  Boys’ U-8 25 Butterfly: 3. Bellman, M, 23.77; 5. Daniel Power, M, 24.41; 8. F. Crary, V, 25.31.
•  Boys’ U-10 25 Butterfly: 2. C. Crary, V, 19.17; 7. LeBeau, V, 25.27.
•  Girls’ U-8 25 Backstroke: 3. Brooks, V, 23.12; 6. S. Chance, M, 23.68; 10. Annika Smits, V, 26.25; 11. Elle MacIntyre, M, 26.85; 12. Lauren Husk, V, 27.59.
•  Boys’ U-8 25 Backstroke: 6. F. Crary, V, 24.49; 8. D. Power, M, 25.73; 9. Connor Husk, V, 26.50.
•  Girls’ U-10 25 Backstroke: 10. Adrienne Smits, V, 21.90.
•  Boys’ U-10 25 Backstroke: 1. W. Clark, V, 18.30; 12. Potter, V, 23.44.
•  Girls’ U-8 25 Breaststroke: 2. M. Poduschnick, M, 23.44; 3. James, V, 25.38; 4. S. Chance, M, 27.61; 6. Jordan Hutchins, V, 28.45; 8. Isabella De La Cruz, V, 30.49; 10. Reese Muzzy, V, 31.91; 11. P. Fearon, V, 32.11.
•  Boys’ U-8 25 Breaststroke: 3. C. Bellman, M, 25.49; 6. Sebastian Giroux, V, 26.95.
•  Girls’ U-10 25 Breaststroke: 11. Amelia LaMothe, V, 24.07.
•  Boys’ U-10 25 Breaststroke: 2. C. Crary, V, 20.98; 9. Buskey, V, 24.04; 12. N. Smits, V, 24.88.
•  Girls’ U-8 25 Free: 4. Bearor, V, 20.34; 5. P. Fearon, V, 20.45; 6. M. Poduschnick, M, 20.49.
•  Boys’ U-8 25 Free: 1. F. Crary, V, 17.91; 5. D. Power, M, 20.03; 10. Jorgen Pirrung, M, 21.05; 12. S. Giroux, V, 21.30.
•  Boys’ U-10 25 Free: 2. W. Clark, V, 15.07; 5. C. Crary, V, 17.11; 6. C. Howell, V, 17.16.
•  Girls’ U-8 100 Free Relay: 2. V, (Bearor, Muzzy, Fearon, Brooks) 1:25.27; 6. V (Clark, Kittredge, Hutchins, Smits) 1:40.42; 9. V, (Buskey, Maneen, De La Cruz, LaMothe) 2:00.95.
•  Boys’ U-8 100 Free Relay 6. M, (Power, Bellman, Jonathan Carpenter, Pirrung) 1:41.61.
•  Girls’ U-10 100 Free Relay: 9. V, (A. LaMothe, Eckels, Isabella Romond, Ad. Smits) 1:22.22; 12. M, (Orten, Poduschnick, Chance, Orten) 1:24.43.
•  Boys’ U-10 100 Free Relay 3. V, (Howell, Buskey, C. Crary, Clark) 1:09.90; 7. V, (De La Cruz, Crary, Vorsteveld, LeBeau) 1:16.11; 10. V, (Smits, Maneen, Potter, Goodfellow) 1:33.17.
•  Girls’ U-12 200 Medley Relay: 2. V, (Giroux, Rapoport, Clark, Harris) 2:18.45; 8. M, (Lila Cook Yoder, Kaitlin Sulik-Doty, Poduschnick, Ava Schneider) 2:39.86; 12. V, (Potter, Giroux, Eckels, Forgues) 2:52.79.
•  Boys’ U-12 200 Medley Relay: 4. V, (Rakowski, Kimball, Croke, Fearon) 2:43.25.
•  Girls’ U-14 200 Medley Relay: 5. M, (Maddie Crowne, Staats, Natalie Rockwell, Catherine Carpenter) 2:22.87.
MIDDLEBURY’S NATHAN STONE powers his way through the butterfly leg of the 18-and-under medley relay during last weekend’s Champlain Valley Swim League meet in Essex. Stone and his Marlin teammates took second in the event.
Photo courtesy Al Frey/alfreyphotography.com
•  Girls’ U-18 200 Medley Relay: 4. V, (Croke, Hawkins, Croke, Rakowski) 2:09.05; 7. V, (Kenfield, Jewell, Jewell, LeBeau) 2:24.83; 8. V, (Adreon, Brooks, Huestis, St. Louis) 2:43.80.
•  Boys’ U-18 200 Medley Relay: 2. M, (Milligan, Poduschnick, Stone, Milligan) 1:50.01; 6. M, (Rockwell, Kearns, Carpenter, Hodson) 2:00.67.
•  Girls’ U-12 50 Butterfly: 2. M. Giroux, V, 33.13; 6. Ac. Clark, V, 34.15; 11. Schneider, M, 37.11.
•  Boys’ U-12 50 Butterfly: 5. McNamara, M, 35.69; 6. E. Croke, V, 37.10; 12. G. Fearon, V, 49.01.
•  Girls’ U-14 50 Butterfly: 1. A. Croke, V, 31.12; 2. Staats, M, 31.23; 10. N. Rockwell, M, 33.82.
•  Boys’ U-14 50 Butterfly: 6. Carson Hoffmann, V, 29.52; 9. A. Chance, M, 34.11.
•  Girls’ U-18 50 Butterfly: 6. Rachel Merrill, M, 31.70; 8. Ellie Ross, M, 32.10; 9. Jordan Jewell, V, 32.50; 10. A Rakowski, V, 32.74.
•  Boys’ U-20 50 Butterfly: 6. Sausville, V, 27.45; 7. O. Poduschnick, M, 27.67; 8. Nathan Stone, M, 27.86; 9. Devon Kearns, M, 28.03; 10. Will Carpenter, M, 28.66.
•  Girls’ U-12 50 Backstroke: 6. Harris, V, 35.85.
•  Boys’ U-12 50 Backstroke: 5. C. Rakowski, V, 38.14; 8. E. Croke, V, 38.86.
•  Girls’ U-14 50 Backstroke: 5. A. Croke, V, 33.22.
•  Boys’ U-14 50 Backstroke: 5. Ad. Clark, V, 34.23; 8. A. Chance, M, 35.82.
•  Girls’ U-19 50 Backstroke: 5. L. Croke, V, 33.07; 9. A. Rakowski, V, 34.31; 11. Ross, M, 35.11; 12. Beauchemin, V, 35.98.
•  Boys 20 & Under 50 Backstroke: 4. A Milligan, M, 28.31; 10. Andy Rockwell, M, 32.68.
•  Girls’ U-12 50 Breaststroke: 2. C. Rapoport, V, 36.43; 3. H. Harris, V, 37.77.
•  Boys’ U-12 50 Breaststroke: 3. McNamara, M, 41.99.
•  Girls’ U-14 50 Breaststroke: 4. Staats, M, 36.55.
•  Boys’ U-14 50 Breaststroke: 5. Hoffmann, V, 36.28; 8. Palmer, V, 39.03.
•  Girls’ U-18 50 Breaststroke: 5. Ross, M, 35.39; 7. Hawkins, V, 37.04; 9. S. Jewell, V, 39.82; 10. Merrill, M, 40.24; 12. J. Jewell, V, 40.89.
•  Boys’ U-18 50 Breaststroke: 3. O. Poduschnick, M, 30.96; 8. N. Stone, M, 33.36; 9. Kearns, M, 33.49; 10. W. Carpenter, M, 33.57; 11. Hodson, M, 34.21.
•  Girls’ U-12 50 Free: 5. Harris, V, 30.06; 9. Schneider, M, 32.06; 12. Eckels, V, 33.64.
•  Boys’ U-12 50 Free:  2. McNamara, M, 30.49; 4. E. Croke, V, 32.90; 7. C. Rakowski, V, 33.67; 12. Kimball, V, 36.46.
•  Girls’ U-14 50 Free: 6. A. Croke, V, 29.30; 8. Staats, M, 29.57; 10. N. Rockwell, M, 29.60.
•  Boys’ U-14 50 Free: 6. Hoffmann, V, 27.30; 9. Ad. Clark, V, 28.94.
•  Girls’ U-18 50 Free: 8. Ross, M, 28.70; 9. A. Rakowski, V, 28.81; 11. J. Jewell, V, 29.09; 12. Beauchemin, V, 29.40.
•  Boys U20 50 Free: 4. O. Poduschnick, M, 24.03; 7. W. Carpenter, M, 25.72; 8. N. Stone, M, 25.78; 9. Kearns, M, 25.84; 10. F. Milligan, M, 25.87; 11. E. Sausville, V, 26.15.
•  Girls’ U-12 200 Free Relay 2. V, (Giroux, Rapoport, Clark, Harris) 2:02.23; 7. M, (Orten, Cook Yoder, Poduschnick, Schneider) 2:21.34; 10. V, (Flint, Potter, Forgues, Eckels) 2:32.07.
•  Boys’ U-12 200 Free Relay: 3. V, (Croke, Kimball, Rakowski, Fearon) 2:22.61.
•  Girls’ U-14 200 Free Relay: 7. M, (Rockwell, Carpenter, Orten, Staats) 2:09.87.
•  Girls’ U-18 200 Free Relay 3. V, (Hawkins, Beauchemin, Rakowski, Croke) 1:52.03; 6. V, (LeBeau, Jewell, Huestis, Jewell) 1:59.99.
•  Boys’ U-18 200 Free Relay: 2. M, (Milligan, Carpenter, Milligan, Poduschnick) 1:37.31; 6. M, (Kearns, Rockwell, Hodson, Stone) 1:45.05.