VERGENNES — The official Champlain Valley Swim League record will show that on Tuesday, June 15, the visiting Middlebury Marlins edged the host Vergennes Champs, 249-234, on a steamy summer evening.

What the record won’t show is teammates age 6 to 17, about 120 in all between the teams, many of them siblings, cheering together with coaches who themselves were former Champs or Marlins, all enjoying themselves.

Meanwhile dozens of their family members — most in the shade as temperatures remained in the 80s as racing began —chatted with each other and applauded their children’s efforts no matter the results.

Welcome to summer swimming, where, sure, it’s nice to finish first — the Champs won the league, after all, a few years back — but it’s also enough to get better at a healthy activity and hang out with friends.

Summer swimming also allows some to hone their skills for more competitive winter and even future college swimming, and many others to become leaders and role models for younger teammates.

Two Marlins swimmers talked about being part of their team and their relationship with younger swimmers between their races — Constantin Bellmann, an 14-and-under competitor, and Jorgen Pirrung, one of the few Middlebury 18-and-under competitors.

“It’s really a good team,” Bellman said. “We’re all really so closely tied, closely knit.”

Pirrung and Bellmann do feel like they should set an example for their younger teammates.

“The kids on our team are good kids, and they’re good listeners,” Pirrung said. “They draw out the best of us as well, and they hold us to a higher standard.”

Bellman agrees.

“They do look up to us a lot, and they’re also great kids,” Bellmann said. “They’re looking up to us also makes us the best version of ourselves.”

What they are saying fits in with what Marlins Coach Carina Bellman, herself a Marlins swimmer back in the day, described as the Marlins coaches’ philosophy when asked if her team was enjoying the summer.

“They’re having so much fun,” she said. “I think that’s really what we focus on. It’s camaraderie, teamwork, cooperation, personal growth, and I guess a lot of fun.”

Champ Coach Addie Brooks and Bill Clark sounded similar themes.

Brooks is basically a Champs lifer. She started swimming with the team when she was 8 years old and moved into coaching when she aged out. She sees the youngsters she typically works with enjoying it the way she did.

“They seem to be having an absolute blast,” Brooks said of what is, like the Marlins, a mostly young team. “Every day we’re here, morning and night, and they’re happy to be here.”

They’re also learning, according to Clark.

“We’re definitely seeing the time drops and the improvements in technique,” Clark said. “This is the time of the year it starts to come together for them, in midseason, and so we’re seeing that, for sure.”

The team has many youngsters, including a large bubble of 11- and 12-year-olds and older swimmers who are accomplished at more than just swimming, Clark said.

“They set an example … They provide some leadership. It’s something the younger kids can aspire to when they see the older kids in there, so it really helps,” Clark said.

One swimmer the younger Champs can look up to is Will Clark, 16, owner of seven age-group state records and son of the coach. Clark has been swimming competitively since he was 5, and like some summer swimmers wants to pursue the sport further.

“I definitely have some dream colleges I want to go to. But I have to drop some more time to get there. That’s another reason I keep coming back.”

But there’s more to it that just improving his swimming.

“The whole team is like a family. A lot of the kids are siblings of people I’ve swam with over the years. Everyone is tight-knit, and it’s just a fun time. We’ve got music going at the meets. It’s just more fun than the winter.”

Coach Bellman, in her 10th year helping the Marlins program, talked about family, too.

“It’s so special to be part of this with my kids. We have a lot of kids who are swimming whose parents were swimmers. Having it come full circle is really fun. It’s really a family team,”

MEET RESULTS

On Tuesday, the Marlins prevailed in 13 of 19 relays, a critical factor in their victory, as the Champs earned the advantage in individual races.

Leading the Marlins in individual wins were Henry Cadoret, Felix Poduschnick and Enea Ancarani with three apiece. Claiming one individual victory each were Tilly Hopkinson, Evelyn Fuller, Cooper Butler, Constantin Bellmann, Selma Citarella, Maxine King and Elise Armstrong.

Young winners Zoey Kress and Juliett Kennedy led the Champs with four and three wins, respectively. Five Champs won twice: Declan Husk, Ezra Norwood, Jordan Hutchins, Ella Bearor, and Will Clark. Champs touching the wall first once were Luke Davis, Vivian Romond, Camron Curtis, Lauren Husk, Ellie Brooks and Scarlet Giroux.

Scoring points in individual events for both teams in individual events with top-three results on Tuesday were:

BUTTERFLY

• U-8 girls: 1. T. Hopkinson, M, 27.83; 2. J. Kennedy, V; 3. Grace Gaudette, V.

• U-8 boys: 1. E. Norwood, V, 27.08.

• U-10 girls: 1. Z. Kress, V, 15.7; 2. Savannah Wallace, V; 3. Vela Remaniak, M.

• U-10 boys: 1. E. Ancarani, M, 16.93; 2. Riker Cooley, V; 3. Rhett Cooke, V.

• U-12 girls: 1. V. Romond, V, 36.77; 2. Cassandra Bellman, M; 3. Bianca Spafford, M.

• U-12 boys: 1. F. Poduschnick, M, 31.44; 2. Brantley Cook, V; 3. Porter Mackey, M.

• U-14 girls: 1. J. Hutchins, V, 32.62; 2. Annika Smits, V; 3. Lauren Husk, V.

• U-14 boys: 1. H. Cadoret, M, 21.27; 2. C. Bellmann, M.

• U-18 girls: 1. E. Bearor, V, 30.39; 2. Sadie Chance, M; 3. Abigail Hamilton, M.

• U-18 boys: 1. L. Davis, V, 24.76; 2. Khanlen Ouimette, V; 3. Jorgen Pirrung, M.

BACKSTROKE

• U-8 girls: 1. J. Kennedy, 25.62; 2. Ellie Butler, M; 3. Lydia Court, M.

• U-8 boys: 1. E. Norwood, V, 24.86; 2. D. Husk, V; 3. James Foley, M.

• U-10 girls: 1. Z. Kress, V, 25.51; 2. Eleanor O’Leary, M.

• U-10 boys: 1. E. Ancarani, M, 18.35; 2. R. Cooley, V; 3. R. Cooke, V.

• U-12 girls: 1. E. Fuller, M, 37.39; 2. M. King, M; 3. V. Romond, V.

• U-12 boys: 1. C. Curtis, V, 42.15; 2. Harvey Bishop, M; 3. Nolan Almstrand, M.

• U-14 girls: 1. L. Husk, V. 35.51; 2. E. O’Leary, M.

• U-14 boys: 1. H. Cadoret, M, 42.21; 2. Henry Schmidt, M.

• U-18 girls: 1. E. Brooks, V, 33.18; 2. E. Bearor, V; 3. A. Hamilton, M.

• U-18 boys: 1. L. Davis, V, 31.04; 2. W. Clark, V; 3. J. Pirrung, M.

BREASTSTROKE

• U-8 girls: 1. J. Kennedy, V, 31.04; 2. T. Hopkinson, M; 3. G. Gaudette, V.

• U-8 boys: 1. E. Norwood, V, 34.78; 2. J. Foley, M.

• U-10 girls: 1. Z. Kress, V, 21.09; 2. S. Wallace, V; 3. Rose Phinney, M.

• U-10 boys: 1. C. Butler, M, 22.79; 2. R. Cooley, V; 3. Keegan Landon, M.

• U-12 girls: 1. Scarlett Giroux, V, 40.75; 2. Ca. Bellmann, M; 3. Bianca Spafford, M.

• U-12 boys: 1. F. Poduschnick, M, 39.15; 2. Ben Phinney, M; 3. C. Curtis, V.

• U-14 girls: J. Hutchins, V, 38.45; 2. Cecilia Neffinger, V; 3. E. Almstrand, M.

• U-14 boys: 1. Co. Bellman, M, 39.43; 2. Henry Schmidt, M.

• U-18 girls: 1. S. Citarella, M, 33.21; 2. S. Chance, M; 3. Ellie Eckels, V.

• U-18 boys: 1. W. Clark, V, 29.74; 2. Cohen Howell, V; 3. J. Pirrung, M.

FREESTYLE

• U-8 girls: 1. J. Kennedy, V, 22.62; 2. T. Hopkinson, M; 3. E. Butler, M.

• U-8 boys: 1. D. Husk, M, 21.2; 2. E. Norwood, V; 3. Raleigh Woods, V.

• U-10 girls: 1. Z. Kress, 14.66; 2. V. Remaniak, M; 3. S. Wallace, V.

• U-10 boys: 1. E. Ancarani, M, 14.88; 2. R. Cooley; 3. R. Cooke.

• U-12 girls: 1. M. King, M, 32.5; 2. E. Fuller, M; 3. Gretchen Hill, V.

• U-12 boys: 1. F. Poduschnick, M, 28.21; 2. C. Curtis, M; 3. Ben Phinney, M.

• U-14 girls: 1. E. Almstrand, M, 29.76; 2. J. Hutchins, V; 2. Nicola Power, M.

• U-14 boys: 1. H. Cadoret, M, 27.7; 2; Co. Bellman, M.

• U-18 girls: 1. E. Bearor, V, 27.73; 2. S. Citarella, M; 3. E. Brooks, V.

• U-18 boys: 1. W. Clark, V, 22.86; 2. L. Davis, V; 3. J. Pirrung, M.