Submitted by Kari Waksmunski
The Lake Monticello Swim Team (LMST) hosted The City of Charlottesville Swordfish in its home opener Wednesday (June 26). The evening began with a celebration ceremony for the first meet at the new Lake Monticello pool. Devin Creamer, Jefferson Swim League (JSL) president and LMST parent, spoke to the crowd, and Chris Long, pastor of Lake Christian Church, gave a blessing.
The competition started with relays. LMST girls took first place in three different age brackets of the 200-meter medley relay and LMST boys in the 15-18 age bracket won their 200-meter medley relay. A medley is a combination of four different swimming styles – butterfly stroke, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.
Despite an overall 412.5-468.5 loss, LMST swimmers swept many of the events.
Grace Farist, 14; Megan Farist, 14; and Julia Tamaras, 13, swept the girls 13-14 50-meter freestyle event; Lila Robinson, 9; Madison Clark, 9; and Kayleigh Herring, 10, swept the girls 9-10 100-meter freestyle event; and Emily Farist, 13; Grace Farist; Tomaras; Megan Farist; Anne Robinson, 14; and Abbie Ford, 13, clenched the first six places in the girls 13-14 100-meter freestyle event.
Luke Gustafson, 17; Connor Bridge, 16; and Owen Strickland, 16, swept the boys 15-18 50-meter freestyle event; Jaxon Brooks, 12; Art Maqani, 12; and Landon Creamer, 12, swept the boys 11-12 50-meter backstroke event; Hunter Strickland, 16; Nathaniel Smith, 16; Bridge; and Gabe Nardone, 16, clenched the first four places in the boys 15-18 50-meter backstroke event; and Hunter Strickland, Gustafson, Smith, and Owen Strickland clenched the first four places in the boys 15-18 100-meter freestyle event.
In addition to the 100-meter freestyle, Lila Robinson also won the girls 9-10 50-meter freestyle event and the girls 9-10 50-meter breaststroke event.
Abigayle Harlow, 16, finished the girls 15-18 100-meter freestyle event with a nine-second lead over second place. She also finished with a six-second lead in the girls 15-18 50-meter breaststroke event.
Other top female finishers include Allyson Lounsbury, 15, who won both girls 15-18 50-meter freestyle and 50-meter backstroke events; Sarah Beth Robinson, 12, who won the girls 11-12 50-meter backstroke event; and Madelyn Ford, 6, who won both girls 6 and under 25-meter freestyle and 25-meter backstroke events.
Top male finishers include Mateo Achmad-Guzman, 7, who won the boys 8 and under 50-meter freestyle event; Jack Pace, 10, who won the boys 9-10 50-meter freestyle event; Creamer, who won the boys 11-12 100-meter freestyle event; Ivan Patchett, 11, who won the boys 11-12 50-meter breaststroke event; and Owen Strickland, who won the boys 15-18 50-meter breaststroke event.
“I’m really proud of how well all our swimmers did in the first home meet on Wednesday. It was great to see everyone race for the first time in our new pool. Since it’s a new pool, a number of the swimmers had the opportunity to set a pool record. I’m excited to see what the rest of our season holds for the sharks,” said Head Coach Sito Arroyo.
Swimmers of the week were Cameron Fisher and Isabelle Thompson.
The Sharks took on the Farmington Country Club Frogs on Tuesday (July 2). The last home meet will be July 17 against the Key West Killer Whales.
