Aquajets edged in Anacortes
The North Whidbey Aquatic Club traveled to Anacortes on June 7 to compete in a dual-distance meet with the Anacortes Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds captured first place with 314 points and NWAC was close behind with 302.
Leading the way in the mixed 1,500-meter freeestyle for the Aquajets were 18-year-old Julia Marriott and 12-year-old Laura Rosen.
The duo decisively claimed first and second place in the event with times of 18:47.38 and 19:11.05, respectively. Both times were team records.
Marriott and Rosen also established new team records in the 800 freestyle with times of 10:01.00 and 10:08.38.
Four other NWAC’ers also established new team records in the 1500. In the 11- to-12-year-old boys, Joshua Jepsen covered the distance in a time of 19:21.81 and Spencer Livermore swam a time of 19:55.46 in the senior men’s division.
Karina Concepcion had a time of 20:42.92 in the girls 13- to-14-year-old division and in the boys 13- to-14-year-old division, Michael McGinnis finished with a clocking of 20:49.89.
Irysh Concepcion, age 11, earned herself Swimmer of the Meet status for her performance in the 1500. In her first distance swim of her career, she annihilated her seed time by more than five minutes swimming an impressive 22:59.13.
Other NWAC’ers participating in the 1500 were: Rachel Weinstein, age 15, 19:48.10; Cole Weinstein, age 12, 20:54.54; Olivia Meyer, age 12, 22:07.49; Danae Nash age 12, 24:11.52; Lindsey Hansen, age 13, 25:17.99; Leanne Empinado, age 13, 26:43.71; and Mara Powers, age 9, 27:17.63.
Caley Powers dominated the 800 freestyle competition winning the event by more than 25 seconds. His 400 meter split of 4:57.45 and his finishing time of 9:55.93 set team records in the boys 11- to-12-year-old age division.
Other Aquajets swimming the 800: John Rodeheffer, age 11, 10:46.74; Dakota Powers, age 11, 11:00.96; Marissa Morris, age 9, 12:39.69; Marisa Sligh, age 11, 12:47.48; Addison Jackson, age 13, 13:46.90; Laura Rodeheffer, age 9, 13:47.78; Kailee Jo Marin, age 13, 13:57.46; Joey Jepsen, age 9, 14:52.97; Emily Schroeder, age 11, 15:04.97; and Hannah Schroeder, age 12, 15:06.31.
In the final event of the meet, the 800 meter freestyle relay, two NWAC teams posted team records.
In the senior men’s division, Caley Powers, Joshua Jepsen, Dakota Powers, and Livermore powered to a cumulative time of 9:46.15, and the senior women’s record-setting team of Marriott, Rosen, Kara Concepcion, and Rachel Weinstein swam a time of 9:30.09.
NWM prevails in distance meet
Jim McCleery was a big three-event winner for the North Whidbey Masters swim team at the Anacortes Master’s Distance meet Sunday, June 8.
In the 400-meter freestyle, competing in the 60- to-64-year-old age group, McCleery established his dominance by winning the event and setting a Pacific Northwest Association (PNA) Master’s record. The record he broke was his own which he had set in February 2006.
A short time later, McCleery found himself back in the pool, this time for an 800-meter freestyle, winning in a time 10:20.82.
His hat trick was made complete by his victory in the 1500-meter freestyle. McCleery went head to head with a 51-year-old competitor until with about 1200 meters to go, he pulled away for the win in a clocking 19:37.27.
Harvey Prosser showed his strength in the Men’s 80- to-84-year-old 800-meter freestyle by shattering the PNA record. Prosser’s time of 14:39.58 steamrolled Hal Young’s previous record of 24:29.78 set in February 2005. Prosser’s time established a new zone record as well and leaves him only 50 seconds behind the national record.
