Candy Cane Classic @ MIT wrap up!

     Outstanding job to ESC at MIT’s Candy Cane Classic!   Swimmers (Coaches & Parents too) survived a four day meet with many shining swims at such a superb facility! With prelims, finals, shoot-outs, and relays there were so many fantastic swims, best times, wins, and new events tried—and so many to mention! 
     Birthday boy Connor Welch’s 500 Freestyle was chosen as “Swim of the Meet” as he celebrated turning 14 on Saturday with a fabulous weekend of racing.  With working hard at all practices, his 500 Free was so well swum and a 12 second drop from earlier this year.  Super job Connor and keep going!
Lucas Anderson set a team record in winning the 200 Backstroke, nipping under the old mark by .17, to equal his LCM mark in the same event.  We are hoping he continues to lower as this season goes on!  Also winning events were Wyatt Wiggin (50 Backstroke), and Isla Robinson, who had THREE wins (500 Free, 100 Fly, and the 200 Fly—in her first time doing the event!). 
     We saw August Swinehart (100 Fly), Kaitlyn Bilsbury (100 Free), and Charlotte Thompson (100 Free **not to mention a swim off win!) break 1:00 barriers for the first time!  You will never forget it!  Selma Kruscica also broke 26.00 for the 50 Free for the first time! 
     For Silver group, Zerina Idrizovic dropping a whopping 49 seconds in her 200 Freestyle!  Wow!  Elaina Kelliher swam TEN seconds faster in her 200 Breaststroke FINAL, - SEVENTEEN seconds from the event!  Maecyn White from Junior Royal also had two impressive and positive best times at this mid-season meet in both the 100 and 200 Backstrokes.
     Congrats to  Vivian Carlton, Zoe Chun, Emma Conway, Sofi Tovtyn, and Alex Ionescu for competing in later rounds of the exciting Shoot-out events!  Charlotte Chang, Caroline Manseau, all Maia Segarceanu all competed in Championship finals for 11-12’s. 
     Henry Hodes went 9 for 9 in best times, highlighted by a 50 Breaststroke only .9 off Age Groups! Paisley Silva, Ava Vessels, and Layla Scollan each had SIX personal bests.  Layla with 21 seconds off in her 200 Free!
     Swimmers trying new events successfully were:  Charlotte Anderson, Lorelei Brown, Hannah Vessels, Victoria Campbell, Mark Costello, Lucas Davenport, Grace Gauthier, and Arthur Thompson.
     Other top drops came from:  Isaac Soo (-10 100 IM), Natalie Thompson (-9 200 Breast), Mannat Randhawa (-9 100 IM, -8 50 Fly), Madison  Hunter (-5 500 Free), Tommy Hardie (-16 200 Free), Elin Metcalfe (-25 200 Fly), Joe Blahnik (-8 50 Fly), Austin Booth (-7 100 Fly), Henry Bump (-26 200 Back), Harper Casella (-8 200 Free, -5 100 Fly), Cece Ware (-8 100 Free), and Brooks Hardie (our lone 1650/Miler) subtracting over 1:00 from his time from last year.