Riptides' heat up at State Championships!

MB Riptides swimming heats up at State Championships

The Myrtle Beach Riptides swimming team competed at the 2010 SC Swimming State Championships February 12-16, hosted at the YMCA of Spartanburg, SC.  Although the weather was cold and leaving upwards of four inches of snow, the locally-based Riptides heated up the event with great competition.  At meet’s end, the Riptides placed 10^th overall with 286 points, leading the Grand Strand.

The Riptides’ swimmers rallied together to break 22 team records, achieve 38 personal best times, and several other individual accolades.  Megan Kingsley won the 13-14 girls’ high-point award, while Keenan Lineback and Lauren Campbell placed 2^nd and 3^rd, respectively, for Senior girls’ high-point.  The Riptides led the Grand Strand with swimmers placing in individual scoring and individual event wins with 10.

Mackenzie Angwin, 10/Under, competed in her first SC State Championship in the 500-yard freestyle.  Although she was a little over her best time by 5 seconds, she represented the Riptides extremely well.

Chad Bateson, 11-12, earned 7 personal best times including three Top-10 finishes in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:51.51) and the 1000- and 1650-yard freestyles, 12:04.82 and 20:17.23.  Bateson broke 6 team records – 100-, 200- and 1650-Freestyles; 100- and 200-Breaststrokes; and 200-Backstroke.

Eddie Bateson, 11-12, earned 6 personal best times and three Top-10 finishes in the 400-yard Individual Medley (5:19.65), 200-Butterfly (2:56.77), and 1650-freestyle (20:26.57).  Bateson’s 400-IM and 1650-free were also new Age-group Sectional Championship qualifying times.  Bateson also broke 2 team records – 50-Backstroke and 400-IM.

Garrett Beauprez, 11-12, competed in his first State Championship as an 11-12 year old.  Beauprez had two personal best times in the 400-IM (5:42.19) and 200-Breaststroke (2:58.01).

Julia Campbell, 13-14, earned three personal best times.  Campbell placed 9^th in the 200-Butterfly (2:22.27), but her preliminary time of 2:20.29 was her first Age-group Sectional Championship q-time as a 13-14 year old.  Campbell earned a best time in the 100-Butterfly (1:05.59) as well.

Lauren Campbell, Senior, swam to ten Top-10 finishes, 6 personal best times and 5 team records.  Campbell earned a new National Club Swimming Association Junior National Championship q-time in the 400-IM, swimming to a 4:29.47.  Campbell also earned new NCSA Junior National “B” times in the 200-Freestyle (1:54.76) and the 500-Freestyle (5:02.12).

Danielle Flaherty, 10/Under, also competed in her first SC State Championship.  Flaherty earned a best time in the 50-Backstroke, 39.04, which was also a new team record.

Megan Kingsley, 13-14, led the Riptides with 9 personal best times, 9 event wins and 7 team records.  Kingsley earned a new USA-Swimming short-course Senior National Championship q-time in the 100-Butterfly, 56.77 and new NCSA Junior National “B” time in the 200-Breaststroke, 2:25.24. 

Keenan Lineback, Senior, earned four personal best times in the 200-Backstroke, Butterfly and IM events and the 500-Freestyle.  Lineback had ten Top-10 finishes and an event win in the 1650-Freestyle.  Lineback earned a new NCSA Junior National Championship “B” time in the 500-Freestyle, 5:01.87. 

Head coach of the Myrtle Beach Riptides, James Smith, was very pleased with the performances of the swimmers.

Said Smith, “The meet started a little slowly for us on Friday, but as the meet went on, the swimmers kept getting faster, with more swimmers returning for Finals.  The kids earned more points for the team each day of competition.

“There were some excellent swims throughout the meet for our swimmers – E. Bateson and J. Campbell earning new Age-group Sectional Championship q-times was a tremendous highlight.  With Campbell earning her time, we have doubled the number of swimmers from last year,” continued Smith.

Smith was also very pleased with the performances of first-timers Angwin and Flaherty and 11-12 year old Beauprez.  Since joining the Riptides in September, Beauprez has shown marked improvement in his swimming and as such, qualified to the State Championship in 5 events.

"Neither of the girls [Angwin, Flaherty] was intimidated by the size of the meet [600 swimmers] or the level of competition.  They were just out there having fun. 

"Age-group coach Justin Schreer has done an excellent job with preparing the girls for this meet and the future.  He has had a major impact on developing many Grand Strand swimmers for the next level of competition," said Smith.

Next for members of the Riptides is the 2010 Eastern Section Southern Zone Age-group Sectional Championships in Charlotte, NC.  The Riptides have four swimmers qualified for the event – Chad Bateson, Eddie Bateson, Julia Campbell and Megan Kinglsey.

Commented Smith, “The Age-group Sectional Championships is the first time the Bateson boys will participate and for Campbell, the first time as a 13-14 year old.  The competition at this event will be very fast and we expect our swimmers to have fun and step up to the challenge.”

Megan Kingsley will not participate at the event as she and teammates Lauren Campbell and Keenan Lineback will prepare for the 2010 NCSA Junior National Championships in Orlando, FL.  Kingsley has become one of the most versatile swimmers, male or female, in SC Swimming history, owning a combination of NCSA and USA-Swimming National Championship q-times in 10 out of 14 possible events – 100-, 200-, 500-yard Freestyles; 100- and 200-yard Backstroke and Butterfly events; 200-yard Breaststroke; and 200- and 400-IM’s.

L. Campbell, Kingsley and Lineback have several events in which they can compete, but will limit their competition to the events which offer the best opportunity to return for Finals.

“Now that the hi-tech body suits are banned, the girls have a great shot at returning to Finals,” said Smith.  

“I believe all three girls have a legitimate shot at returning to Finals in a variety of events.  At a meet like [NCSA] Junior’s, the girls will have to go best times to return to Finals.  With about 3 weeks to prepare, they will be ready to do their best,” continued Smith.