Riptides start 2014 with Winter Invite
Myrtle Beach Riptides host Winter Invitational swim meet
The locally-based Myrtle Beach Riptides swim team hosted their annual Winter Invitational Jan 17-19, 2014 at the North Myrtle Beach Aquatic and Fitness Center. Nearly 300 athletes from NC and SC descended to the NMBAFC for the event. For many swimmers from SC, it was a last chance to qualify to the 2014 SC Swimming State Championships next month.
For the Riptides, 39 swimmers competed in the meet racing to nearly 150 personal best times. Additionally, four new SC State Championship q-times were earned, 9 team records were broken and one new summer Senior Sectional Championship q-time was achieved.
Ten-year old Lexi Roberts continued her assault on the Riptides’ 10/Under female team records, breaking 8 of the records she already owned in the 50-, 200- and 500-freestyle events; 50- and 100-backstrokes and breaststrokes; and 200-Individual Medley (IM).
Eddie Bateson swam to a new male 15-16 team record in 1000-freestyle in a summer Senior Sectional Championship q-time.
Connor Churchill swam to new SC Swimming State Championship q-times in the 50-butterfly, 200-breaststroke and 400-IM. Older sister Andi Churchill also earned a new SCS Championship q-time in the 500-freestyle.
Matthew Key led all swimmers with not only the single largest improvement, 36 seconds in the 100-IM, but also led Riptides with the most double-digit improvements in six events!
Many Riptides earned multiple best times including Keyon Berenji, Anaya Brown, Jordan Brown, Dayton Busse, Connor Campbell, Aubrey Cloutier, Joel Cox, Alyssa Cozart, Riley Davis, Danielle Flaherty, Jake Flaherty, Kailey Habib, Ty Kinner-Costello, Hannah McDonough, Kylie McWhorter, Peyton McWhorter, Ethan Nechemia, Maddi Pannell, Yianni Paraschos, Ireland Rose, Ella Speir, Chase Teasley, and Maggie Warner.
Rafael Adi, Chad Bateson, Julia Campbell, Walker Harwell, Kamea Herte, Megan Koppel, Taylor Koppel, Fiona Mullaney, Anna Riley, Sasha Riley, Chloe Stampfle and Cobi Williams either earned at least one personal best time or were right on their best times.
Said head coach James Smith, “We were very happy with the results from our swimmers. The number of best times demonstrates our swimmers continue to improve. But the sheer lack of ‘dq’s’ demonstrates our swimmers are doing a better job of learning their skills.
“We had several swimmers who were very close to qualifying to the 2014 SC State Championships, but fell just a little short. There are at least two more meets for those swimmers to achieve a standard for the summer meet, barring any age-ups,” continued Smith.
The focus for the Riptides for next few weeks is to prepare for all upcoming championship meets, including the SC Swimming State Championships. Riptides will be represented by Chad Bateson, Eddie Bateson, Connor Campbell, Julia Campbell, Andi Churchill, Connor Churchill, Alyssa Cozart, Danielle Flaherty, Walker Harwell, Lexi Roberts and Chase Teasley.
