Coast Aquatics Shines at Rick Byers Invitational

Brad Kale

Coast Aquatics Shines at Rick Byers Invitational

 Great swimming, great teamwork, and great weather proved to be the winning formula for Coast Aquatics as they hosted the Rick Byers Invitational at the Taj Renee Aquatics Center in Destin. Coast swimmers dominated the competition, and the entire Coast community came together to ensure the meet was a resounding success.

 The event welcomed 10 teams and nearly 300 swimmers—an increase of 100 participants compared to last year. Coast Aquatics claimed top honors with an impressive 882 team points, followed by Cat 5 with 332 points and Birmingham Swim League with 308.

 Standout Performances

Girls Division

  •  Rebecca Graffeo (10 & Under): Scored 56 points with eight first-place finishes.
  •  Alaina O’Connor: Earned 54 points with seven wins and one second-place finish.
  •  Victoria Nechaeva (11–12): Won six events and placed second in another. She also swam the 200 fly for the first time, posting the fastest time of any female swimmer—regardless of age.
  • Carilyn Allgood and Stella Landreneau: Each scored over 20 plus points.
  •  Joined by Emilia Cernat, Lily Hughes, and Jacqueline Mitul, who also surpassed the 20-point mark.

Boys Division

  •  Paul Lazar led the younger boys with 46 points, earning high-point honors in his age group. His brother Daniel Lazar added 39 points in the 10 & Under division.
  •  Austin Basham (8 & Under) and Charlie Proctor (10 & Under) also delivered strong performances.
  •  Kuaun de Santana Guidry (13–14): Won three events and placed second in a fourth.
  •  Brendan Hamel and Jason Perillo made a splash in their first meet as 15 & Over swimmers.
  •  Bode McGuirk and Sawyer Downs rounded out senior scoring with multiple top-three finishes.

A Team Effort

From swimming to officiating, timing, hospitality, and behind-the-scenes support, Coast Aquatics delivered a complete performance. Congratulations to all Coast families for making the Rick Byers Invitational a standout event!

What’s Next?

Up next: The Gravy Bowl, November 21–23 at the University of West Florida.

 Good luck to all Coast swimmers competing in the FHSAA State High School Series over the next three weeks! Coast is proud to have athletes representing six different high schools across three divisions.

As always… GO COAST!