Pool party at annual Carroll County Invitational swim meet
The event began in 1987 and has been a summertime staple ever since.
Summer has its share of traditions on a sports fan's calendar, and one of the staples in Carroll County is the annual youth swim meet.
South Carroll Swim Club hosted the Carroll County Invitational, which featured 7 teams from the county and close to 350 swimmers competing in six age groups for boys and girls. The inaugural meet was way back in 1987 (yours truly may have competed in a few back in the day), and it's the one time of the swimming season that stresses fun more than fast times.
Those are nice, of course, but the goal is for everyone to enjoy the evening and cheer on teammates (and some rivals that are otherwise friends away from the pool).
It's always a party atmosphere at South Carroll, with the PA announcer serving up dance tunes during breaks in the action, and teams gathering for loud and supportive cheers. Family and friends do their best to scream from the sideline, and many swimmers decorate their bodies with colored artwork and encouraging phases (most popular being "Eat My Bubbles").
Anyway, congrats to all of the winners from this year's Carroll County Invitational. And good luck for the remainder of the summer swim season.
Boys Winners
9-10 100 IM: Rylan Groves (SC), 1:31.01
11-12 100 IM: Aidan Spencer (NSC), 1:14:53
13-14 100 IM: Riley Poirier (NSC), 1:09:13
15-over 100 IM: Brendan Moran (WST), 1:02:34
6-under 25 free: Ryker Girch (WRC), 26.5
8-under 25 free: James Williams (WST), 19:09
9-10 50 free: Christopher Colson (SC), 33.63
11-12 50 free: Aidan Spencer (NSC), 29.77
13-14 50 free: Riley Poirier (NSC), 1:00:31
15-over 100 free: Braeden Emore (WRC), 54.53
6-under 25 back: Ryker Girch (WRC), 32.95
8-under 25 back: James Williams (WST), 23.1
9-10 25 back: Rylan Groves (SC), 18.34
11-12 50 back: Jackson Bankard (WST), 37.69
13-14 50 back: Ryan Mahoney (FR), 31.46
15-over 50 back: Braeden Emore (WRC), 30.25
8-under 25 fly: James Williams (WST), 23.75
9-10 25 fly: Christopher Colson (SC), 16.84
11-12 50 fly: Aidan Spencer (NSC), 32.27
13-14 50 fly: Riley Poirier (NSC), 30.28
15-over 50 fly: Brendan Moran (WST), 26.51
8-under 25 breast: Henry Hammond (FR), 26.32
9-10 25 breast: Christopher Colson (SC), 22.15
11-12 50 breast: Luke Parsons (FR), 45.72
13-15 50 breast: Logan Crisler (CSC), 36.03
15-over 50 breast: James Fiori (SC), 32.08
Girls Winners
9-10 100 IM: Brooke Pearl (SC), 1:42:87
11-12 100 IM: Gabriella Rech Pavao (WST), 1:26:78
13-14 100 IM: Milana Shipley (WST), 1:14:95
15-over 100 IM: Erin Budde (SC), 1:07.39 (record)
6-under 25 free: Carly Williams (WST), 25.09
8-under 25 free: Avery Rugiel (CSC), 17.63
9-10 50 free: Madeleine Booth (CSC), 39.72
11-12 50 free: Alayna Rash (NSC), 31.4
13-14 100 free: Milana Shipley (WST); 1:07:39
15-over 100 free: Erin Budde (SC) 59.57
6-under 25 back: Carly Williams (WST), 28.5
8-under 25 back: Avery Rugiel (CSC), 22.51
9-10 25 back: Quinn O'Connor (SC), 21.75
11-12 50 back: Corinne Rinker (FR), 35.97
13-14 50 back: Olivia Svejda (WST), 34.75
15-over 50 back: Casey Zentz (WRC), 31.9
8-under 25 fly: Avery Rugiel (CSC), 21.33
9-10 25 fly: Brooke Pearl (SC), 20.72
11-12 50 fly: Alayna Rash (NSC), 33.32
13-14 50 fly: Olivia Svejda (WST), 32.72
15-over 50 fly: Erin Budde (SC), 29.38 (record)
8-under 25 breast: Avery Rugiel (CSC), 26.09
9-10 25 breast: Madeleine Booth (CSC), 24.69
11-12 50 breast: Alaya Rash (NSC), 39.31
13-14 50 breast: Milana Shipley (WST), 39.13
15-over 50 breast: Adrienne Rinker (FR), 36.78