MEET RECAPS -- ALEXANDRIA (1.27.19) and RICHMOND (2.2.19)
Results have been posted for our two most recent meets – the Alexandria Tropical Splash on Jan. 27 and VMST’s David Gregg III Meet in Richmond on Feb. 2. We established team participation records for both meets, and we had fantastic Club Tribe debuts from six new teammates: Dave Bell, Bruce Fisher, Christopher Massonneau, and Bill Harper (Alexandria Meet); and Chris Stevenson and Bryan Fratkin (Richmond Meet). We’re so excited about where this team is headed going into the heart of our Short Course season (Club Tribe’s meet is March 23, Colonies Zones is April 5-7, and USMS Nationals is April 25-28). Brief meet recaps are below, with links to the results at the bottom of each recap.
ALEXANDRIA TROPICAL SPLASH (Jan. 27)
Seventeen Club Tribe swimmers competed at the Tropical Splash on Jan. 27, racking up 19 age group wins in individual events and shining in the relays. Shannon Greene and Doug Slater led the way with three individual age group wins each, followed by Bruce Fisher, Katie Grier, Carter Head, and Dan Earle with two wins apiece, and Megan Northshield, Marie Restrepo, Bill Harper, Christopher Massonneau and Vince Romano with one win each.
The Women’s 200 Free Relay of Shannon Greene, Krista Gass, Megan Northshield and Katie Grier swam a strong 1:45.33, finishing first among all Women’s and Mixed teams. We were thrilled to field a 45+ relay (hopefully a sign of things to come!), and the team of Vince Romano, Christopher Massonneau, Bill Harper and Bruce Fisher took home an age group win. The Men’s 200 Medley Relay of Dave Bell, Carter Head, Kraig Gass and Doug Slater won a thrilling race in 1:48.35, needing all four legs to win by a finger tip. We later learned that the relay was DQed, but it’s early in the season and the racing’s what matters! Rounding out the standard relays, Ellen Horne, Dan Earle, Kyle Ahlgren, and Michele Choe teamed up for a 35+ 200 Free Relay that finished 2nd.
The meet’s final event — the 3 x 50 Coconut Relay — came down to a thrilling finish and reinforced Club Tribe’s unparalleled record in exhibition, non-standard relays : ) All four Club Tribe Coconut Relays (Team Aruba, Team Jamaica, Team Bermuda, Team Bahama) had a blast, and Team Aruba (Dan Earle, Carter Head and Katie Grier) won the championship with a nail-biter of a come-from-behind finish against a number of good relays, including a particularly strong one from DCAC. This raises and important question: will the four-time Coconut Relay championship team of Rich Williams, Michael Lovett and Gabby Mizerak come back next year to try and unseat the reigning champs, or will they ride off into the tropical sunset undefeated in fruit-based relays?
Click here for complete results from Tropical Splash.
DAVID GREGG III MEET (RICHMOND, FEB. 2)
Nine Club Tribe swimmers competed in Richmond, garnering 15 age group wins in individual events and swimming some sharp relays. Hayley Wittsack led the way with four individual age group wins, followed by Katie Grier with three, Christoph Berger, Bryan Fratkin, and Chris Stevenson with two each, and Austin Glass and Kyle Ahlgren with one apiece. Notably, Chris Stevenson was within striking distance of two of his own VA LMSC records in the 50-54 age group, with a 56.54 in the 100 BK and 2:05.20 in the 200 BK.
The meet offered a Mixed 100 Free Relay for the first time, and the team of Alex Montes de Oca, Sidney Glass, Hayley Wittsack and Katie Grier won with a dominating 45.28. I’d love to see Club Tribe field multiple 4×25 relays at this meet next year. The 18+ Men’s 200 Medley Relay of Sidney Glass, Alex Montes do Oca, Austin Glass and Christoph Berger cruised to victory in 1:40.86, while the 25+ 200 Free Relay of Katie Grier, Bryan Fratkin, Hayley Wittsack and Chris Stevenson took home an age group win with an excellent 1:43.09.
Click here for complete results from the David Greg III Meet.
GREAT JOB TO ALL WHO COMPETED and gooooooo, Club Tribe!