PRYMCA Waves compete at Y state championship
ORONO — The Piscataquis Regional YMCA Waves visited the Wallace Pool at the University of Maine on March 4-6 to compete against Y teams from across Maine. The state meet is set up with seven different gender and age group sessions running at different times throughout the weekend.
Photo courtesy of Further North Photography (Angela Arno)
Y STATE SWIM MEET — Among the members of the PRYMCA Waves swim team taking part in the Y state championship at the University of Maine were front, from left, Abby Henderson and Jenna Clukey and back, Avery Carroll, Chloe Waugh and Gabie Johnson.
The top eight swimmers in each event receive trophies for their efforts. These finishers included Jenna Clukey in fourth place in the 50 and 100 freestyles with personal records in both events. Gabie Johnson came in fourth in the 100 breaststroke. Avery Carroll placed seventh in the 200 IM.
Swimmers in the top 16 get points for their respective teams. Others getting points for the Waves included Gabie Johnson, ninth in the 200 IM; Carroll, ninth in the 100 back; Triston Green, 12th in the 50 free; Payton Barbro, 14th in the 50 back; and Preston Barbro, 16th in the 25 free.
Waves team members with personal best times at the meet were Chloe Waugh, Johnson, Clukey, Hal Porter, Green, Hunter Kemp, Sam Gidman, Riley Inch, Payton Barbro, Hannah Vail, Alice Myers, Dylan Coy, Abby Kemp, Elise Inch, Preston Barbro, Jaxson Zimmerman, Alicia London, Lilley Povak and Olivia McCorrison.
During the championship meet, Carroll received the YMCA Citizen Award. The honor is presented annually to one male and one female swimmer who demonstrate the highest degree of “attitude, team spirit, and dedication to their team, community, and YMCA.” Carroll was chosen from all girl swimmers in Maine.
The swimmer taking off the most time from their previous best time gets recognized as the “Biggest Loser”. The swimmer taking the most time off a previous best time during the state meet was Myers. Myers was on fire taking the most time off a single event by reducing her mark in the 50 free by an amazing 16.78 seconds.
Honorable mention for “Biggest Loser” was Gidman for taking 4.96 seconds off his 100 free time.
Myers and Vail were the “Biggest Losers” for the whole meet with Myers taking a total of 19.42 seconds off her three event times, while Vail took 8.44 seconds off in her three events. Gidman was also recognized for taking 6.54 seconds off the two events he swam.
Finishing up the season, Clukey, Johnson and Carroll attended “Winter Champs”, a four-day meet at Bowdoin College March 17-20 where they competed successfully with many best times in their swim events.