Liberty YMCA swimmers Sandra Scott and McKaylin Darsey have qualified for the 14 and under state championships in July at Georgia Tech after placing well at a recent meet in Brunswick.
According to coach Donna Hooe, swimming in a long-course pool was new to most of the swimmers but they adjusted well to the Olympic distances.
In Friday’s heat, Scott placed well in the girls 400-meter freestyle. The 10-year old swimmer finished in 6:03.89 placing 12th and making the state cut off time. For the boys, Robert Hooe, 11, swam the 400 free coming in ninth place with a time of 8:49.65.
In the 800 meter free style Jennifer Gaughran, 15 and McKaylin Darsey, 11, got an opportunity to pit their swimming skills against coach Hooe. McKaylin and coach Hooe were stroke for stroke right next to each other. Coach Hooe demonstrated that age can still temporarily win over the youth with a time of 11:57.86, earning 13th place overall. Darsey came in with a time of in a 12:27.27 giving her a ninth place finish in the 13-14 age group. Gaughran placed 14th with a time of 12:46.77 (14th).
Darsey missed her state cut by 12 seconds and plans to try again when she competes in her next meet in two weeks.
Coach Hooe said she was going to pace Darsey to help her make the cut off time.
In Saturday heat Scott made the state cut off times in the 100- meter freestyle coming in at 1:19.85 second place, first place in the 50-meter fly timing in at 38.94 and in the 200 she posted a time of 3:10.44 placing second.
Darsey made her first state cut off time in the 200 backstroke finishing in 3:08.65 for a 15th place finish in her age group. She finished the 400-meter freestyle in 12th coming in at 6:03.88.
For the boys swimmer Patrick Baker, 10, swam the 100 meter freestyle coming in at 19th with a time of 2:03.30. He posted a time of 1:04.56 in the 50-meter backstroke earning 17th place overall.
Samuel Baker, 9, came in 11th place in the 100-meter freestyle finishing in 1:33.61. He completed the 50-meter backstroke in 59.97 getting 13th place and the 50-meter fly in 1:02.25 earning 10th place.
David Molnar, 10, swam the 100-meter freestyle in 1:42.07 placing 14th. He also took 14th in the 100-meter breaststroke.
with a time of 2:43.82.
On Sunday Scott once again made the state cut off times in the 110-meter fly finishing second in 1:31.79, the 100-meter backstroke in 1:31.88 earning first place and the 50-meter freestyle in 35.21 getting another first place finish.
Darsey placed 16th in the 200-meter freestyle timing in at 2:53.54 and 11th in the 100-meter backstroke clocking in at 1:31.87. Darsey took 16th place in the 50-meter freestyle finishing in 36.61 seconds.
Coach Hooe swam the 200-meter freestyle in 2:46.19 placing 19th and 18th in the 50-meter freestyle timing in at 33.56.
For the boys Patrick Baker placed 12th in the 100-meter backstroke clocking in at 2:20.12. He posted a time of 49.88 earning 17th place.
Samuel Baker finished in 11th place in the 50-meter freestyle coming in at 44.00. Molnar swam the 50-meter breaststroke in 1:40.02 getting 14th place. He posted a time of 46.16 in the 50-meter freestyle to finish 15th. Robert Hooe swam the 200-meter freestyle in 4:11.68 earning 11th place. He finished the 100-meter backstroke in 2:26.37 for ninth place and the 50-meter freestyle in 48.48 for tenth.