Carmel Breaks National Age Group Record in 15-18 Girls’ 200 Medley Relay at Junior Nationals East
As the eastern version of U.S. Junior Nationals got underway in Greensboro, N.C., the Carmel Swim Club took down a pair of records in the 200 medley relay. The team of Berit Berglund, Molly Sweeney, Alex Shackell and Meghan Christman put up a time of 1:36.48 to beat the previous 15-18 National Age Group record of 1:36.77 set by Elmbrook Swim Club (Maggie Wanezek, Lucy Thomas, Campbell Stoll and Abby Wanezek) earlier this year.
The Carmel swimmers also knocked off the meet record of 1:37.60 set by Berglund, Devon Kitchel, Shackell and Christman last year. Shackell’s split of 22.83 was quicker than all but five swimmers in the final of the 200 medley relay at last year’s NCAA Championships as she continues to emerge as one of the most talented young butterfly swimmers in the country.
The TAC Titans took second in 1:39.58 with Taylor Morris, Samantha Armand, Keelan Cotter and Jillian Crooks finished second in 1:39.58, and the Sarasota Sharks team of Addison Sauickie, Gracie Weyant, Summer McIntosh and Maeve Eckerman placed third in 1:39.71. Later in the night, McIntosh split 1:40.19 anchoring Sarasota’s 800 free relay to overtake Carmel and set a new meet record.
The boys’ edition of the 200 medley relay saw New Albany hold off the Lakeside Swim Team to earn a win by seven hundredths. The team of Hudson Williams, Chase Swearingen, Josh Smith and Tuckor Lambert finished in 1:27.53 while Lakeside’s Johnny Crush, Will Scholtz, Thomas Mercer and Alex Thiesing settled for second in 1:27.60. Bolles’ team of Carter Lancaster, Will Heck, Aidan Paro and Seth Tolentino took third in 1:28.68.
Carmel got another relay win in the final event of the evening, the boys’ 800 freestyle relay.. Aaron Shackell, older brother of Alex and a future Cal Golden Bear, led off in 1:35.02, and he was followed by Gregg Enoch, Lewis Zhang and Sean Sullivan on the way to a final time of 6:27.38. SwimMAC Carolina’s Caleb Maldari, Norvin Clontz, Jack Haywood and Alex Ayers finished second in 6:29.63, and third went to Swim Atlanta’s Ben Irwin, Tristan DenBrock, Blake Burnley and Kyler Heffner in 6:31.25.