CAMBRIDGE, Mass — With impressive swims at the state and national level, Mount Desert Island YMCA Sharks swim team members rocked the New England Y Championship Swim meets at Harvard University and the Eastern Zone All-Star Meet in Webster, N.Y. last week.
“This is the fastest meet in the world for 12-and-under swimmers,” said Jim Willis, Sharks head coach. He was speaking of the Zone All-Star meet. “And a very high quality meet for 13-and-overs. The Sharks swimmers had a great time at the event. It was the first time since 1990 that the Sharks had two swimmers who made it back to finals (Madison Luck and Avalon Kerley.) They all swam fast times and showed that they are up to competing against some of the best swimmers in the country.”
As for the New England Y Championship meet, Willis said he is proud that four swimmers placed in the top eight: Sam Mitchell, Lydia DaCorte, Avalon Kerley, and Tom Gallup.
“It was great experience for the kids to travel to Harvard University for the championships,” he said. “Having four different swimmers in the top eight is the most we have had place that high in the past five years.”
Also for the Sharks, swimmers Leila and Ross Johnston compete at the YMCA Nationals in Greensboro, N.C. this week.
Already in the preliminaries, Leila swam the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 57.59 in fifth place of the 11th heat and 50th place in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.36.