Water Rats Wrap Long Course Season
The Westport Weston Family YMCA’s Water Rat Swim Team is wrapping up a highly successful 2017 Long Course season, with some fast swimming at elite meets at the state, regional, and national levels. The season began with Annam Olasewere breaking Molly Loftus’ thirteen year record in the 50M Fly in a time of 34.78 at the Greenwich Marlins YMCA Invitational.
Later in June, Sarah Grinalds travelled with Head Coach Ellen Johnston to Indianapolis, Indiana to swim at the 2017 Phillips 66 US National Championships/World Trials. Sarah had a great meet; in the 200M Free she is ranked 15th and in the 400M Free she is ranked 14th.
Bryce Keblish, Water Rat alum who swam at World Trials on behalf of the Water Rats and the University of Virginia Cavaliers, also had a great meet. He placed 13th in the 50M fly in a time of 24.26 and broke the 100M Fly Water Rat Senior Record in a time of 54.23.
At the recent CT Senior Long Course Championships at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, the Water Rat’s Women’s Team placed 4th overall and the Men’s team placed 5th, with several top three finishes in both individual and relay events. Sarah Grinalds was the Women’s 1st place individual high point scorer and distance high point scorer. Jack Gray placed 2nd in the 200M Free. Other notable performances in individual events at Senior’s included Dashiell Hunter’s team record-breaking swim in the 100M Breast in a time of 1:06.75.
This past weekend at the Connecticut Age Group Long Course Championships at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, the Water Rats had 21 age group swimmers compete and several swimmers posted top 3 finishes in a number of individual events.
Caroline Begg kicked off the meet with a blazing swim in the 400M Free in a time of 4:50.26, breaking Karen Chu’s 11-year team record for 11/12 Girls with that time.
The Girls 10/under relay teams had outstanding swims as well. The team of Ella Gussen, Tatum Murray, Annam Olasewere, and Ayaan Olasewere came in 1st in the 200 Meter Free Relay and 3rd in the 200 Meter Medley Relay.
Matthew Torres attended the U.S Paralympic World Championship Trials at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. The meet ran from July 21-23. Matthew swam seven events and had some great swims. Of note, Matthew came in 1st in his classification in the 100M Backstroke, swimming a best time of 1:15.83. Shawn Chang, a new member of our team this summer, came in 1st in the 9/10 Boys 100M Breast in a time of 1:29.53, breaking Tommy Gannon’s 10 year record in the event. 
Twenty-three Water Rat Senior Swimmers have qualified for the 2017 Eastern Zones Long Course Senior Championships, which runs from August 3-6, 2017 at Erie Community College in Buffalo, NY. They include Scott Adler, Katherine Begg, Mia Fraas, Jack Gray, Mackenzie Healy, Marissa Healy, Dashiell Hunter, Alec Keblish, Michelle Kennedy, Monica Koubeck, John McNab, Richard Nolan, Jake Ritz, Caroline Sargent, Sean Paul Stolarski, Josiah Tarrant, Katie Thornton, Austin Twiss, Simona Visinski, Delaney Walsh, Jacob West, Willow Woods, and Stanislav Yarmoussik.
And on August 8, Nicolas Ortega and Sarah Grinalds will be heading to the Nassau Aquatic Center in East Meadow, NY to swim at the 2017 Speedo Junior National Championships. Junior Nationals runs from August 8 through August 12.
Congratulations to all the Water Rat swimmers for a great 2017 Long Course season!
Tryouts for the 2017-2018 Swim Year will take place Wednesday, August 23 for swimmers 8 & under and Thursday, August 24 for 9-10 and 11-12 year olds. Swimmers age 13/over should contact Head Coach Ellen Johnston.
The fee to register is $25 if registration is completed by August 22nd. The registration fee after August 22rd is $40. Pre-registration is encouraged.
Water Rat tryouts take place at the Westport Weston Family YMCA Bedford Family Center at 14 Allen Raymond Lane in Westport.
The Family YMCA’s Water Rat Swim Team is a year–round, nationally recognized competitive swim program. The Water Rats compete in both YMCA and USA Swimming competitions that are held locally, regionally, and nationally. Additionally Water Rats have excelled and had champions at the Zone meets, Sectional Championships, YMCA Nationals, USA Swimming Junior Nationals, USA Swimming Nationals, and US Open and USA Olympic Trial Qualifiers.
