RAC Swimmers Impressive at MIT Holiday Meet
The Ridgefield Aquatic Club sent 21 swimmers to North Shore
Swim Club’s Invitational Swim Meet held
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the weekend of Dec.
13-16. Nearly 800 of the best USA Swimming
and YMCA swimming teams in New York, Connecticut,
New Jersey, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island and Florida
attended. The MIT meet is widely
considered one of the top meets on the east coast.
Over the course of the weekend, 3 team records fell and 4 new
sectional qualifying times were achieved.
RAC was lead by 14 year old Andrew
Klutey from Ridgefield who won
four events in the 13-14 age bracket:
200 free (1:48.70-new team record), 500 free (4:52.14-new team record),
400 IM (4:21.32) and 1000 free (10:07.93-new team record). Andrew also placed 2nd in the 200
back (2:03.49) and 200 IM (2:04.84).
Also scoring in this age category were Kerri Knippenberg (Holmes, New York) who placed 10th in
the 1000 free (11:30.13), 19th in the 200 back (2:27.95); 21st
in the 500 free (5:34.78); 30th in the 400 IM (5:12.80) and 30th
in the 100 back (1:09.46); Grayson Smith
(Ridgefield) who placed 4th in the 1000 free (10:27.82); 6th
in the 200 fly (2:15.04); 8th in the 500 free (5:06.98); 10th
in the 400 IM (4:43.09), 14th in the 200 free (1:56.14), 24th
in the 200 IM (2:19.55); Niki Tchobanova
(Brewster) who placed 8th in the 200 fly (2:34.95), 11th
in the 200 breast (2:42.52), 16th in the 100 breast (1:14.07), 24th
in the 500 free (5:34.55), 26th in the 200 IM (2:22.79) and Alexis Valedon (Brewster) who placed 7th in the 200 breast
(2:40.02),12th in the 100 breast (1:13.29), 13th in the
400 IM (4:59.76), 16th in the 100 back (1:05.78) and 25th
in the 500 free (5:37.97).
Scoring in the meet for the senior group were Brian Bollerman (Ridgefield) who placed
10th in the 1000 free (10:19.65), 25th in the 200 IM
(2:05.81) and 26th in the 100 free (51.54); Jack Driessen (Ridgefield) who placed 5th in the 200
breast (2:18.96), 16th in the 100 breast (1:03.22), 25th
in the 400 IM (4:35.42) and 26th in the 200 IM (2:05.92); Kristi Edleson (Brewster) who placed 5th
in the 1000 free (10:54.65), 8th in the 500 Free (5:15.40), 12th
in the 200 free (1:57.74), 13th in the 100 free (55.62) and 26th
in the 400 IM (4:54.48); Ben Feeser
(Ridgefield) who placed 12th in the 1000 free (10:34.85), 19th
in the 200 back (2:10.33), 28th in the 500 free (5:04.49) and 28th
in the 400 IM (4:38.93) and Marc Fink
(Brookfield) who placed 6th in the 200 breast (2:15.37), 10th
in the 200 fly (2:02.43), 14th in the 100 breast (1:02.93), 18th
in the 200 IM (2:03.11), 19th in the 500 free (4:59.07) and 25th
in the 100 fly (55.91).
Placing 13th in the 1000 free (10:39.94) was John Kenyon (Ridgefield)
while his brother, Justin, placed 20th
with a time of 11:29.10. Tom Lombardo (Ridgefield) placed 5th
in the 200 fly (2:05.70; 15th in the 400 IM (4:26.23); 18th
in the 200 back (2:07.76) 23rd in the 500 free (5:01.92) and 25th
in the 200 free (1:49.75); Nick Lusardi
(Ridgefield) placed 10th in the 200 breast (2:21.13), 19th
in the 200 fly (2:10.02); 22nd in the 400 IM (4:29.56) and 27th
in the 100 breast (1:06.75); Courtney
Monsees (Brewster) placed 25th in the 50 free (26.13) and 26th
in the 100 fly (1:02.95); Danny Palmiotto
(Brookfield) placed 4th in the 200 back (1:57.69), 5th in
the 100 back (55.11), 8th in the 200 IM (1:59.36), 13th
in the 100 free (49.47), 13th in the 100 fly (54.34), 14th
in the 500 free (4:55.94), 15th in the 200 free (1:46.34); Matt Reiff (Brookfield) placed 16th
in the 1000 free (10:49.78) and 29th in the 100 free (52.18); Joanna
Tchobanova (Brewster) placed 23rd in the 200 breast (2:49.99); and
Kristen Traynor (New Fairfield)
placed 15th in the 200 Fly (2:42.88) and 24th in the 200
breast (2:50.94).
RAC has now qualified 7 swimmers for the US Sectional Meet
to be held in March at the University
of Maryland. If you are interested in becoming a member of
RAC, please call Head Coach Bob Shearer at 203-438-3951 or email racswimming256@aol.com.