2019 Atlanta Swimming Association Summer League Championships
- June 26th-June 29th, 2019
- SCY (25y) pool
- Results
Summer league swimming is my favorite part of swimming. It’s pure, it’s multi-generational, it’s race-focused. That’s why I love it when big name swimmers show up and race at summer league meets. It’s like when NBA players show up at Rucker Park in New York City, or when Benny the Jet still played his ball with the sandlot crew when he easily could’ve been on a travel team.
This is the backdrop for last week’s Atlanta Swimming Association summer league championships, where teams from across the city came together in a massive, two-tiered championship tournament.
Out of 110 teams participating, it was the Chastain Park Tidal Waves who came away with the overall title, dominating the meet with 1,466.5 points. The runners-up where the Glen Abbey Gators, and Grand Cascades finished 3rd with 906 points.
Showing the nature of summer league swimming, while there were a number of recognizable names in the ranks of the 15-18 races, CPAC was actually did not sport the biggest nmes among the oldest swimmers. They got 24 big points via a win from Gigi Johnson in the 15-18 girls’ 100 IM (58.43), but by-and-large their title was driven by consistent results throughout the age groups, including a stacked 6 & under lineup.
In the 15-18 age group, which is the one that will have the most national name recognition, there were quite a few top-caliber collegiate recruits racing. That includes Liam Bell, an Alabama commit and the #13 recruit in the high school class of 2019, swimming for the Avondale Tidal Waves. His team finished 32nd overall at the meet, but individually he was a star of the meet, winning the 50 breaststroke in 24.97. That thumped his own Meet Record of 25.52 that was set last season.
He also finished in a tie for 2nd in the 100 free in 44.65 as part of a stacked field. Georgia commit Ian Grum won in 44.55, followed by a tie between Bell and Atlanta Athletic Club’s Brooks Curry in 44.65. Another Alabama commit, Cam Auerbach, was 4th in 44.86. And if you don’t think that summer league means anything, consider this: Grum’s swim was a lifetime best (previous best: 46.84), as was Auerbach’s (previous best 44.97). Curry was a tenth away from his lifetime best as well.
Curry, an LSU commit, came away with the event title in a loaded 50 free field, winning in 20.71. He beat out Jack Aikins (20.73) and Grant Allison (20.78) for that win.
He was half of a Curry-family sweep in the 15-18 50 frees: his 16-year old little sister Peyton Curry won the girls’ race in 24.08. That just-missed Tatum Smith’s Meet Record of 23.96.
Auerbach picked up a win as well from that 100 free group, topping the 50 fly in a new Meet Record of 22.06. That broke the old mark set by Raunak Khosla last year. Khosla is now swimming at Princeton.
But Grum was the big winner out of the group, adding a later win in the 50 backstroke as well, and knocking .83 seconds off the old Meet Record in 22.33. That old record was set in 2015 by Patrick Cusick.
One more highlight of the meet: Kamal Muhammad, a 16-year old who swims for the Echo Ridge Ragin’ Rays, won the 100 IM in 50.01. That took half-a-second off his Meet Record that was set last year when he was 15.
Thanks for the coverage of our summer league championships. We are fortunate to have so many of our kids continue to swim in our meet each year and lucky to have such a great pool at Georgia Tech to host them.
I wonder how many Of these summer league swimmers go on to swim year round or even go on to the Olympics? If you’re an Olympian that started out in summer league please post.
Uhhh I would guess that most Olympians start in summer league. Maybe I’ve been spoiled to have grown up in places with highly-developed summer leagues, but I don’t know many people who jumped straight into USA Swimming clubs.
Love summer league swimming! Sounds like a big meet. I wonder how many children entered the meet?
6000!!!
Jesus Christ almighty, kids straight up shave and tapering for a backyard brawl. Welcome to 2019
I was at the meet and know those 15-18 guys. None of them were shaved, and they had doubles the day before. None rested for the meet, although they did suit up. This meet is known to have a fun/no pressure vibe where a lot of people get close to a PB or in some cases actually hit one.
Not shaved or tapered, just swimming fast against club teammates for a fun afternoon of friendly competition.
Ain’t nothing wrong with a lil’ bit of clout and some street cred 😎😉
You should check out some of the Northern Virginia Swim League (NVSL) records. Shaving and tapering has become the norm, and the records show.
We always rested for summer league and shaved when I was 15+
MCSL ftw in the DC area.
Even though she’s a distance swimmer, I’m still amazed that Ledecky no longer has any sc records in the MCSL. Let’s hope the young talent like Bacon, Fitch, Feyerick, and Sebring get some new records in the books
Countless swimmers of all proficiencies fall in love with the sport in summer league. The county/league summer meets are huge where I’m from, and unless you’re a national team level swimmer it can be fun to rest a little for these meets and go fast.
And its not like people are actually shaving or tapering. You just throw down at fun meets like this.
Not shaved or tapered unless you count only swimming 1 practice on the day of the meet (completing in the afternoon in lieu of a 2nd practice) as a taper!
Summer league is where those guys started. It’s so awesome that they have continued to participate and compete with their summer league teams. There are many younger kids who have started swimming year round after seeing those boys swim. Additionally, most all of them work with the younger kids on their teams coaching and teaching. Great role models!!!
Wow. Those are some fast times for summer league. 4+ 44s in a 100 free is rarely seen at club meets outside of Junior National level competitions.