2026 Beaman Toyota Firecracker Invite
- June 4-8, 2026
- Brentwood, TN
- LCM (50 meters)
- “2026 Beaman Toyota Firecracker Invite” on Meet Mobile
Several strong age-group talents gathered in Brentwood, Tennessee, for the 2026 Firecracker Invite. Among those in attendance was 14-year-old Frederic Burks, who climbed the National Age Group ranks in a pair of breaststroke events.
Burks, who represents Excel Aquatics, could not be stopped, swimming to six new career best times at the meet. Among his most impressive were the breaststroke events.
His 200 breast was possibly the highlight of the meet, as he unleashed a 2:21.02, launching him way up inside of the top 20 all-time within the age group rankings at 18th. Just a month earlier, Burks swam his former career best at the Officially Summer Invitational in 2:23.24, marking a more than two-second improvement on his former best time.
In the 100 breast, Burks clocked 1:06.64; that time now moves him up to 86th all-time in the 13-14 age group, just ahead of current Texas Longhorn Will Scholtz at 1:06.67.
In total, Burks came away from the meet with additional bests in the 50 breast (31.38), 200 free (2:04.14), 100 fly (1:03.82), and 200 IM (2:18.38).
13-year-old Brooklyn Lewis, a teammate of Burks’ at Excel Aquatics, was nearly perfect, swimming seven best times and leaving the meet with six event wins. Highlighting her swims was her 100 backstroke, charging to the win in 1:06.66. She also picked up best times in both other backstroke events, swimming 31.13 in the 50 back and 2:23.86 in the 200 back.
Lewis also was stellar in the freestyle races, clocking a best time in the 50 free (28.49), 200 free (2:10.47), 400 free (4:32.97), and 1500 free (18:29.25).
Among the best individual races of the meet was the men’s 50 butterfly, in which each of the top four swimmers clocked sub-26-second times. Leading the way were four Excel swimmers: Mason Schaefer (25.19), Gavin Fu (25.38), Zaki Ibrahim (25.72), and Matthew Montenegro-Strunk (25.77).
No dog in the fight, but feels telling that an article about Excel has comments saying why they are better than NAC rather than pointing out a 600 person club only has single digit athletes worth reporting about.
Feels like either the parents or coaches are focused on the wrong things.
Ai coaching would probably land you the same results for far less of a price.
No one is going to buy that you have “no dog in the fight” if you come out hurling insults at Excel. Someone must have hit a nerve.
I have no affiliation with NAC. Just noticing the first two comments under and article celebrating Excel are commenting on a team not even mentioned in the article
It used to be NAC was the ones getting articles like this and were one of the best clubs in the US, dominating national meets. Today NAC avoids its own LSC championship meets because it is trying to hide the fact that it is, at best, the fifth best club (even at the senior level) in its own LSC behind Baylor, TNAQ, Excel, and Huntsville.
Update: NAC got an article
Congrats on getting an article featuring the Rottink sisters who don’t currently and never have trained with NAC (but wear the NAC cap this summer before heading off to college). They still live in Memphis.
I literally have no affiliation with NAC. So I do not care
We can see how much you “do not care” by how you keep posting.
You very clearly have a little brother complex. Hopefully you and your staff get that sorted out instead of arguing with someone, who again, has nothing to do with the team you so clearly despise.
And you keep on not caring. I am not a coach but you clearly have some sort of weird issue with some comments some randos made about a team you care nothing about. Hopefully you get that sorted out.
I hope Excel cans you. Because wow are you not bright little dog!
Is your only come back “you care more?”
I don’t work for NAC, never swam for NAC, never had a kid swim for NAC, never even lived in the south eastern LSC.
I just read an article where a team very clearly wrote it up and sent it in to swim swam to post, and then the first two comments were “wow look how we are better than this team who wasn’t even mentioned!” So I commented and then it seems the Excel staff caught wind and started responding.
If you care this much about NAC you could always just ask them for a job.
I see at least two weird and a bit nasty comments by you directed at Excel all because some random anon decided to troll NAC. For all I know, Excel and NAC are good friends. You seem to know otherwise which makes me think you have some sort of skin in the game. I don’t need a snappy comeback bc you are doing all the work for me. The OP really hurt your feelings.
The original comment is taking a shot at NAC while claiming excel is great.
If you’re actually great, you don’t have to tell everyone how great you are.
I hope these comments come up in the next Excel staff meeting
Maybe reread the original comment? I don’t see the OP claiming Excel is great. They actually mentioned three other clubs in the same context. You are blinded by some sort of bias and anger (but again, I acknowledge that you do not care).
Wow, just wow. Excel really is starting to make a name for themselves over NAC… It seems they really know how to develop AG swimmers into elite athletes! This is exciting for middle TN.