2023 Tar Heel States – TAC Titans Site
- March 24-26, 2023
- Triangle Aquatic Center, Cary, NC
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results on MeetMobile: “2023 TAC TITANS Tarheel States Meet”
The TAC Titans hosted their section of the Tar Heel States meet last month in Cary, North Carolina. The meet featured just five club teams from North Carolina, but included some of the state’s top talent.
NC State commit Jerry Fox from the TAC Titans collected three victories of his own. He shaved a hundredth off his best time in the 100 freestyle (43.12), and tied his personal best in the 50 free to win in 19.75. Additionally, Fox dropped nearly two seconds apiece in the 100 backstroke (49.03) and 100 fly (50.74).
TAC’s Nicole Zettel went after a 1000 time in the 1650. The 16-year-old clocked a 9:48.24, qualifying her for the summer Nationals in June and moving her to 7th this season for 15-16 girls. She finished the 1650 in 17:34.75, well off her personal best time of 17:12.31.
Zettel also notched a personal best time in the 200 freestyle. She dropped just over a second for a 1:47.80, earning runner-up behind Keelan Cotter (1:47.70).
Cotter, an NC State recruit, won four other events in addition to her victory in the 200 freestyle. Highlighting her meet was the 100 fly, where she set a personal best time by over a second to record a 54.00. Rounding out her victories was the 500 free (4:49.99), 200 fly (1:59.93), and 100 free (50.79).
15-year-old Abhay Tharakan from the TAC Titans had a strong meet, setting four personal best times total. He took runner-up in the 100 backstroke with a personal best time of 49.20 in prelims, ranking him 9th this season for 15-year-old boys. He also notched best times in the 200 breast (2:06.43), 200 IM (1:52.12), and 400 IM (4:01.53). Additionally, Tharakan won the 200 backstroke in 1:48.47, putting him just half a second shy of his best time from early March.
14-year-old Shayna Elgart of New Wave Swim Team had a fantastic swim in her only entry of the meet, the 200 backstroke. Elgart dropped almost three seconds to post a best time of 1:59.38, moving her to 11th in the country this season for 13-14 girls.
Mason Hetzell of the Marlins of Raleigh collected two victories of his own. The UNCW recruit won the 100 breaststroke (54.63) and 100 fly (48.41), with the 100 fly marking a personal best by just over a tenth.
New Wave’s Sam Marsteiner put together a solid race in the 200 fly. The 15-year-old won the event in 1:47.14, putting him just 0.05 shy of his best time from a local club meet in January.
