SwimMAC Carolina, Mason Manta Rays Come Away With Juniors-East Titles

2017 SPEEDO WINTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – EAST

The SwimMAC Carolina girls’ team and the Mason Manta Rays boys’ team won their respective titles this weekend at the 2017 Speedo Winter Junior Championships – East meet. SwimMAC took the combined title, with the Carmel Swim Club placing 2nd and Mason 3rd.

The spectacular thing about SwimMAC’s combined team title, and women’s title, is that they did it without winning a single event. They were able to rack up points with a pile of 2nd-place finishes, and with a ton of relay depth: the girls earned both 2nd and 3rd place points in two relays (800 free, 400 free) in this meet, which is good for 66 points.

The girls’ runners-up from the Nashville Aquatic Club won a ton of events and broke a lot of records at the hands of sisters Alex and Gretch Walsh, and their very-capable teammates, but with only ‘A’ relays to show, they didn’t have the depth to compete with SwimMAC in the team scoring battle. B relays alone scored SwimMAC 126 points at the meet. If the team were only made up of the 5 swims from B relays, that’s enough points to have been 9th alone at the meet.

The Mason boys, on the other hand, won their side by way of a significant number of victories:

  • 200 medley (Carson Foster, Jake Foster, Jacob McDonald, Adam Chaney – 1:27.58)
  • 200 IM (Carson Foster – 1:43.79)
  • 400 medley (Carson Foster, Jake Foster, McDonald, Chaney – 3:13.68)
  • 200 back (Carson Foster – 1:41.66)
  • 200 breast (Jake Foster – 1:55.54)

Their 5 event wins was the most of any team at the meet (with Drew Kibler and the Carmel Swim Club boys earning 4).

SwimMAC depth again kept things close, especially after their ‘A’ relay in the opening 200 medley relay hurt them early. Without that disqualification, they would’ve taken all 3 titles at the meet.

The final scoring order of the combined teams is similar to last year’s, with the top two (SwimMAC Carolina and Carmel) being the same as they were last year. The big movers-up-the-ladder were the Mason Manta Rays, who were just 9th overall last year and jumped all the way to 3rd this season. While the boys’ team won a lot of headlines, the girls’ team had their best-ever finish of 7th.

The Bolles School, meanwhile, who were in that 3rd position last season, slipped all the way to 12th.

Final Team Scoring – Top 5

Combined:

  1. SwimMAC Carolina – 841.5
  2. Carmel Swim Club – 549
  3. Mason Manta Rays – 512
  4. Marlins of Raleigh – 345
  5. SwimAtlanta – 273

Boys’:

  1. Mason Manta Rays – 346
  2. SwimMAC Carolina – 327.5
  3. Carmel Swim Club – 311
  4. Dayton Raiders – 245
  5. SwimAtlanta – 235

Girls’:

  1. SwimMAC Carolina – 514
  2. Nashville Aquatic Club – 440
  3. Marlins of Raleigh – 257
  4. Carmel Swim Club – 238
  5. Gator Swim Club – 197

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Bob
6 years ago

Great air quality

Wahoowah
6 years ago

Combined shouldn’t Nashville be in there? Their girls alone is 4th on this list.

Wokethebeast
6 years ago

Swimmac is such an underrated team. There is so much focus on teams that have 1-2 extremely talented kids, but so little on a team that has built up so many great swimmers, and took over 50 athletes to juniors this past weekend. That is remarkable. The depth of talent on swimmac is often overlooked, but many Swimmac swimmers go on to do outstanding things in the college and international level.

disappointed. not surprised
6 years ago

“They will hate you if you are beautiful. They will hate you if you are successful. They will hate you if you are right. They will hate you if you are popular. They will hate you when you get attention. They will hate you when people in their life like you. They will hate you if you worship a different version of their God. They will hate you if you are spiritual. They will hate you if you have courage. They will hate you if you have an opinion. They will hate you when people support you. They will hate you when they see you happy. Heck, they will hate you while they post prayers and religious quotes on Pinterest… Read more »

Gordon Wheeler Superfan
6 years ago

I guess they didn’t need the great Gordo to catch the dub. Congrats Mason, never let the legend of Gordon Wheeler die.

ardy43
6 years ago

The Foster kids are phenomenal. As a former Ohio swimmer in the 80s, I follow our state and all the talent that comes from our Buckeye nation. With the dominance of St. X for so many years, I am curious as to why the Foster brothers aren’t swimming for X?

informed
Reply to  ardy43
6 years ago

because St. X coaches require their swimmers to train with the high school team during the high school season and the Fosters want to train with Ken Heis (manta rays head coach) rather than limit themselves to the high school event lineup

ardy43
Reply to  informed
6 years ago

Seemed to work for Grant House, Luke Sobolewski and now Justin Grender. Can’t you do both? Does Drew Kibler, Reece Whitley swim high school?

informed
Reply to  ardy43
6 years ago

Also seems like there might be a reason Grant, Luke, and Justin aren’t nearly as versatile and fast as the fosters.

ardy43
Reply to  informed
6 years ago

I respect the decision the Fosters have made to enable their children to be the best they can be. Another example I would like to share, back in 1982. I was priviliged to sit with Dr. And Mrs Rhodenbaugh at the Ohio State Meet when both Mook and Kim broke their respective national high school records in the 100 Back and 100 breast. Mook was the first high school swimmer to break :50 in the 100yd Back. Mook was a senior and Kim was a sophomore at Cincinnati Oak Hills. The point is, outside of high school, they trained at Pepsi Marlins. There has never been, in my estimation, a family from Ohio with the talent that the Fosters have.… Read more »

ardy43
Reply to  informed
6 years ago

I believe Grant House won both his events at States individually all four years, which may have not ever been accomplished by other swimmers in Ohio. Carson is overall faster than Grant was now as a sophomore but nonetheless, it would be great to see their names in the high school record books.

ONEHANDTOUCH
Reply to  ardy43
6 years ago

They do, not sure about Whitley but Kibler swims and trains with Chris Plumb year round. Head coach of the club team and head boys and girls HS coach.

IN Swim Dad
Reply to  ONEHANDTOUCH
6 years ago

That being the importance difference – Chris trains BOTH Club and HS.

MYSTERY
Reply to  ONEHANDTOUCH
6 years ago

Reece swims with his high school team in-season and trains with is club for the rest of the season. The club is partially attached to his club though (same coaches for both).

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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