Juneau’s Glacier Swim Club participated in the November Rain Invitational swim meet last weekend at Petersburg’s Aquatic Center.
Eight swimmers lowered at least one of their baseline times through a variety of events.
“The meet was a good in-season opportunity to gauge where kids are,” GSC coach Scott Griffith said. “All showed improvement while swimming many races over 48 hours. Some swam 14 races including relays.”
Natalie MacKinnon, age 13, swam all best times.
MacKinnon placed third in the Open 200 Back in a time of two minutes 53.93 seconds, a 9.83-second improvement for a new baseline. She placed fifth in the 11 & Over 500 Free in 6:46.05 (a -29.56 second improvement); sixth in the Open 200 Free in 2:33.24 (-18.94); seventh in the Open 100 Back in 1:21.34 (-1.86); eighth in the Open 100 Free in 1:09.18 (-3.22) and 11th in the Open 50 Free in 31.92 (-1.87).
“Lots of new age group champs qualifying times,” Griffith said. “Natalie MacKinnon was the best overall performer for GSC, all best times and some by large margin.”
Cora Soboleff, 13, placed first in the Open 200 Free in 2:13.55; and had second-place finishes in the 11 & Over 200 IM with 2:29.87, Open 100 Back in 1:11.73, Open 100 Breast in 1:17.68 (-0.83), Open 100 Free in 1:02.11, Open 200 Breast in 2:44.92 (-1.79) and the Open 50 Free in 28.82.
Clara Van Kirk, 13, bested all her baselines, placing fourth in the Open 100 Fly in 1:32.53 (-12.36); sixth place in the Open 100 Breast in 1:28.60 (-12.11); seventh in the Open 200 Back in 3:12.99 (-0.75); eighth in the 11 & Over 200 IM in 3:03.44 (-22.15) and the Open 200 Free in 2:44.43 (-10.28); ninth in the Open 50 Free with 30.92 (-2.14); 11th in the Open 100 Free with 1:13.95 (-1.49) and 13th in the Open 100 Back in 1:27.43 (-2.11).
Henry Thatcher placed second in the Open 200 Fly in 3:21.64; had third-place finishes in the Open 200 Back with 3:07.70 and Open 400 IM in 6:01.33 (-28.47); fourth place in the Open 200 Free in 2:27.03 (-0.65); fifth place finishes in the 11 & Over 500 Free with 6:32.62 (-1.91), Open 100 Back in 1:25.97 (-20.05), Open 100 Breast in 1:21.81 ((-0.84), and Open 100 Fly in 1:22.88 (-47.11); and seventh in the 11 & over 200 IM in 2:46.93 and the Open 50 Free in 29.39.
Joshua Ely, 12, had second place finishes in the 11 & Over 1650 Free in 24:5.23 (-3:34), the 11-12 100 Back in 1:25.94, the 11-12 Breast in 1:35.76 (-18.35) and the 11-12 100 Fly in 1:35.36 (-15.35); third places finishes in the 11-12 100 Free in 1:08.13 (-4.76), 11-12 IM in 1:22.80 (-0.03), 11-12 50 Fly in 37.99 (-2.08), 11-12 Free in 31.29; and ninth in the 11 & Over 200 IM 3:01.66 (-3.03).
Ellinore Higgins, 13, placed sixth in the Open 200 Back in 3:01.30 (-3.59); seventh in the 11 & Over 200 IM with 2:59.09 (-19.07) and the Open 100 Breast with 1:30.66 (-10.12); and 10th in the Open 100 Back with 1:23.37 and Open 50 Free with 31.37 (-2.16).
Zachary Holden, 13, placed first in the Open 200 Fly with 3:00.17 and Open 200 Free with 2:09.14 (-5.59); placed second in the Open 100 Fly with 1:06.79 (-1.85), the Open 100 Free with 57.25 (-1.37) and the Open 400 IM with 5:38.73; and third place finishes in the 11 & Over 200 IM with 2:28.53, 11 & Over 500 Free with 6:06.70 (-4.34) and the Open 50 Free with 26.74; and sixth place in the Open 100 Breast with 1:22.87 (-0.77).
Leon Ward, 12, placed first in the 11-12 200 Free in 2:47.62; third place in the 11-12 100 Back with 1:27.89 (-8.33) and 11-12 100 Fly in 1:44.46; fourth in the 11-12 50 Free with 33.81 (-1.63) and seventh in the 11 & Over 500 Free with 7:28.92 (-15.36).
“It is great to reinforce what coaches are working on daily with results at a meet,” Griffith added.
Soboleff (32.64), Van Kirk (38.73), MacKinnon (35.75) and Higgins (32.03) placed second in the Girls 200 Yard Medley Relay with 2:19.15
Ward (40.29), Thatcher (36.52), Ely (39.32) and Holden (25.99) placed second in the Boys 200 Yard Medley Relay with 2:22.12.
Next up for GSC is the Dec. 7 home Time Trial and the Dec. 13 First City Invitational in Ketchikan.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.
