Sussex Family YMCA swimmers shine at districts

Swimmers from Sussex Family YMCA took a trip across the Bay Bridge March 15-17 to compete against YMCA swimmers from Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., in the East Field South District Championships.

With a complete team effort, Sussex swimmers walked away with an overall middle division championship, a girls’ middle division championship and a third-place overall finish, and also garnered top-team finishes in the girls’ 10-and-under age group, girls’ 11-12 age group and girls’ 13-14 age group. The Sussex Family YMCA has competed in EFS Districts for more than 30 years, and this is by far the best showing the Tsunami swim team has ever had.

The outcome of the meet was truly a team effort, but not without a few standouts. In an unprecedented showing, Mia Jaoude finished a perfect seven-for-seven, concluding the weekend as district champ in all of her individual events (13-14 50 free, 100 free, 500 free, 1,000 free, 50 fly, 100 fly, 200 fly). Gracie Maughan capped off her last district meet with Sussex Family YMCA by winning five of her seven events in the 15-18 age group and breaking meet records in three of them. Other district champions included Lily Touw, who repeated as the district champ in the 11-12 100 fly, and Jack Bain, who won the 13-14 200 fly.

Sussex Family YMCA swimmers recorded many top-three finishes in each event to make the podium. Those swimmers were: Eva Csaszar (third, 500 free; third, 100 back; third, 200 free), Lily Touw (first, 100 fly; second, 50 free; second, 500 free; third, 100 free; third, 200 IM; third, 50 fly), Brandt Kuklish (second, 100 breast), Gretchen Maughan (second, 400 IM, second, 200 IM; second, 200 breast), Isla Touw (second, 200 free), Jack Bain (first, 200 fly; third, 1,000 free; third, 500 free), Victoria Evans (second, 50 back; third, 200 back; third, 100 back), Jenna Reinhold (third, 200 fly), Matthew Perchiniak (third, 400 IM), and Brayden Trout (second, 400 IM; second, 50 breast; third, 200 fly; third, 200 breast).

Sussex Family YMCA also had two championship relay teams. The team of Mia Jaoude, Zoey Neufeld, Gretchen Maughan and Isla Touw claimed the top spot in the 13-14 girls’ 400 free relay, and the team of Victoria Evans, Gracie Maughan, Jaoude and Jenna Reinhold pulled off a stunning come-from-behind victory in the 15-18 girls’ 400 medley relay. These swimmers, and many more Sussex Family YMCA swimmers, also made the finals of their individual events, finishing in the top eight of the 11-12 events, and top 16 of the 13-14 and 15-18 events.

Coming up next, four members of the Sussex Family YMCA Tsunami swim team will head to Greensboro, N.C., to compete in YMCA Nationals April 1-6. Gracie Maughan will likely be a top-five seed in the 100 breaststroke, and will also compete in the 200 IM. Jaoude qualified individually in the 50 free and 100 fly. Those two will team up with Evans and Reinhold in the 400 medley relay. The YMCA Nationals event comprises more than 2,000 swimmers from YMCAs all over the country. It’s a great accomplishment for these ladies to have the opportunity to represent the Sussex Family YMCA on the national stage.

The Sussex Family YMCA swim team is a year-round program. Once swimmers return from nationals, they will head into the spring season and begin preparation for summer competition. For more information, contact head coach Mike Vansant at mvansant@ymcade.org, or Sussex Family YMCA Aquatic Director Matt Quant at mquant@ymcade.org.