YMCA swimmers make a splash at district championship

Swimmers on YMCA competitive swim teams took home top honors at the YMCA East Field District Championship held March 15-17 at the Prince George Sports & Learning Complex in Landover, Md. The Sussex Tsunami Swim Team won the District Championship in the Small Division for the first time since 2014, while the Western Family YMCA’s Western Wahoos won the overall District Championship for the seventh year in a row in the Large Division. The Wahoos also broke four championship meet records, one of which dated back 35 years.

“This was one of our program’s best seasons ever, and the support from our families and branch staff was instrumental,” said Western YMCA Competitive Swim Director Tom Janton. “The dedication from the swimmers and coaching staff is what makes YMCA swimming unlike any other in the area and the support from all swimmers, coaches and families across the YMCA of Delaware allow our core values to shine bright.”

The Y’s core values for swimmers include, among other things, developing healthy living and social responsibility, working toward and achieving personal and group goals while empowering youth to discover who they are and what they can achieve, and that competitive swimming can and should be fun.

Head coach for the Sussex Tsunami swim team and East Field District Championship Coordinator for YMCA Swimming Anna Seiffert said, “Many of the athletes competing at the meet have prepared for up to 30 weeks to be eligible and compete at this level. The life skills they learn, time management, teamwork, loyalty and respect, are exemplified by the actions of the participants both on deck and outside of the aquatic environment.”

More than 700 YMCA swimmers from Delaware, Maryland and Northern Virginia competed in the meet. Among them, 178 swimmers from the YMCA of Delaware qualified with:

• 59 from the Brandywine YMCA (Brandywine Barracudas)
• 32 from the Dover YMCA (Dover Dolphins)
• 22 from the Sussex Family YMCA (Sussex Tsunamis)
• 65 from the Western Family YMCA (Western Wahoos)

The Brandywine Barracuda swim team placed fourth overall in the Large Division, and the Dover Dolphin swim team placed fourth overall in the Medium Division.

“My daughter Megan loves swimming and enjoys going to practice each day at the Y. The Brandywine Barracuda coaching staff, teammates and families foster an inclusive environment that reflects a sense of belonging, achievement and closeness for everyone on the team. We love it!” said Barracuda team parent Sara Price.

Parents from the Brandywine YMCA swim team took the lead to host the championship swim meet for the third year in a row.