SMAC dominates at Long Course State Meet

* SMAC swimmers turned in 68 lifetime best times at this meet.

* Forty-nine top 16 finishes were turned in by SMAC swimmers of which 30 were top eight finishes.

* SMAC captured 11 gold medals at this meet.

* SMAC swimmers set 10 team records at this meet.

* Seven new Age Group Championship meet records were set by SMAC swimmers, the most out of any team.

* Four Virginia swimming records were broken by SMAC swimmers, the most of any team.

* Remedy Rule won all eight of her individual events scoring the maximum of 160 points, the same exact thing she did at the short course Age Group Championships. She was the highest point scorer out of any swimmer at the meet. She posted threee individual Virginia Swimming Records — the 400 free, 200 back and the 100 back — which broke the previous record by former Olympian Whitney Hedgepeth that had previously stood for 26 years. She posted seven National Age Group top 16 reportable times, six individual Age Group Championship meet records, seven new SMAC records and several of her swims will reach the top 100 all-time swims ever recorded in the US for an 11-12 year old girl.

* Jessie Arnold placed in the top 3 in all eight of her individual events. In the 11-12 girls 50 free, Arnold swam a best time of 30.02 in the preliminaries only to come back and swim a 28.81 in the finals to win the event and set a SMAC record. She recorded a National Age Group top 16 reportable time in the 200 back and will likely conclude the year in the top 16 in the country in that event. She scored136 individual points, the fourth highest girl at the meet.

* Alex Rayle had a breakout meet in Newport News. He swam all lifetime best times and achieved two long course YMCA National Time standards and set a team record in the 800 free, in which he dropped 30 seconds and placed third with a AAAA time of 9:10.35. He also placed fourth in the 1500 free, fourth in the 400 free and placed in the top 16 in all of his other races.

* CJ Higdon — 11-12 boys 200 fly — started out the first 50 in the back of the pack only to slowly creep up on the field with each 50. With a 50 to go CJ was in third and within striking distance of the leaders. Higdon came back to win the event in a 2:36.51, a seven-second drop from the preliminaries, over 10-second drop for the meet and a new SMAC record. He also broke the SMAC record in the 200 back, placed fourth in the 400 free, fifth in the 200 free, seventh in the 100 fly and top 16 in all others.

* Max Tempkin placed in the top eight or top 16 in six of eight of his races.

* Norah Hunt had six lifetime best times, two top eight finishes and two top 16 finishes. In the 11-12 girls medley relay, Hunt anchored in a 1:05, which at the time bested her previous best 100 free time by four seconds. Hunt also broke five minutes for the first time in the 400 free to place eight with a 4:58.25.

* Gannon Willcutts, in only his third time swimming the event, dropped an additional two seconds in the 200 back to earn an AA time standard. Gannon also dropped over five seconds in his 400 free for another AA time standard and placed 16th.

* Alexander Flowers achieved six lifetime best times in the 10 & under age group. He placed 11th in the 400 free, ninth in the 200 free and 14th in the 100 free to score valuable points for the SMAC team.

* Anna Corley finished the year strong by earning all lifetime best times at this meet. She scored points for the team in the 100 and 200 back. The 200 back was over a seven-second drop. Corley also dropped over nine seconds in her 400 free.

* Lexi Campbell broke 30 seconds for the first time in the 50 free with a time of 29.64.

* Olivia Heeb earned a top eight finish in the 11-12 girls 50 breast, placing sixth, and an 11th place finish in the 100 breast.

* Annelise Stacey dropped three seconds off her 100 back time.

* The 11-12 boys relay team of Hunter McMillon, Willcutts, Higdon and Max Tempkin placed 11th in the medley relay and fifth in the free relay.

* The 11-12 girls relay team of Arnold, Heeb, Hunt and Rule placed second in the medley relay. In the free relay they won the gold medal, set a new Age Group Champs meet record and a new Virginia state record. Their 400 freestyle relay time of 4:18.00 currently ranks 3rd in the country.

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