Top ‘Y’ swimmers to compete

The busy age-group swimming championship season continues this weekend with the 2003 YMCA State meet at the University of Maine’s Wallace Pool in Orono.

More than 15 YMCA-affiliated teams will be in Orono for the meet, which starts Saturday morning and wraps up Sunday evening.

The meet gets under way Saturday at about 8:30 a.m. with the 8-and-under boys and girls. The 10-and-under girls will begin at around 12:30 p.m. with the 10-and-under and 12-and-under boys starting at approximately 3:30 p.m. The 12-and-under girls meet is set for about 7 p.m.

The 14-and-under and senior events for both boys and girls are alternated in one session Sunday. Events start at 9 a.m.

Among the teams expected to attend are the Barracudas of the Bangor YMCA and YWCA, The MDI YMCA Sharks, Canoe City Swim Club of the Old Town-Orono YMCA, the Downeast Family YMCA team of Ellsworth, the Piscataquis Regional YMCA of Dover-Foxcroft, the Penobscot Bay YMCA of Camden and the Bay Area Swim Club of the Waldo County YMCA in Belfast.

Long Reach of the Bath Area YMCA is the defending overall champion. The Barracudas finished second last year and won the 10-and-under age group. MDI was first in the 8-and-under age group.

Top qualifiers at the YMCA meet will advance to the YMCA New England Championships, which will be held March 22-23 at Brown University in Providence, R.I.

The YMCA National Championships are set for April 14-17 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Even more swimming squads will be at Bowdoin College in Brunswick next weekend for the Winter Combined Championships, which brings together both the YMCA and US Swimming-affiliated clubs such as the Bangor YWCA-based Hurricane Swim Club.