Age-group event to test swimmers

Last weekend, Maine’s top YMCA swimmers had a chance to shine. This weekend, those swimmers will have to contend with some of the top club teams in the state as age-group swimmers gather in Brunswick for the 2003 Winter Combined Championships.

Swimming starts Thursday with heats of the 1,650-yard freestyle and continues through Sunday at Bowdoin College’s Greason Pool.

Thursday’s heats start at 5 p.m. The preliminary heats for the 13-14 and senior age groups and timed finals for the 10-and-unders will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 a.m.

Finals for the 13-14 group and seniors will start at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Timed finals for swimmers in the 11-12 age groups will also be held in the evenings.

The top 16 finishers in both individual and relay events are counted.

The meet brings together Maine’s YMCA teams with its US Swimming-affiliated teams.

The Westbrook Seals are the defending champions. Long Reach Swim Club of the Bath YMCA was second last year and Coastal Maine Aquatics of Cape Elizabeth came in third.

The Barracudas, which represent the Bangor YMCA and Bangor-Brewer YWCA, were fourth.

Hurricane Swim Club, which swims out of the Bangor-Brewer YWCA, was fifth last year. The Hurricanes’ 8-and-under swimmers won last month’s championship meet for that age group.

The MDI YMCA Sharks finished sixth overall last winter. The MDI boys were first in the YMCA meet last weekend.

The top swimmers in each event will qualify for the Eastern Zone meet.

Canoe City Swim Club, which represents the Old Town-Orono YMCA, picked up two honors at last weekend’s YMCA meet. Coach Matt Vogel was named the Coach of the Year and Eric Palmer was the Swimmer of the Year on the boys’ side. Maggie Avener, who swims for the Bay Area Swim Club of the Waldo County YMCA was the girls Swimmer of the Year.