Photo Courtesy: Kristin Karkoska<\/p>\n
PISCATAWAY \u2013 North Baltimore Aquatic Club had a banner night to open the 2015 CeraVe Invitational, as Cole Buese and Easop Lee each won two individual events at Rutgers University in the annual long course meet. Long Island Aquatic Club\u2019s Maggie Aroesty also won two events tonight. Harrison Homans was the only three-time winner at the meet, taking three titles in the age-group session.<\/p>\n
Buese, one of the top athletes at the junior level, swam three individual races tonight, winning the 200 freestyle in 1:53.82, just off his lifetime best of 1:53.27 from last July. He needed that time to hold off teammate Kaan Ozcan, who posted a lifetime best 1:54.31 for second place, and Germantown\u2019s Andrew Abruzzo, who was third with a 1:54.42. Buese returned 10 minutes later to win the 100 fly in 56.05, approaching his lifetime best of 55.47. Zach Fong of Jersey Wahoos, racing in his only individual event of the night, led at 50 meters but settled for second with a 56.27. Abruzzo was third again with a 56.75.<\/p>\n
Buese was denied a third victory when Max Miranda of Bluefish Swim Club won the 200 IM with a 2:08.26, using a strong breaststroke and freestyle leg to hold off the 2:08.85 by Buese and the 2:09.22 by Samet Alkan of North Baltimore.<\/p>\n
Buese was part of a meet record in the men\u2019s 800 free relay, as North Baltimore posted a 7:50.67 to break the eight-year-old meet record of 7:53.08 by a North Baltimore team in 2007 that included national team member Dan Madwed. Ozcan (1:56.74), Daniel Golczewski (1:57.83), Billy Cadigan (1:58.26) and Buese (1:57.84) finished ahead of North Baltimore\u2019s B team that placed second with an 8:01.01 and the 8:02.07 by the Jersey Wahoos.<\/p>\n
Lee, the reigning long course junior national champion in the 200 fly, started her night with a 2:01.21 to win the 200 free. The 14-year-old posted the eighth-fastest swim in history in the 13-14 age group, though still well behind the amazing 1:58.53 national age group record by Sippy Woodhead from 1978. Sierra Schmidt (2:03.90) and Mary Pelton (2:04.30) gave North Baltimore a 1-2-3 finish in the event. As Buese did, Lee doubled up quickly with a 1:02.24 in the 100 fly, a second off her lifetime best, and well safely ahead of the 1:03.99 by Long Island\u2019s Paige Kaplan and the 1:04.25 by Delaware\u2019s Morgan Curl. Lee wrapped up her night as part of North Baltimore\u2019s 800 free relay that posted an 8:31.06. Sierra Schmidt (2:07.52), Mary Pelton (2:06.71), Maddie Runge (2:11.04) and Lee (2:05.79) finished nine seconds ahead of Berkeley Aquatic Club, who was second with an 8:40.10.<\/p>\n
Schmidt started off the evening with a strong 8:42.06 in the 800 freestyle. Though well off her best time of 8:34.98 from summer nationals, it won by 10 seconds over Badger Swim Club\u2019s Anina Lund and her 8:52.80. Molly Kowal of Jersey Wahoos was third with an 8:59.81.<\/p>\n
Abruzzo was equally dominant in the men\u2019s 800 free, winning by nearly 10 seconds with an 8:17.33. That\u2019s not far off his lifetime best of 8:15.84, and a strong time for an in-season swim. Jack Collins of Badger Swim Club was second with an 8:28.24 while Andrew DeFriece of Germantown was third with a 8:29.56.<\/p>\n
Aroesty took the women\u2019s 100 breast with a 1:12.91, beating her lifetime best by a full second and qualifying for the junior national championships. Alexa Buckley of Berkeley Aquatic Club was second with a 1:14.45, while Cougar Aquati Team\u2019s Meaghan O\u2019Donnell took third with a 1:14.57. Aoresty used her breaststroke strength to power past the field and win the 200 IM with another lifetime best in 2:20.43. Mary Pelton placed second with a 2:21.42 and Olivia Paoletti of Delaware Swim Team was third with a 2:22.90.<\/p>\n
Matthew Otto also got his junior national qualifying time by winning the 100 breast with a 1:06.23. He needed that time to beat Ryan Brown of Long Island, who was second with a 1:06.25. Delaney Hall of Long Island took third with a 1:06.59.<\/p>\n
10 and under<\/b>
\nMaggie Belbot of North Baltimore, just 9 years old, won two of the three events in the 10-and-under age group. She started with a 32.02 to win the 50 freestyle, then followed it up with a 1:32.84 in the 100 breaststroke. Lilly Derivaux of Jersey Wahoos posted a 1:19.43 to win the 100 back. On the boys\u2019 side, no one won more than one event. Sam Kamdin of North Baltimore won the 50 free with a 32.12, keeping teammate Cameron Shinnick at bay with a 32.52 for second place. Shinnick got his revenge with a 1:18.90 to win the 100 back, well ahead of the 1:21.07 by Kamdin. Liam Schindler of North Baltimore won the 100 breast with a 1:32.24.<\/p>\n
11-12<\/b>
\nA lot of close races took place in the 11-12 age group. Briana Gellineau of Long Island won the girls\u2019 50 back with a 33.46, just nine hundredths ahead of the 33.55 by Greta Peacock and the 33.73 by Samantha Ai. The title in the 400 free was decided by just four hundredths of a second, as Long Island\u2019s Isabela Anotniuk won with a 4:38.55 ahead of the 4:38.59 by North Baltimore\u2019s Samantha Ai. In the 50 breast, Mia Mesceda of North Baltimore put up a 36.32 to win over the 36.70 by Sophia Gregorace of Long Island. In the boys\u2019 events, just 16 hundredths of a second separated first and second, with Jersey Wahoos\u2019 Mike Treglia winning with a 4:38.02 and Long Island\u2019s Tyler Simpson second with a 4:38.18. Ryan Davidoff of Long Island won the 50 back with a 33.97 over the 34.37 posted by North Baltimore\u2019s Alex Lakatta. In the 50 breast, TyQuann Walker of Long Island beat out teammate Tyler Simpson by 13 hundredths, 36.52 to 36.69.<\/p>\n
13-14<\/b>
\nHarrison Homans of Southern Maine Aquatic Club won three events, starting with a 2:17.03 to break the meet record of 2:18.55 by Samuel Mo from 2009. Brennan Hammond of Berkeley Aquatic Club also broke 2:20 with a runner-up time of 2:19.75. Homans also won the 100 back with a meet record 1:02.7, breaking a four-year old record by Patrick Conaton of 1:04.04. William Pelton of North Baltimore also broke the meet record with a 1:03.84 for second place. Homans wrapped up his day with a 2:02.77 to win the 200 free.<\/p>\n
Also winning on the boys\u2019 side was Ben Selnick of North Baltimore, who posted a 2:35.62 to take the 200 breaststroke.<\/p>\n
Marietta Gately of North Baltimore won two girls\u2019 events, taking the 200 IM in 2:34.50 and the 200 breast in a 2:47.57. In the 100 back, Bailey Gold of Berkeley Aquatic Club won the 100 back with a 1:09.71, while Grace Potis took the 200 free with a 2:16.88.<\/p>\n