Artistic Swim

Looking Back on a Successful Synchro Season

By Jake Ten Pas

BETHANY BABER

13-15 TV Team: Siya Desai, Torryn Gentry, Clara Rea, Devin Moore, Lilliana Goldwyn, Siiri Dubrawsky. (below left) Presley Girard and Elizabeth Rocheleau. (below right) Reiko Nitta.

The MAC Synchro Junior Program is nearing the end of a very successful competitive season! From December 2021 to June 2022, 40 athletes between the ages of 6-18 collectively participated in a total of 12 competitions. Keep reading for some of the many highlights and accomplishments thus far.

In April, the program’s oldest team traveled all the way to Geneva, Ohio, to compete at Senior Nationals. The Senior Team brought home the bronze medal for its Technical Team! Both Grace Huffman and Zoe Tomlinson swam in finals for each of their Solos, and for their Duet together. Between the six of them, they competed a total of nine times in a span of four days. It was also the last national competition for the program’s four high-school seniors: Huffman, Tomlinson, Hailey Dunst, and Presley Girard. Congratulations, athletes, on a memorable and successful competition, and to Huffman and Tomlinson on 10 years competing for MAC Synchro.

From April 22 to 24, the Intermediate, 12U, 13-15, and 18-19 Age Group Teams competed in Tacoma, Washington, at the OAAS Association Championships. This competition served as the qualifier for Regionals, and every single competed routine qualified!

Nine of MAC Synchro’s 13-15 athletes traveled to Irvine, California, to take on the strongest competition in the country for their age group. From April 28 to May 1, they competed Figures, Solo, Duet, and Team. Swimmer Reiko Nitta placed top 12 in Solo preliminaries and moved on to finals, where she finished 12th in the country. She vied against 53 Solos and swam her way to the top. The Star Wars Team performed its routine with all seven athletes for the first time this season and placed top 10 in prelims, moving on to finals and finished 10th in the country!

This year, MAC hosted the Charlotte Davis Region A Championships (Regionals) from May 14 to 15. All five Intermediate routines placed first in their events, and each earned a gold medal. The 12U crew placed second with its team routine, earning a silver medal and qualifying to Junior Olympics. The 13-15 Star Wars Team won gold and also qualified to compete at Junior Olympics in Gainesville, Florida. In a stiff Solo competition, Nitta and Lily Baioni both secured their Junior Olympics spots by placing first and second. Lucy Herzig and Sahana Desai swam their way to second place in Duet, and their teammates Mara Sullivan and Tuula Dubrawsky placed right behind them in third; both Duets will compete again at Junior Olympics. MAC Synchro’s 13-15 TV team members swam their hearts out and placed fourth amongst tough competition! Lastly, the 18-19 swimmers swept the floor, winning a total of three gold medals, one silver, and one bronze. The Technical Team, represented by Tomlinson’s Technical Solo and Girard and Elizabeth Rocheleau’s Free Duet, won gold! The Free Team, tenths of a point away from first, won second place, and Tomlinson and Hailey Dunst finished third in Free Duet.

MAC Synchro is incredibly proud of all its athletes and their performances this season. The team is sad to say goodbye to its four amazing seniors, but looks forward to growing the program with new members ready to try the wonderful sport of Artistic Swimming! For those interested, sign up for two synchro camps on the MAC website, and don’t miss fall tryouts at the end of summer on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, 5, and 6, from 4:305:30 p.m. at the Sun Deck Pool. Only one tryout day is required. Wishing everyone a great summer, and go MAC Synchro!

ROKOP PHOTOGRAPHY

ROKOP PHOTOGRAPHY