Months of training paid off for Blue Tide Aquatics swimmers at the 2008 Texas Age Group Swimming (TAGS) short course championships March 6-9 in Dallas.  Blue Tide crowned five new age group state champions and came in sixth in the team standings.

The five state champions who won at least one individual event are: Rachel McKenzie, 11; Katheryn Nolen, 12; Amanda Day, 12; Jordan Jones, 14; and Jillian Vitarius, 14.

Blue Tide’s Head Age Group Coach Emily Milak said that she was proud of all 38 Blue Tide swimmers who attended the meet for only the best 14 and under swimmers in Texas. “We had an exceptional season,” she said. “I couldn't have been more pleased with the number of athletes we took to TAGS this year and the effort they put into all their swims. We have a very determined group of young people who know how to race and have fun doing it!"

At TAGS, Blue Tide had many top relay teams and 18 swimmers earning points for the team by making finals in individual events.

The 11-12 girls racked up the points in the relays placing second in the 200 and 400 yard freestyle relays (Lauren and Amanda Day, Blair Fose and Nolen) and the 200 yard medley relay (Days, McKenzie and Nolen). The 13-14 boys 400 medley relay team of Joseph Stanton, Reed Dalton, Jones and Will Oswald also took a silver medal in the 400 yard medley relay. These relays recorded Top 10 times reportable to USA Swimming as one of the season’s ten fastest swims in the nation.

The 13-14 boys, competing in some of the fastest heats in the country, were also impressive in all their freestyle relays. They clocked Top 10 Nationally Reportable Times in the 200, 400 and 800 yard relays. Swimming in the first two relays were: Jones, Patrick Pash, Oswald and Stanton with Mitch Glander replacing Pash in the 800.

Blue Tide had finalists in every age group at the TAGS meet. In the 10 and under swimmers, Kristen McLeod was third in the 50 yard freestyle and Grant Hazle placed in both the 50 and 100 yard breaststroke. For the 11 year old boys, Jordan Umrysh was the bronze medalist in the 200 yard breaststroke and fourth in the 100 yard breaststroke. In the 11 year old girls group, McKenzie placed in all three backstroke events, winning the 50 yard backstroke and taking silver in a close 100 yard race. Fose was a finalist in five events: all three backstrokes plus the 100 and 200 yard freestyle. In the 200 free, she was fourth in the state and Sierra Trambaugh was eighth.

Joe Decker was a finalist in six 12-year-old boys’ events, taking fourth places in the 100 and 200 breaststroke. Anthony Ishikawa-Gutierrez placed eighth in the 50 yard butterfly. For the 12-year-old girls, Amanda Day was the surprise winner of the 200 yard butterfly – taking first after being seeded eighth in preliminaries. She was also the state champ in the 100 yard butterfly and bronze medalist in the 50 fly and the 500 yard freestyle. Teammate Nolen took the gold in the 500 free and placed in three other events. Leah Pfitzer was seventh in the 50 fly.

The 13-year-olds had two girls and two boys on the blocks at finals. Madeline Hazle made six trips to the finals as one of the top girls in the state in the distance events. Conroy, 13, was a finalist in two events. For the 13-year-old boys, Glander and Dalton were the Blue Tide standouts. Glander placed in four distance events including the 1,650 and 1,000 yard freestyles finishing fourth in both. Dalton was a finalist in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and the 200 yard individual medley (IM).

Two 14-year-olds clocked Top 10 times in individual events. Vitarius won the 200 yard backstroke with a time of 2:04.35 – a Top 10 and Junior cut. She also took gold in the 100 yard backstroke. Jordan Jones was a finalist in seven events – the most individual events that can be swum at TAGS. He earned Nationally Reportable Times and first places in three events: the 200 breaststroke, the 200 IM and the 400 IM. He was silver medalist in the 100 breaststroke just .1 off the winner. Also staying busy in finals was Joseph Stanton who was a finalist in four freestyle events and the 100 backstroke.

Blue Tide is nationally recognized by USA Swimming as a Silver Medal Club – one of the top 100 clubs in the country. The team for ages 5-22 is the oldest and largest swim club in Northeast Houston. For more information, visit www.swimbluetide.org