Blue Tide Aquatics swimmers broke two long-standing state records at the 2008 Long Course Texas Age Group Swimming Championships on their way to a fifth place team finish. The top 14 and under swimmers in the state competed over the last weekend in July at the University of Texas - Austin.

The Tide’s Jordan Jones won the boys 14 year olds 400 m individual medley to break the first state record. His time of 4:39.96 was more than a second below the previous record set in 1993 - the year Jones was born. Not only did the swim make Jones a state champion, he earned a Junior Nationals qualifying time and a Nationally Reportable Time (NRT) - eligible to rank him in the Top 10 fastest swims in the nation this year.

The second record fell to Jillian Vitarius. She took the state record on the final night winning the girls 14 year old 100m backstroke in 1:05.19 just under the previous mark of 1:05.34 set in 2005. The time, which was a full two seconds ahead of the next closest competitor, also earned her an NRT and a Spring Nationals cut.

The two standout 14-year-olds helped lead the Blue Tide 13-14 boy swimmers to a second place finish in their age group and the 13-14 girls to fourth place overall.

Jones, Joseph Stanton, Brian Li and Reed Dalton racked up the points by winning two relays (the 400m freestyle and the 200m medley) and placing second in the other three relays. They saved the best race for last winning the 200m medley – the last event of the five day long meet – in just three tenths of a second ahead of The Woodlands Swim Team.

“What made our 13-14 boys results so remarkable was that there were only four Blue Tide boys in that age group at the meet,” noted Blue Tide Head Coach Kevin Milak.“We had just enough to field a relay!”

The14-year-old boys also had much success in their individual events. Jones won four out of his five individual events. In addition to the 400m IM, he took home gold in the 200m IM, the 200m breaststroke and 100m breaststroke, and placed fourth in the 50m freestyle – all Nationally Reportable Times.

Stanton qualified for finals in seven individual events – the most a swimmer can swim at TAGS. He recorded Top 10 times in all but one event. He placed second in the 200m IM, fourth in the 100m backstroke, fifth in the 100m freestyle, and third in the 200m freestyle, 100m butterfly and 50m freestyle. Dalton added points with a fifth in the 200m breaststroke and a sixth in the 100m breaststroke finals.    

The 13-14 girls had a strong showing with six Blue Tide girls earning points at the meet. In addition to her 100m backstroke win, Vitarius was victorious in the girls 14 year old 200m backstroke – clocking a US Open Nationals and Top 10 time. Her other events were: 200m IM (6th), 50m freestyle (6th) and 100m freestyle (7th). Teammate Jamie Friderichs, 14, was seventh in the 50m freestyle.

In the separate 13 year old girls’ category, there were three finalists for Blue Tide: Sydney Conroy, Madeline Hazle and Katheryn Nolen. Conroy took home six individual medals, competing in the 100m and 200m backstroke, 50m and 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly and the 200m IM, in which she placed second in the state. Hazle was similarly decorated with five trips to finals: 200m backstroke, 200m and 400m IM, 200m and 400m freestyle – taking bronze medals in both the freestyles. Nolen was a finalist in three freestyle races. She earned silver and bronze medals in the 50m and 100m freestyle, respectively, and a sixth place in the 200m freestyle.

In the relays, the 13-14 girls captured two bronze medals. Vitarius, Nolen, Conroy and Lisa Sank teamed up to take third in the 200m freestyle relay. Vitarius and Swank were joined by Hazle and Friderichs for a third place in the 200m medley relay.     

For the 11 year olds, Jordan Umrysh and Matt Parel were frequent visitors to the breaststroke finals. Umrysh placed in the 50m (4th) and 100m (6th) breaststroke followed by Parel in seventh and eighth, respectively, in those events. Parel added a sixth place in the 200m breaststroke.

Blair Fose was one of the top 11-year-old girls at the meet, heading to finals in all seven of her events. She earned points in four freestyle races 50m (3rd), 100m (2nd), 200m (3rd), 400m (2nd) and three backstroke events   50m (4th), 100m (5th) and 200m (6th). She was a member of the silver-medal 200m freestyle relay team joined by Sierra Trambaugh, Rachel McKenzie and Sarah Berude..

Blue Tide had two finalists in the 10 and under swimmers. Grant Hazle, 10, was a bronze medalist in the boys 10 and under 50m breaststroke and took two sixth places - the 100m breaststroke and the 50m butterfly. For the girls, Kennedy Teel, 10, excelled at the butterfly with a third place in the 100m event and a seventh in the 50m race.

“We had 33 swimmers at TAGS - less than half the size of The Woodlands team (the winners of the meet),” said Milak. “Our results were due to determination and hard work on the part of the kids all season long. I’m proud of how they stepped up to the challenge.”

Blue Tide’s fall registration is Thurs., Aug. 28 at Kingwood High School pool from 6-8 p.m. For more information, call 281-656-4423 or visit www.swimbluetide.org