HUNTSVILLE, AL– On the weekend of July 14-16, 2023, over forty Baylor Swim Club athletes competed at the Southeastern Swimming Long Course Championships. Over 800 athletes from the states of Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida competed at the Huntsville Aquatic Center in Huntsville, AL. The Baylor Swim Club finished 5th overall out of 43 teams in the combined team scores with a total of 1,009 points. This is four places higher than in 2022, and almost double the amount of points scored. Leading the way for the Aqua Raiders were some outstanding performances from both Sam Flack and fourteen-year-old Hayden Vicknair. Flack captured the high points award in the 15-Over age group. He finished first in the 1500-meter freestyle, 400-meter free, and took second in the 200-meter free, and 200-meter butterfly events. Hayden Vicknair also the high points scorer in 13-14 boys age group. Vicknair had first-place finishes in the 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter backstroke, 100-meter freestyle, 100-meter, and 200-meter butterfly events. The 13-14 girls age group scored some major points for the Baylor Swim Club. Thirteen-year-old Anara Summers swam to a Southeastern Championship in the 400-meter IM clocking a time of 5:12.31. Summers also had a second-place finish in the 200-meter butterfly. Teammate Ava Sugden also had an impressive meet capturing second in the 13-14 girls 50 and 200-meter backstroke.
The Baylor Swim Club had six athletes named to the 2023 Southeastern Swimming Age Group Zone All-Star team due to their performances at the Southeastern Championships. They will now represent Southeastern Swimming and compete at the 2023 Southern Zone Age Group Championships which will be held July 26-29 at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary, NC. The following Baylor Swim Club athletes were selected to the All-Star team: Keilah Holliman (11-12 girls), Nissa Ruth (11-12 girls), Sage Sillery (11-12 girls), Anara Summers (13-14 girls), Ava Sugden (13-14 girls), and Hayden Vicknair (13-14 boys).
Sixteen-year-old Luke Waldrep had an outstanding meet claiming the Southeastern title in the 400-meter IM blasting a time of 4:27. 61. He also finished second in the 200-meter IM. Monroe Chittum had a breakout meet taking second overall in the 100-meter breaststroke. Fourteen-year-old Marley Degenhardt also had a solid swim to take a second-place finish in the 50-meter breaststroke.
Baylor Top 16 Finishers:
Lucas Chacon (8th-200 fly, 10th-400 IM) | Charlie Chittum (16th-50 BR, 100 BR) | Monroe Chittum (2nd-100 BR, 4th-50 BR, 7th-200 BR) | Marley Degenhardt (2nd-50 BR, 5th-100 BR, 8th-200 BR) | Nate Farnham (10th-200 FLY) | Sam Flack (1st-400 FR, 2nd-200 FR, 200 FLY, 3rd-200 IM, 1500 FR, 4th-400 IM) | Keilah Holliman (5th-50 FR) | Cooper Lehman (15th-200 BR) | Ellie Lydon (3rd-200 IM, 5th-400 IM, 6th-100 BR, 11th-400 FR, 13th-200 FLY) | Avery May (5th-1500 FR, 6th-100 BR, 7th-400 IM, 8th-200 IM, 11th-400 FR, 12th-200 BR) | Maddox May (5th-1500 FR, 13th-400 IM) | Hunter Shaw (11th-200 IM, 15th-400 IM) | Shepherd Sewell (5th-1500 FR, 6th-400 FR, 8th-200 BK, 10th-100 BK) | Walker Sewell (7th-50 BK, 10th-100 BK, 14th-200 IM, 16th-400 FR) | Daniel Snyder (6th-400 FR, 1500 FR, 10th-200 FR) | Sage Sillery (8th-200 IM, 9th-200 FR, 10th-100 FR, 14th-50 FR, 15th-50 BR)| Ava Sugden (50 BK, 200 BK, 5th-200 FR, 100 BK, 6th-100 FR, 12th-50 FR) | Anara Summers (1st-400 IM, 2nd-200 FLY, 3rd-200 FR, 400 FR, 200 IM, 7th-200 BR) | Eli Summers (7th-400 FR, 14th-200 FR, 200 IM) | Hayden Vicknair (1st-50 FR, 200 FR, 100 BK, 100 FLY, 200 FLY, 2nd-100 FR) | Felix Vicknair (6th-200 FLY, 11th-50 FLY) | Lily Vicknair (9th-50 BR) | Luke Waldrep (1st-400 IM, 2nd-200 IM, 3rd-200 FLY, 1500 FR, 4th-400 FR) | Carmyn Watkins (7th-50 BR, 12th-200 FR, 13th-100 BR)
