MAKING A SPLASH

But for its first time out of the blocks, the Talbot Swim Club’s inaugural Splash n Dash Sprint Invitational last Friday at the George Murphy Community pool was a big hit.

“I think for our first invitational it went awesome,” said Denise Yarbough-Smith, invitational chairman and vice president of the Talbot Swim Club board. “The kids were having fun.

“Usually our older kids have to swim relays where they’re together, all female or all male, and we had a mixed meet,” Yarbough-Smith added. “And we had 100s for them. They never get to swim 100s, which means they’re only swimming that 25 (meters or one pool length) which is really fun for them. Hence the sprint theme.”

Yarbough-Smith applauded the invitational’s board and wide net of volunteers in helping make this first edition of what they hope becomes a summer staple a success.

“It’s something that we had talked about for awhile but we just never put it into play,” Yarbough-Smith said. “And then COVID came along and that kind of put a ringer into everything. It just seemed like the right time.”

The Easton-based Talbot Swim Club took first place in both the boys’ and girls’ competitions, which included the Miles River Yacht Club (St. Michaels), the Richard A. Henson Family YMCA (Salisbury) and the Spirit Swim Team (Queen Anne’s County).

Overall Talbot took first place in 27 of 47 events, with Miles River and HFY each winning 10 events. Talbot’s girls totaled 210 points, while Miles River (83) edged HFY by two points for runner-up honors. Spirit was fourth (46).

The boys’ competition was much closer, with Talbot scoring 153 points, followed by HFY (135.5), Miles River (104.5) and Spirit (7).

“They’re doing great,” Talbot second-year head coach Kara Erskine said of her team, which has its final regular-season meet scheduled for Monday before heading into the Delmarva Swim Association championships in Georgetown, Delaware at the end of July.

Pacing Talbot’s girls were Madalyn Weems, who finished with the high-point total (24) in the 13-14-year-old division, and Yarbough-Smith’s daughters, Kylee Smith — high-point winner in the 11-12 field — and Kayla Smith — high-point winner in the 15-18 division with 20 points.

Kylee Smith won the 50-meter freestyle (30.67 seconds), 50 butterfly (34.22) and 50 breaststroke (36.67). She also teamed with Yeva Willey, K.C. Sauter and Sydney Cummings to win the 100 medley relay (1:20.25), and joined Sauter, Willey and Natalie Ferris on the winning 100 freestyle relay.

Weems took first in the 13-14 girls’ 100 mixed medley relay (1:07.75) with Paige Bodle, Zach Steinberg and Owen Ferris before reeling off victories in the 50 backstroke (34.58), 50 breaststroke (36.56) and 50 free (29.59). Weems capped her day by joining Hayden Hudson, Emma Morris and Steinberg on the winning 100 free relay (1:09.91).

Kayla Smith picked up wins in the 15-18 girls’ 50 fly (30.68) and 50 free (29.57), was third in the 50 breast (40.62), and teamed with Gennie Webb, Johnny Remaniak and Brady Tipton to win the 100 mixed medley relay (1:01.66).

Remaniak was the high-point winner (24) in the boys’ 15-18 class. In addition to his leg on the first-place mixed 100 medley relay, Remaniak won the 50 fly (28.75), 50 breast (33.46) and 50 free (26.76). He punctuated his meet by joining Kylie Weems, Kazys Morris and Molly Kroeger on the winning 100 free relay (55.45).

Talbot’s Steinberg also totaled 24 points to take high-point honors in the 13-14 boys’ division. Along with his two relay wins, Steinberg won the 50 fly (31.01), 50 breast (36.18) and 50 free (27.67).

Helping Miles River take runner-up honors in the girls’ field was Ali Workman, the high-point winner in the 10-under division with 24 points. Workman won the 25 back (19.38), breast (19.67) and freestyle (15.25) sprints, and joined Beau Gowl, Finley Fisher and Tucker Ozman on the first-place mixed 100 medley (1:25.33) and 100 free (1:17.92) relays.

Miles River’s Dominic Alleva was the 11-12 boys’ high-point winner. Alleva won the 50 back (44.24) and 50 free (36.72), placed second in the 50 fly (40.42), and teamed with Abigail Fisher, Bentley Smith and Dawson Cooper for runner-up finishes in the mixed 100 medley (1:20.98) and freestyle (1:10.72) relays.

Other winners:

Girls

7-under: 25 fly: Tiana Evans (HFY) 33.03; 25 backstroke: Layni Lattea (TSC) 30.97; 25 breaststroke: Angelina Workman (TSC) 42.93; 25 freestyle: Tiana Evans (HFY) 28.30; 100 mixed relay: Talbot (Layni Lattea, Brayden Pentz, Angelina Workman, Miles Jackson) 2:38.07; 10-under: 25 fly: Cameron Mielke (TSC) 16.41; 11-12: 50 breaststroke: Abigail Fisher (MRYC) 42.95; 13-under: 50 fly: Paige Bodle (TSC) 41.68; 15-18: 50 backstroke: Gennie Webb (TSC) 34.37; 50 breaststroke: Lola Shockley (HFY) 38.22;

Boys

7-under: 25 backstroke: Jacob Cox (HFY) 29.33; 25 breaststroke: Jacob Cox (HFY) 39.63; 25 freestyle: Coleson Ozman (MRYC) 25.42; 10-under: 25 fly: RJ Perkins (TSC) 21.88; 25 back: Cash Shockley (HFY) 23.53; 25 breaststroke: Cash Shockley (HFY) 25.66; 25 freestyle: Cash Shockley (HFY) 17.17; 11-12: 50 fly: Crawford Orndoff (MRYC); 50 breaststroke: Caden Noelte (HFY) 50.33; 13-14: 50 back: Ben West (HFY) 35.69; 15-18: 50 back: Caden Latchaw (TSC) 33.84.