Liquid Lightning’s swim team smashed a 17- year-old record in the girls 11-12 200 medley relay with a time of 1:52.07 at the 2014 Michigan Short Course State Championships March 8-10 at the Oakland University Aquatic Center.
The previous record was set in 1997 with a time of 1:53.85.
Leading the relay was Courtney Connolly (backstroke), followed by Reese McCorry (breast stroke), Fernanda Camacho-Castro (butterfly) and Claire Abbasse (freestyle).
A great performance by Liquid Lightning, as they earned a second-place overall finish at this State championship meet, 12 State individual champion titles, 2 State champion relay titles and had 65 finishes in the top 16.
These outstanding accomplishments helped Liquid Lightning finish second overall in the State this season, their best finish in the clubs history and is the sixth State Championship meet in a row that Liquid Lightning has finished in the top 4.
Among the many top finishers in the girls 10&Under group the girls relay teams also placed well in both events.
The 200 medley relay team of M. Fleury, C. Xu, Emma Turner, and S. Cole finishing second place and the 200 free relay team consisting of M. Fleury, S. Cole, C. Xu, and H. Harban came in fifth. Meghan Fleury is the state champion in the 50 backstroke, and placed top five in the 50 Fly, 50 & 100 free, 100 back, and 100IM. Sarah Cole had top finishes placing top 11 in the 50 & 100 back, 100 fly, 200IM, and 500 Free. Also placing top 14 was Caroline Xu in the 50 & 100 breast and 200 IM.
For the boys, Andrew Robertson placed top 16 in the 50 fly, 50 free, 200 free, and 500 free; Rio Trichler finished in the top 16 for 50 breast.
The 11-12 girls team had many brilliant swims. The 200 free relay team state champions just missed the state record by ? second which included C. Abbasse, S. Stricklin, H. VanBuskirk and F. Castro.
Courtney Connolly accomplished a clean sweep and is the state champion in 6 individual events, placing first in the 50 fly, 50 & 100 back, 100IM, 200IM, and 400 IM; Claire Abbasse is the state champion placing first in the 50 free and set the new state record with a time of 52.70 in the 100 free, she also placed second in the 100 fly, 100 IM, 200 IM, and 200 free.
Reese McCorry is the state champion placing first in the 100 & 200 breast; she also placed top 14 in the 50 Breast, 100 IM, 200 IM, and 50 free.
Fernanda Camacho-Castro had a very impressive day as well placing top 7 in the 50 & 100 fly, 50, 100, 200, and 500 free. Emily Shores placed top five in the 50, 100, and 200 breast.. Rhianna Hensler had top 15 finishes in both the 50, 100 fly, and 50 back.
Caroline Guglielmetti had a top 16 finish for the 200 free.
Other impressive finishes were by 11 year olds Sydney Stricklin and Haley VanBuskirk.
Haley placed in the top 11 in the 50 breast, 100IM, 50, 100, 200, and 500 free. Sydney placed top 11 in the 50 fly, 50 free, and 200IM.
For the boys 11-12 age group Daniel Reimchen as a breast stroke specialist had top 12 finishes in the 50, 100, and 200 breast stroke.