Dear Parents and Swimmers,

We have just completed two sensational weekends with our state meet swimmers. I couldn’t be more proud of their spirit, sportsmanship and accomplishments.

At the Y State Meet we routed the competition. Our state champions included….

• 9-10 Girls Avery Tack (50 fly and 50 breast,) Leah Bongiovanni (50 back and 100 free,) and both relays, the 200 Free Relay (Stella Glorio, Malin Murphy, Leah Bongiovanni, and Avery Tack,) and the 200 Medley Relay (Malin Murphy, Avery Tack, Allie Page and Leah Bongiovanni.)

• 9-10 Boys Oliver Grake (50 fly, 100 IM, 50 free,100 back, 50 and 100 breast,) Will Schwab (100 fly,) Jack McCuiston (200 IM,) and both relays, the 200 Free Relay (Will Schwab, Sully Jackson, Jack McCuiston and Oliver Grake,) and the 200 Medley Relay (Sully Jackson, Bodhi Chinnaiyan, Oliver Grake and Jack McCuiston.)

• 11-12 Girls Avery Anderson (200 back,) Sarah Michael (200 breast,) Gillian McKinley (500 free,) Mariana Becharas (50 breast,) and Tori Devine (50 free.)

• 11-12 boys Evan Tack (100 free, 100 IM, 200 IM,) Patrick McKillop (50 breast, 100 breast, 200 breast,) Jack Higgins (50 and 200 free,) Emmett Knudsen (50 back and 100 back, 100 fly,) and both relays, the 200 Freestyle Relay (Jack Higgins, Emmett Knudsen, Ian Whan and Evan Tack) and the 200 Medley Relay (Emmett Knudsen, Patrick MacKillop, Evan Tack, Jack Higgins.)

• 13-14 girls Sam Clifford (200 fly.)

• 13-14 boys Angus MacDonald (100 and 200 fly, 100 breast, 100 free and 100 back.) David-Mark Beatty (200 free,) and the Freestyle Relay (David-Mark Beatty, Luke Deighan, Mayer Krieger and Angus MacDonald.)

• 15-17 girls Megan Clifford (200 fly,) Madison Helmick (500 free.)

New Y State Meet Records were established by Emmett Knudsen (11-12 50 and 100 back,) Patrick MacKIllop (200 breast,) Evan Tack (100 IM,) and the 11-12 Boys 200 freestyle relay (Jack Higgins, Emmett Knudsen, Ian Whan and Evan Tack.).

At the US 12 and Under State Meet we finished second to Club Wolverine and the 11-12 boys broke the team’s, the Michigan US and the YMCA National Records’ in their relay events!! In the freestyle relay the team of Ian Whan, Evan Tack, Emmett Knudsen and Jack Higgins went 1:36.67, and in the medley Emmett Knudsen, Evan Tack, Sean Lu, and Jack Higgins went a blistering 1:49.21. The records they broke had been set in 2002, also by BBD swimmers. Those young men went on to very successful swimming careers with stops at the Y National Meet and at Stanford and Dartmouth, so the future is very bright for this group.

Evan Tack was the individual high point winner for 11-12 boys and he set a new team record in the 200 breaststroke. Emmett Knudsen set a new team record in the 50 back.

Our individual state champions included Jack Higgins (11-12 50, 100 and 200 free,) Evan Tack (11-12 100 IM, the 50, 100 and 200 breast) and Sean Lu (200 IM.)

As I said earlier in my letter, I couldn’t be prouder of these swimmers because they have created a culture where they support one another unconditionally. They have learned that everyone in swimming can be successful and that was evident in the spirit on deck this season.

Kevin