Members of the Long Reach Swim Club pose for a photo at the 2024 YMCA Long Course Swimming Championship in Ocala, Florida. Courtesy of Jay Morissette

Midcoast swimmers representing the Bath Area Family YMCA turned in strong showings at a national event late last month.

Ten swimmers from the Long Reach Swim Club — a competitive swim team coached by Jay Morissette — earned All-American honors by finishing in the top 20 in either a relay or individual event.

The swimmers, all between the ages of 14 and 18, helped Long Reach finish 31st out of 55 teams that competed in the 2024 YMCA Long Course National Swimming Championship in Ocala, Florida.

Eliza Marco, who recently graduated from Morse High, earned three All-American distinctions after placing 9th in the 50 breaststroke (34.43), 15th in the 100 breaststroke (1:15.26) and 20th as a part of the girls’ 200 medley relay (2:06.19) with Layla Hammer, Elena Trundy and Charley Carleton.

“We spent every second of every day together,” said Marco, a two-time Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B female swimmer of the year. “Just being with each other takes a lot of the pressure off. Everyone else is in the same position as you. You’re just at another meet, and it’s just supposed to be a lot of fun. That’s what we kept in mind.”

Three team records were set, including in the boys’ 200-meter freestyle relay, the boys’ 400 freestyle relay and boys’ 400 medley relay.

The club also broke the boys’ 200 freestyle relay, with a time of 1:38.10. Sawyer Wright, Keegan Rowe, Aidan Saunders and Gaffney McDonough comprised the team.

McDonough had a strong performance as well, finishing 12th in the 50 butterfly (25.71) and 13th in the 50 freestyle (24.29). He earned five All-American distinctions for his involvement with three other relay teams.

Brady Chubbuck also earned All-American honors, finishing 16th (30:46) in the 50 breaststroke and 20th (1:08.00) in the 100 breaststroke. He also contributed to the boys’ 200 medley relay (with Joshua Langworthy, McDonough and Rowe).

“LRSC does not have a lot of long course (50-meter Olympic-sized pool) experience,” said coach Morissette in an email. “But the kids swam like champions.”

Some members of the LRSC team will have the opportunity to return to nationals in the coming years, but for Marco, who will swim for Colby College in the fall, this meet marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

“This meet was a great way to end my (high school) swimming career because it’s just such a big meet and so much fun,” Marco said. “I think it really does prepare you for the next level of swimming because it’s such a high level already. Like, you’re already swimming against super fast people at this meet, so once you get to college, you’ll have that experience of swimming with really great swimmers.”