The Manchester Swim Team recently raced in two United States Swimming-sanctioned meets.

Twenty-four MST Rapids swimmers traveled to Maine for the Bowdoin Open Swim Meet Dec. 10 to 12 at two separate locations in the college area, bringing together swimmers from 11 New England teams.

The 7- to 12-year-old swimmers turned in a sleigh full of performance records (PRs) at the Bath Area YMCA. Meanwhile, the 11 senior swimmers over 13 years old churned the water at the Greason Swimming Pool on the Bowdoin campus.

Christina Denbow took first place in the female 10-and-under 100-yard freestyle. Milan Sandhu was first in the male 10-and-under 50-yard backstroke with a PR of 36.25 seconds.

The female 12-and-under 200-yard freestyle relay team of Maria Colella, Katie Donovan, Katie Aldrich and Kelsey Ewing took third place with a time of 1:57.73.

Other swimmers who set PRs at the meet included Hayley Berg, Zachary Bonte, Sean Brown, Riley Ewing, Abigail Mitchell, Ryan Mitchell, Danielle Morin, Elizabeth Morin and Karam Sandhu.

The senior meet consisted of a grueling trial and final format for each event. Anna Buchta was 12th in the female 200 backstroke. Amy Burke placed 19th in the 200-yard breaststroke. Leah Burke was seventh in the female 200-yard butterfly, lowering her PR by three seconds. Jackie Foster finished in 23rd place in the 100 breaststroke.

Ashley Green turned in a PR in the 100 backstroke while showing her versatility in freestyle, backstroke and individual medley. Hayden Mitchell, 13, placed 16th in the male 200 breaststroke. Carolyn O’Hara sprinted to seventh place in the female 50 free. Chris Walczyk took fifth in both the 100 and 200 men’s breaststroke events.

On Dec. 18 and 19, MST traveled to the Exeter Sprints Meet at Phillips Exeter Academy.

Ten-year old Milan Sandhu led the team with six first-place and one second-place finishes. setting a PR in each event. West High senior Carolyn O’Hara finished first in all of her four events – the 50, 100, and 200 free and 100 backstroke. Riley Ewing, 8, finished first in the 25 backstroke, 100 free and 100 IM.

In the female 15- and 16-year-old division, Jackie Foster took first in both the 100 and 200 free. Elizabeth Aldrich, Leah Burke, Kendra Decelle, Christina Denbow and Kelsey Ewing each took a first place finish in their age group.

Aldrich finished first in the female 8-and-under 100 free, her first attempt at that distance. Burke paced the 13- and 14-year-olds in the 200 IM. She also turned in PRs in four of her seven events. Decelle took first in the female open division 200 IM. Denbow took the 50 breaststroke for 10-and-under swimmers. Ewing topped all 11- and 12-year-olds in the 50 backstroke.

Kerry McCann, Abigail Mitchell, Anna Buchta and Chris Walczyk each earned second-place finishes, McCann in the female 13- and 14-year-old 100 free, Mitchell in the 11- and 12-year-old 50 breaststroke, Buchta in the 15- and 16-year-old 100 backstroke and Walczyk in the male open 200 free and 100 breaststroke.

Other top-10 fishers included Katie Aldrich, 11, in the 50 free; Amy Burke, 16, in 200 IM; Maria Coleslaw, 12, in the 50 and 100 fly events, 100 and 200 free, 50 breaststroke and 100 IM; Elizabeth Gagnon, 15, in the 100 back and 100 fly; Melissa Goczalk, 16, in the 100 breaststroke; Ashley Green, 15, in the 100 fly, 50, 100 and 200 free and 200 IM; Marissa Lynn, 14, in the 100 fly; Stephanie Lynn, 12, in the 200 free, 100 breaststroke and 100 IM; Fritz Manson, 14, in the 100 fly; Ryan Mitchell, 11, in the 200 free; Kyle Pithier, 16, in the 100 backstroke and 200 free; Karma Sandhog, 7, in the 25 fly, 25 free, 25 back, 100 free, 50 free, 25 breaststroke and 100 IM.

The following swimmers recorded PRs at the Exeter Sprints: Hailey Berg, 11; Katherine Berg, 8; Zachary Bonnet, 7; Savannah Breton, 11; Sean Brown, 11; Hailey Charest, 10; Kyle Coleslaw, 6; Colin Connelly, 13; Katie Donovan, 11; Alex Ewing, 10; Scott Ewing, 16; Lucas Ford, 10; Matt Goczalk, 13; Brady Hobbs, 11; Savannah Lavoie, 9; Brian Lynch, 12; Sarah Margolis, 12; Sean McCann, 15; Hayden Mitchell, 13; Danielle Morin, 9; Elizabeth Morin, 11; Kathryn O’Neill, 9; and Brian Volute, 16.

The 9-, 10- and 11-year-olds will take part in a developmental meet hosted by the Southern NH FINS at the Nashua Boys and Girls Club Sunday, Jan. 9.

The Manchester Swim Team is a USS-registered team with New England Swimming Association and will compete in USS meets throughout the Northeast and beyond. Those interested in joining the team can call Steve Vandermeer at 623-4179, Jean Mitchell at 668-9048 or Andy Bonnet at 627-9512. Or, you can visit the team’s Web site at manchesterswimteam.com.