Racing at Regionals

The Maclay Varsity Swim and Dive Team Continues Their Fight for a Successful Postseason at the Regional Finals

Photo by Brooke Nohle/Maclay Andalusian

The Marauders raced their way through regionals, setting new personal bests and having a successful meet. On Tuesday Oct. 24, 2023, the Maclay varsity swim and dive team competed at the highschool regional finals at Bolles High School in Jacksonville, Florida. The team placed fifth overall and had high scores from senior Bella Ekk, freshman McKay Yearty and senior Hanson Higdon. Senior Sara Mnookin placed fourth and was the only athlete from Maclay to compete in the diving portion of the meet.

As the Marauders progress throughout their postseason, the team becomes smaller and smaller. 

With less athletes in the team at regionals in comparison to districts, the competition was only getting tougher. Still, the athletes give their all for the chance to advance to the next level.

Tough competition is exactly what Ekk is used to. Performing under pressure has become a skill for her division one commit, as she knows how to handle the stress of competing against some of the best swimmers in the region. Ekk competed in the 200 freestyle and placed second with a time of 1:49. She also competed in the 100 freestyle and placed second with a time of 50.9.

“I was excited because I got to see all my friends and racing is exciting,” Ekk said. “I was also nervous because I was placed in with a slower time, but I did well in the end.”

Junior Lauren Carter made a splash at regionals. She competed in the 100 fly and the 200 freestyle, which she was able to get a new personal best in.

"Regionals for me have always been much harder than districts,” Carter said. “The competition increased because you are racing people who swim year-round and who all want to achieve the same goal as you, which is to make it to the state championship meet next weekend.”

Much like at districts, Mnookin had a strong performance against the other divers in the region. She placed fourth overall with a score of 363.35 points out of 11 dives. Mnookin will use this boost of confidence to give her an edge at the upcoming state meet.

“I am really proud of how I performed and held myself,” Mnookin said. “All of my dives were much cleaner and neater as opposed to districts.”

The Marauders’ performance at the regional meet proved that they are the team to beat. Many of the athletes set new personal records and will be moving on to compete at the state meet next week.