PONTE VEDRA - In a close battle of Clay County area summer swim teams; Oakleaf, Pace Island and Eagle Harbor all put big points on the board at the First Coast Summer Swim League championships swim meet at Planet Swim in Ponte Vedra with the Oakleaf Orcas emerging with a strong second half surge in the day-long event to narrowly take the title with a team point total of 2528.5 with Pace Island second at 2230 and Eagle Harbor third at 2134. Also competing from fourth to eighth were Planet Swim Argyle, 1806.5; Planet Swim Nocatee, 1454; War Eagle Aquatic Club, 1446; Eagle Landing Eagle Rays, 1062 and Putnam Sharks Swim Club, 875.
Oakleaf, coached by Jack Powers, got record-setting wins from Natalie Kendall, 13, in the 50 free with a 26.90 split ahead of Pace Island's Alexandra Kuczkowski.
Six-year-old Ava Meyer set a new league record for Oakleaf in the 25 backstroke with a 34.05 split ahead of Eagle Landing's Charlie Wood, second in 37.00.
In the boy's 25 backstroke, Oakleaf got a second record from Liam Patkovic in 32.66 with teammate Zayn Deal second in a very close 32.95. Patkovic also set a new record in the 25 butterfly with a 26.42 split.
In the 11-12 50 breaststroke, Judson Myers, 12, set a new record winning in 38.03 by almost two seconds over Brock Elliott of Pace in 40.14.
In the 50 backstroke, Eagle Landing's Brylee Wood, 14, set a new record by almost two seconds with a 30.66 split over Kendall who finished second in 32.02. Wood also set a new league record in the 50 butterfly with a 29.20 clocking and a 100 free record with a 58.07 time.
New league records were also attained by Brooke Reynolds of Eagle Harbor's Screaming Eagles who won the 15-18 50 free in a time of 26.00 with teammate Summer Vanwagenen second in 26.19 and Addison Beasley, 10, who won the 50 butterfly in 34.18 and the 200 individual medley in 1:19.07, both new league records. Beasley's younger sister, McKenzie Beasley, 8, also set a league record winning the 100IM in 1:43.82.
Eagle Harbor's girls 200 free relay team; Alyssa Schwanke, Abigail Blackburn, Arianna Frias and Addison Beasley set a new record of 2:13.98 to win over Argyle. Reynolds just missed breaking her record in the 15-18 100IM, set last year at 1:06.13, with her winning time of 1:07.12 for the event.
Eagle Harbor's boys 9-10 200 free relays; Jack Melquist, Mason Gaddis, Nolan West, Callen Melquist, set a record in winning in 2:24.86. Gaddis also set a record in the 100 free with a 1:25.13 split.
Eagle Harbor doubled up again (40 team points) in the girl's 15-18 200 free relay; Katelyn Moore, Alexis Henninger, Summer Vanwagenen, Brooke Reynolds, to win in 1:48.91 by more than 10 seconds over Pace Island.
In the girls 11-12 100IM, Eagle Harbor's Caroline Kuhl won in a record time of 1:07.05. Kuhl also set a new record with a 58.41 time in the 100 free
Alyssa Schwanke, 10, of Eagle Harbor won the 50 free with a record 28.94 by almost four seconds.
In the 100 free, Katelyn Moore, 16, won her event in 58.06 over Gloria Flagge of Pace Island.
Argyle got a league record in the 15-18 50 butterfly with Lexi Huxohl winning in 28.90 with teammate Penny Grewe, 8, winning her 100 freestyle race in a record 1:40.44. John Grewe, 6, set a record in the 100 free in 2:11.66.
Argyle's Kamden Leroy, 8, won in the record time of 2:18.11 for his 100 free.
Pace Island got a league record in the 9-10 100 free from Cailyn Blair with a 1:14.22 split. Brantley Blackwell, 12, also won in record time with a 1:10.14 time.