The Germantown Academy Aquatic Club (GAAC) recently wrapped up its summer swimming competitions with tremendous success. GAAC swimmers attended the Middle Atlantic Junior Olympics at Keystone Aquatics in Carlisle, PA from July 21-24, 2022, the National Club Swimming Association (NCSA) Summer Swimming Championships at the IU Natatorium on the campus of IUPUI in Indianapolis, IN, from July 27-31, 2022, and at the AAU Junior Olympic Games at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, NC July from 28-31, 2022. 

Highlights from the competitions were Landon D’Ariano '24 and Emily Hamill '25 dipping below the US Olympic Team Trial Time Standards. While the official qualifying period for the US Olympic Team Trials does not begin until November 30, the time standards have already been published. D'Ariano swam under the qualifying standards in the 800-meter Freestyle and the 400-meter Individual Medley. Hamill swam under the standard in the 200-meter Backstroke.  According to Director of GAAC and GA Swimming Head Coach Jeff Thompson, both swimmers, along with several of their teammates, will be attending the Toyota U.S. Open from November 30 to December 3, in hopes to officially qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which will be held in 2024 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. GAAC placed third overall as a team at the competition.

At the Middle Atlantic Junior Olympics Jack Grimley '26 won the High Point award for 13-14 boys. He won the boys 1,500-meter Freestyle, 200-meter Freestyle, and 400-meter Freestyle. GAAC had several swimmers place in the top-8 and the team finished in 11^th place overall at the competition.

Finally, at the AAU Junior Olympic Games Heston Steckel '26 won the 13-14 boys 200-meter Butterfly. GAAC was well represented on the awards podium, with numerous top-8 finishers. All the top-8 finishers are listed below.

Top-8 Finishers Listed Below

NCSA Summer Swimming Championships:

Karly Boles '25 – 200-meter Backstroke (8^th), 50-meter Backstroke (8^th); Landon D’Ariano – 800-meter Freestyle (2^nd), 400-meter Individual Medley (4^th), 400-meter Freestyle (6^th), 200-meter Individual Medley (2^nd); JJ Freeman '23 – 800-meter Freestyle (4^th), 200-meter Freestyle (6^th); Taylor Grimley '24 – 100-meter Butterfly (7^th); Emily Hamill – 100-meter Freestyle (7^th), 200-meter Backstroke (2^nd), 200-meter Freestyle (7^th), 100-meter Backstroke (3^rd), 400-meter Freestyle (6^th); Eliza Meth '23 – 50-meter Breaststroke (5^th), Henry Morrissey '22 – 800-meter Freestyle (7^th), 1,500-meter Freestyle (5^th),

Girls 400-meter Medley Relay (3^rd) - Emily Hamill, Eliza Meth, Taylor Grimley, Sarah Freeman '25; Girls 200-meter Medley Relay (5^th) – Emily Hamill, Eliza Meth, Taylor Grimley, Karly Boles; Girls 200-meter Free Relay (4^th) – Taylor Grimley, Emily Hamill, Karly Boles, Sarah Freeman; Girls 800-meter Free Relay (5^th) – Emily Hamill, Sarah Freeman, Karly Boles, Nicole Ranile '22; Girls 400-meter Free Relay (7^th) – Emily Hamill, Sarah Freeman, Taylor Grimley, Karly Boles; Boys 800-meter Free Relay (3^rd) – Landon D’Ariano, JJ Freeman, Andy Zhou '24, Henry Morrissey; Boys 200-meter Freestyle Relay (8^th) – Brandon Fleck '25, JJ Freeman, Alex Hamill (MP ’22), Landon D’Ariano 

AAU Junior Olympic Games

Ainsley B. '28 – 400-meter Freestyle (3^rd), 200-meter Freestyle (4^th), 50-meter Butterfly (8^th), 200-meter Individual Medley (3^rd), 50-meter Backstroke (6^th), 100-meter Backstroke (2^nd), 100-meter Butterfly (5^th), 100-meter Butterfly (6^th); Stephen Calabro '23 – 1,500-meter Freestyle (3^rd), 200-meter Freestyle (6^th), 400-meter Freestyle (3^rd); Isabella Munski – 100-meter Freestyle (6^th); Elsa Simonetti '26 – 200-meter Breaststroke (7^th), 100-meter Butterfly (6^th), 400-meter Individual Medley (2^nd), 200-meter Individual Medley (3^rd); Heston Steckel '26 – 200-meter Freestyle (4^th), 100-meter Butterfly (5^th), 400-meter Individual Medley (2^nd), 200-meter Individual Medley (3^rd), 100-meter Backstroke (7^th), 400-meter Freestyle (4^th), 200-meter Backstroke (5^th), 200-meter Butterfly (1^st); Marcus Rasmussen – 400-meter Freestyle (7^th)

Middle Atlantic Junior Olympics

Grace Bell – 200-meter Breaststroke (7^th), Ainsley B. – 1,500-meter Freestyle (5^th), 200-meter Butterfly (8^th); Evan F. '28 – 1,500-meter Freestyle (7^th), 400-meter Freestyle (3^rd), 100-meter Freestyle (6^th); Amelia Gipson – 1,500-meter Freestyle (4^th), 200-meter Freestyle (3^rd), 400-meter Individual Medley (8^th), 200-meter Butterfly (4^th), 400-meter Freestyle (4^th); Jack Grimley '26 – 1,500-meter Freestyle (1^st), 200-meter Freestyle (1^st), 400-meter Individual Medley (3^rd), 200-meter Backstroke (3^rd), 400-meter Freestyle (1^st), 100-meter Freestyle (7^th), 100-meter Backstroke (2^nd), 200-meter Individual Medley (4^th); Camryn Jones '26 – 1,500-meter Freestyle (2^nd), 400-meter Freestyle (8^th); Marion Li – 50-meter Backstroke (7^th); Matthew Truong '26 – 100-meter Breaststroke (8^th), 200-meter Breaststroke (4^th); Zoie Boyle – 200-meter Freestyle (3^rd), 50-meter Backstroke (3^rd), 200-meter Backstroke (4^th), 50-meter Freestyle (6^th), 50-meter Breaststroke (4^th), 100-meter Freestyle (7^th), 200-meter Individual Medley (8^th), 100-meter Backstroke (3^rd);

13-14 Girls 400-meter Medley Relay (8^th) – Amelia Gipson, Sofia Bell '26, Emerson C. '27, Sophia DeCardona '25.

For information about joining GAAC, please contact the Director of GAAC, Jeff Thompson @ jeff.thompson@germantownacademy.org.