The Germantown Academy Aquatic Club (GAAC) recently wrapped up its summer swimming competitions with tremendous success. GAAC swimmers attended the Middle Atlantic Silver Championships (14 & Under) in New Jersey from July 14-16, Middle Atlantic Junior Championships (14 & Under) from July 20-23 at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA, the 2023 NCSA Summer Swimming Championships from July 26-30 in Indianapolis, IN, the 2023 AAU Junior Olympic Games from July 27-31 in Des Moines, IA, and the World University Games from Aug. 1-7 in Chengdu, China,
The club also had teams compete at the 2023 Long Course Age Group Zone Championships in Richmond, VA. from Aug. 2-5, and the 2023 Long Course Eastern Senior Zone Championships in Buffalo, NY from Aug. 3-6.
Middle Atlantic Silver Championships (14 & Under)
Top 16 finishes included: Shane C. '28: 200 Breast [13th], 100 Back [4th], 200 IM [6th], 200 free [12th], Evan F. '28: 50 Free [2nd], 200 IM [12th], 100 Free [8th], 200 Free [10th], Evan G. '28: 100 Fly [16th], 50 Free [10th], 200 IM [16th], 100 Free [5th], 100 Back [13th], 200 Free [8th], 200 Back [8th], Caroline Guynn: 200 Breast [14th], 50 Breast [4th], 100 Breast [9th], Isabella Munski '27: 100 Back [13th], 200 Back [7th], 200 Free [14th], Marcus Rasmussen: 200 Breast [16th], 200 Fly [7th], 100 Breast [16th], 200 Free [11th], Lexie S. '31: 200 IM [16th], Henry Zyman: 50 Back [7th], 50 Free [6th], 200 IM [5th], 100 Free [6th], 100 Breast [13th], 200 Free [7th], 200 Back [5th].
Other athletes that competed and qualified were Charlotte C. '32 and Ellie G. '32.
Middle Atlantic Junior Championships (14 & Under)
GAAC placed 5th in combined team scoring. The boys team placed ninth overall while the girls placed fifth overall. Amelia Gipson '27 won the High Point Award for the 13-14 girls. Other top performances include:
Grace Bell '27: 1500 [4th], 200 Free [18th], 100 Breast [9th], 400 IM [8th], 200 Fly [14th], 400 Free [9th], 200 Breast [2nd], 200 IM [14th], Ainsley B. '28: 1500 [15th], 200 Back [21st], Emerson Choudry '27: 1500 [13th], 200 Fly [12th], 400 Free [17th], 200 IM [23rd], Shane C. '28: 1500 [15th], 200 Back [22nd], Evan F. '28: 1500 [20th], 50 Free [23rd], Gipson: 1500 [1st], 200 Free [1st], 100 Fly [1st], 400 IM [1st], 200 Back [2nd], 200 Fly [2nd], 400 Free [1st], 100 Free [2nd], 100 Back [3rd], 200 IM [2nd], Whitney Grimley: 50 Back [6th], 50 Fly [14th], 100 Back [6th], Luke Kenesky: 400 Free [15th], Marion Li: 100 Free [4th], 50 Breast [8th], 200 IM [4th], 100 Back [2nd], 50 Fly [3rd], 100 Breast [3rd], 200 Free [11th], 50 Back [2nd], 50 Free [6th], 100 Fly [3rd], Marcus Rasmussen - 1500 [21st], Matthew Truong '26: 100 Breast [3rd], 400 IM [19th], 50 Free [9th], 100 Back [16th], 200 Breast [6th], Nicholas T. '28: 200 Free [3rd], 50 Back [1st], 100 Fly [3rd], 200 Back [1st], 50 Free [5th], 50 Breast [4th], 100 Free [4th], 50 Fly [1st], 100 Back [1st], Henry Zyman: 200 IM [16th]
The GAAC 11-12 Boys Relays (Evan G., Kenesky, Zyman, Nicholas T.): 400 Medley Relay [6th], 400 Free Relay [3rd], and the 200 Free Relay [4th], the GAAC 13-14 Boys Relays (Truong, Shane C., Evan F., and Rasmussen) results: 400 Medley Relay [8th], and the 400 Free Relay [12th], the GAAC 13-14 Girls Relays (Gipson, Choudry, Bell, and Ainsley B.): 400 Medley Relay [4th], 400 Free Relay [4th], and the 800 Free Relay [1st].
2023 NCSA Summer Swimming Championships
In the combined team standings, GAAC finished third out of 51 teams. The GAAC boys placed sixth in their team race, while the girls team raced to a third-place finish. Landon D’Ariano '24 earned the “Male Performance of the Meet” for his showing in the Boys 400 IM where he shattered his previous best time by over three seconds, set a new meet record, went under the U.S. Olympic Trial qualifying time by over six seconds, and won the event by over 15-meters. D'Ariano's winning time of 4:18.28 is currently the fastest time in the country for all boys 18 years of age and younger. The GAAC swimmers achieved four U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying time standards, six U.S. Open qualifying time standards, 21 U.S. Swimming Summer Junior National qualifying time standards, and eight U.S.A. Swimming Winter Junior National qualifying time standards.
Top 24 finishers include: Karly Boles '25: 200 Back [6th], 200 Free [12th], 100 Back [9th], 400 Free [6th], 50 Back [6th], Landon D’Ariano '24: 200 Back [15th], 400 IM [1st], 200 Fly [1st], 400 Free [17th], 200 IM [1st], Brandon Fleck '25: 50 Fly [20th], 100 Back [17th], 200 Free [17th], 50 Back [9th], 50 Free [11th], JJ Freeman '23: 800 Free [14th], 200 Free [12th], 400 Free [13th], Sarah Freeman '25: 100 Free [17th], 50 Free [20th], Taylor Grimley '24: 50 Fly [17th], 100 Back [14th], 100 Fly [8th], 50 Back [9th], Emily Hamill '25: 100 Free [7th], 200 Back [2nd], 200 Free [4th], 100 Back [2nd], 400 Free [3rd], Eliza Meth '23: 100 Breast [14th], 50 Breast [18th], Andy Zhou '24: 800 Free [18th], 100 Breast [20th].
The GAAC boys relays (Freeman, Zhou, Fleck, and D’Ariano) results: 200 Medley Relay [10th], 800 Free Relay [2nd], 200 Free Relay [5th], 400 Free Relay [5th], and the 400 Medley Relay [7th].
The GAAC girl’s relay results
- 200 Medley Relay (Hamill, Meth, Grimley, Freeman) - 4th
- 200 Free Relay (Hamill, Freeman, Boles, Grimley) - 3rd
- 800 Free Relay (Freeman, Hamill, Boles, Gipson) - 3rd
- 400 Free Relay (Hamill, Freeman, Boles, Grimley) - 3rd
- 400 Medley Relay (Hamill, Meth Grimley, Freeman) - 3rd
Other athletes that qualified and competed were Gipson, Jack Grimley '26, and Isa Lieu '24.
2023 AAU Junior Olympic Games
GAAC placed sixth in combined team scoring. Andrew Boles got the boys team to 9th place by himself while the girls team finished fifth overall. Athletes who finished in scoring position include:
Sofia Bell '27: 400 IM [1st], 1500 [1st], 200 Free [6th], 200 Breast [3rd], 200 IM [2nd], 100 Back [5th], 400 Free [2nd], 200 Back [3rd], 100 Breast [11th], 100 Free [16th], Andrew Boles: 400 IM [1st], 1500 [2nd], 200 Free [5th], 200 IM [2nd], 400 Free [2nd], Ainsley B. '28: 400 IM [2nd], 200 Free [2nd], 100 Fly [3rd], 200 IM [2nd], 100 Back [2nd], 400 Free [2nd], 200 Back [1st], 100 Free [10th], Emerson Choudry '27: 400 IM [1st], 200 Free [1st], 100 fly [1st], 200 IM [1st], 100 Back [4th], 400 Free [1st], 100 Breast [8th], 200 Fly [2nd], 100 Free [3rd], Julia Fitzpatrick '23: 200 Free [12th], 50 Free [6th], 100 Free [11th], Evan G. '28: 200 Free [9th], 100 Breast [10th], 50 Fly [11th], 50 Free [12th], 200 IM [7th], 50 Back [12th], 100 Back [5th], 100 Fly [8th], 100 Free [7th], Mira Hayes '26: 200 Free [4th], 100 Fly [4th], 50 Free [15th], 200 IM [5th], 400 Free [4th], 100 Breast [10th], 100 Free [3rd], Charlotte McCrudden: 400 IM [5th], 200 Free [8th], 200 IM [11th], 400 Free [4th], 100 Free [14th], Isabella Munski '27: 200 Free [5th], 100 Fly [14th], 50 Free [8th], 200 IM [5th], 100 Back [5th], 200 Back [5th], 100 Free [7th], Elsa Simonetti '26: 400 IM [2nd], 200 Breast [1st], 200 IM [3rd], 100 Back [15th], 100 Breast [1st], Henry Zyman: 200 Free [6th], 100 Breast [8th], 50 Fly [6th], 50 Free [8th], 200 IM [4th], 50 Back [9th], 50 Breast [7th], 100 Fly [3rd], 100 Free [11th].
The GAAC 13-14 girls relays (Munski, Choudry, McCrudden, and Ainsley B.) results: 400 Medley Relay [3rd], 400 Free Relay [2nd], 200 Free Relay [4th], and the 200 Medley Relay [4th]. The GAAC 15-18 girls relays (Fitzpatrick, Hayes, Simonetti, Bell) results: 400 Medley Relay [2nd], 400 Free Relay [4th], 200 Free Relay [5th], and the 200 Medley Relay [4th].
World University Games
Anya Mostek represented Team U.S.A. in the 50 and 100 backstroke, taking silver in the 50 back.
2023 Long Course Age Group Zone Championships
A group of GAAC athletes traveled with the Middle Atlantic Zone Team to compete at the Zone Championship in Richmond. Athletes finishing in scoring position included:
Grace Bell '27: 800 [10th], 400 IM [7th], 400 Free [8th], Marion Li: 50 fly [8th], 100 Back [3rd], 50 Back [3rd], 200 IM [7th], Nicholas T. '28: 200 Free [7th], 50 Back [6th].
Other athletes who qualified and competed were Ainsley B. '28 and Emerson Choudry '27.
2023 Long Course Eastern Senior Zone Championships
The GAAC girls took home first place out of 72 teams. In the combined team standings GAAC placed 7th. The GAAC 800 Free, 400 Free, and 200 Free Relays took first, second, and third respectively. Other Top-16 finishes included:
Sarah Freeman '25: 100 Free [3rd], 100 Fly [10th], 50 Free [7th], Camryn Jones '26: 1,500 Free [5th], 200 Free [13th], 400 Free [6th], 800 Free [6th], CC Leoni '24: 1,500 [6th], 400 IM [13th], 400 Free [15th], 800 Free [7th], Nicole Ranile '22: 100 Fly [5th], 200 Fly [3rd], Heston Steckel '26: 1,500 [9th]
For information about joining GAAC, please contact the Director of GAAC, Jeff Thompson @ jeff.thompson@germantownacademy.org.