“Same as it ever was,” as Talking Heads front-man David Byrne so eloquently put it – a sentiment that certainly applies to the Delaware Aquatic Racing Team.
The DART Stingrays captured its 10th consecutive team title – winning the 58th annual Greater Columbus Swim League this week.
The GCSL held its swimming competition at the Jack Florance Pool at Mingo Park in Delaware July 16 and 17, and its diving competition July 13 and 14 at the Gahanna pool in Columbus.
DART won with an overall score of 3,242.5 over the Plain Township Gators (2,905), Highland Park Otters (2,200), Worthington Wave (1,845), Westerville JC Poolcats (1,619), Northwest Tigersharks (1,228) and Gahanna Sealions (1,147.5).
The Stingrays did it on the strength of a first-place by its junior swimmers, which won the section for the fourth consecutive year.
The senior swimmers pulled in a second-place finish behind Plain Township, which won its first ever title, and the junior and senior divers each finished fourth behind Worthington and Gahanna, respectively.
Olivia Oyster set GCSL meet records in the 50-breast (31.55 seconds) and 50-freestyle (24.91) races in the 14-and-under age group. She was also part of a pair of event-winning relay teams.
She teamed with Ana Williams, Cassie Klumpp and Regan Kauderer to win the 200-medley (1:58.95) and teamed with Klumpp, Kauderer and Arianna Denney (1:44.57) to win the 200-freestyle.
The boys 18U 200-medley relay team of Aiden Stojkov, Paul Carter, Kael Gannon and Andrew Parker also set a meet record (1:41.36).
Gannon had first-place efforts in the 100-individual medley (56.04), the 100-butterfly (53.99), 100-freestyle (49.10) and the 200-freestyle relay (1:29.53) with Parker, Lucas Pape and Caleb Bucher.
Owen Thomas won first place in the 12U 50-back (32.77), 50-butterfly (29.03) and the 50-freestyle (26.57).
Other individual winners include Owen Wion in the 8U 25-freestyle (15.85), Natalie Fiant in the 12U 50-freestyle (27.12) and Joey Hanks in the 14U 50-freestyle (24.13).
The team of Kyli Thomas, Courtney Hanks, Natalie Sagle and Addisyn Higgins took home the top prize in the 8U 100-freestyle relay as well.
