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700 compete in swim meet
(Published February 23, 2004)

By DAVID STEINBACHER
Special to The Common Denominator

Nearly 700 swimmers, ranging in age from 5 to 18, participated in the 18th annual Black History Invitational Swim Meet Feb. 14-15 at the William H. Rumsey Sr. Aquatic Center on Capitol Hill.

Thirty nine children affiliated with the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation Competitive Swim Program participated, approximately 60 percent girls and 40 percent boys. A large number of swimmers also hailed from Maryland and Virginia, but swimmers and teams also participated from as far away as Florida, Georgia, North
Carolina, Tennessee, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota.

Forty-eight individual swimming races took place on Saturday, with gender and ages delineating the different events. Points were awarded as follows: five points/first place, three points/second place and one
point/third place.

"The event was largely about developing friendships and having fun, thus we didn’t want to over-emphasize where the kids finished," said meet coordinator Michael Walker.

"We look forward to seeing all of these young kids growing - a number of them may get scholarships [for college] down the road. As a former competitive swimmer, I get great satisfaction in terms of all of the
information and ideas that were exchanged," Walker said.

"We all get a lot of satisfaction when we see a number of minority athletes, parents and coaches come together for the competition. A lot of friendships are made at this meet," said Rodger McCoy, head swim coach of
the D.C. Parks and Rec team.

At the welcoming ceremony, former Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly was honored for her service to the city. United Black Fund President Wilhelmina J. Rolark, via her written message in the program, welcomed all of the swimmers, coaches and teams to the meet, which was founded by her late husband, Calvin W. Rolark.

GIRLS’ RACES: Ages 8 and under/50 and 100 freestyle - Madeline Bryant of Charlottesville, Va., placed third in the latter and Aliyah Exum of the D.C. Parks and Rec team placed fifth in the latter.

Ages 9-10/ 50 and 100 freestyle - Jena McNab of Charlottesville placed eighth and Jade Hill of Meade, Md., placed 10th in the former, and Tiarra Geiger of Burke, Va. and Mikayla Knight of Baltimore placed ninth and
10th in the latter.

Ages 11-12/50 and 100 freestyle - Brileigh Pinkney of Catonsville, Md., Johnnetta Hammock of Baltimore, Mercedes Maynard of Burke, Erica Minor of Burke and Danielle Baker of the D.C. Parks and Rec team placed first, fourth, fifth, ninth and 10th, respectively, in the former; whereas Marissa Gentry of Rockville, Johnnetta Hammond of Baltimore, Mercedes Maynard of Burke, Kelsey Carter of Burke and Melina Schoppa of
Charlottesville placed second, fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth in the latter.

Ages 13-14/100 and 200 freestyle - Kemi Watson of the D.C. Parks and Rec team, Bianca Thompson of the D.C. Parks and Rec team and Dannielle Beaubrun of Richmond placed fourth, fifth and ninth in the former; whereas Temara Jordan of Burke placed ninth in the latter.

Ages 15-18/100 and 200 freestyle - Natasha George of Richmond and Alida Gerritsen of Baltimore placed eighth and 10th in the former; whereas Polo Edwards of Rockville and Alida Gerritsen of Baltimore placed
fifth and 10th in the latter.

Ages 9-10/50 back - Aarica Carrington of Baltimore, Taylor Green of Baltimore and Linda Wang of Charlottesville placed fourth, seventh and ninth.

Ages 11-12/50 back) - Marissa Gentry of Rockville, Melina Schoppa of Charlottesville and Erica Minor of Burke placed first, fifth and sixth.

Ages 13-14/50 back) - Bianca Thompson of DC Parks/Rec, Temara Jordan of Burke and Liana Castro of the D.C. Parks and Rec team placed second, fourth and fifth.

Ages 15-18/back - Vanessa Shepperson of Richmond placed fifth.

Ages 8 and under/50 breaststroke - Elizabeth Nelsen of Richmond, Madeline Bryant of Charlottesville and Sydnee Lopes of Richmond placed first, fifth and seventh.

Ages 9-10/50 breast - Jade Hill of Meade, Linda Wang of Charlottesville and Tiarra Geiger of Burke placed second, ninth and 10th.

Ages 11-12/50 breast - Erica Minor of Burke, Tiarra McDonald of Rockville and Raquel Nelson of Burke placed fifth, seventh and ninth.

Ages 13-14/100 breast - Sarah Lynch of Burke, Dannielle Beaubrun of Richmond, Kemi Watson of the D.C. Parks and Rec team and Meghan Risper of North Baltimore placed first, second, fourth and fifth.

Ages 15-18/100 breast - Aleshee Ross of the D.C. Parks and Rec team and Vanessa Shepperson of Richmond placed sixth and 10th.

Ages 8 and under/50 butterfly - Patricia Perozo of Charlottesville placed third.

Ages 9-10/50 butterfly - Gabby Russell of the D.C. Parks and Rec team and Aarica Carrington of Baltimore placed sixth and seventh.

Ages 11-12/50 butterfly - Marissa Gentry of Rockville, Johnnetta Hammock of Baltimore, Mercesed Maynard of Burke, Zora Heard of Charlottesville, Ranita Mealer of Meade and Kelsey Carter of Burke placed first, second, third, fourth, eighth and 10th.

Ages 13-14/100 butterfly - Sarah Lynch of Burke, Meghan Risper of North Baltimore, Bianca Thompson of the D.C. Parks and Rec team and Liano Castro of the D.C. Parks and Rec team placed second, third, sixth and 10th.

Ages 15-18/100 buterfly - Natasha George of Richmond, Alida Gerritsen of Baltimore and Cheryl White of Towson, Md. placed first, fourth and seventh.

Aes 8 and under/100 individual medley) - Madeline Bryant of Charlottesville and Shaneka Victor of Baltimore placed eighth and ninth.

Ages 9-10/100 individual medley - Jade Hill of Meade and Jena McNab of Charlottesville placed second and eighth.

Ages 11-12/100 individual medley - Brileigh Pinkney of Catonsville and Zora Heard of Charlottesville placed second and fourth.

Ages 13-14/200 individual medley - Sarah Lynch of Burke and Kemi Watson of the D.C. Parks and Rec team placed first and fourth.

Ages 15-18/200 individual medley - Natasha George of Richmond, Kiara Yarberough of Baltimore and Keyonna Jones of Baltimore placed second, sixth and seventh.

BOYS' RACES: Ages 8 and under/50 and 100 freestyle - Jared Miller of DC Parks/Rec and Deionn Yarberough of Baltimore - fourth and eighth in the former; Joel Goode and Kahlil Epps - both of the D.C. Parks and Rec team – fourth and seventh in the latter.

Ages 9-10/50 and 100 freestyle - Darnell Yarberough of Baltimore, Eli Haden of Charlottesville, Thomas Bland of Baltimore, Cameron Moore and Joshua Shepperson (both of Richmond) - sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and
tenth in the former; Matthew Cobbs of Charlottesville - sixth in the latter.

Ages 11-12/50 and 100 freestyle) - Giles Smith of Baltimore and Bradford Jackson of Burke - first and fifth in the former; Giles Smith of Baltimore and Sam Rairden of Richmond - first and third in the latter.

Ages 13-14/100 and 200 freestyle - Solomon Robinson of Fort Washington, Felix Meixner of Richmond, Brandon Jackson of Burke and Jelani Franklin of the D.C. Parks and Rec team - sixth, eighth, ninth and 10th in the former; Felix Meixner, Brandon Jackson and Chike Croslin of Burke - third, fourth and tenth in the latter.

Ages 15-18/100 and 200 freestyle - Bradford Worrell of Richmond, David Miller of the D.C. Parks and Rec team, Brandon Greenfield of Fort Washington and Ralph Parker of Fort Washington - first, third, fourth and seventh in the former; Miguel Orellana of Rockville, Bradford Worrell, Brandon Greenfield, Ralph Parker, Gary Greenfield of Fort Washington, Michael Goode of the D.C. Parks and Rec team, Andrew Williams and Erik Merritt (both of Baltimore) - first, second, third, fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth and 10th in the latter.

Ages 8 and under/50 backstroke - Jared Miller of the D.C. Parks and Rec team and Aidan Greene of Charlottesville - first and 10th.

Ages 9-10/50 back - Cameron Moore of Richmond and Lucas Newton-Grant of Charlottesville - second and sixth.

Ages 11-12/50 back - Sam Rairden of Richmond - third.

Ages 13-14/100 back - Josh Wilson of Richmond, Solomon Robinson of Fort Washington and Anthony Ross of the D.C. Parks and Rec team - third, fourth and 10th.

Ages 15-18/100 back - David Miller of the D.C. Parks and Rec team, Erik Merritt of Baltimore, Ryan Brown of Fort Washington and Andrew Williams of Baltimore - third, seventh, eighth and ninth.

Ages 8 and under/50 breaststroke - Deionn Yarberough of Baltimore, Collin Moore of Richmond and Ryan Jones of Charlottesville - sixth, eighth and ninth.

Ages 9-10/50 breast - Thomas Bland of Baltimore, Eli Haden of Charlottesville, Lucas Newton-Grant of Charlottesville, Joshua Shepperson of Richmond and Darnell Yarberough of Baltimore - third, fourth, seventh,
ninth and 10th.

Ages 11-12/50 breast - Bradford Jackson of Burke, Kevin Gamble of Baltimore and Leroy Hill of the D.C. Parks and Rec team - third, fifth and ninth.

Ages 13-14/100 breast - A.J. Jasper of Richmond, Jelani Franklin of the D.C.
Parks and Rec team, Chike Croslin of Burke and Benjamin Howe of Richmond - third, sixth, seventh and eighth.

Ages 15-18/100 breast - Miguel Orellana of Rockville, John Strong of Burke, Ralph Parker of Fort Washington and Eric White of Towson - second, fifth, sixth and eighth.

Ages 8 and under/50 butterfly) - Jared Miller of the D.C. Parks and Rec team and Ryan Jones of Charlottesville - second and seventh.

Ages 9-10/50 butterfly - Cameron Moore and Joshua Shepperson (both of Richmond) and V.J. Goode of the D.C. Parks and Rec team - third, fourth and ninth.

Ages 11-12/50 butterfly - Giles Smith of Baltimore and Sam Rairden of Richmond - first and sixth.

Ages 13-14/100 butterfly - A.J. Jasper of Richmond, Jelani Franklin of the D.C.
Parks and Rec team, Solomon Robinson and T.J. Lynch (both of Fort Washington) - third, fourth, fifth and eighth.

Ages 15-18/100 butterfly - David Miller of the D.C. Parks and Rec team, Brandon Greenfield of Fort Washington, John Strong of Burke and Jesse Oxman of Baltimore - second, fifth, sixth and 10th.

Ages 8 and under/100 individual medley - Deionn Yarberough of Baltimore - fourth.

Ages 9-10/100 individual medley - Darnell Yarberough of Baltimore, Eli Haden and Lucas Newton-Grant (both of Charlottesville) and Thomas Bland of Baltimore - third, fifth, sixth and 10th.

Ages 11-12/100 individual medley - Bradford Jackson of Burke - eighth.

Ages 13-14/200 individual medley - Felix Meixner and Josh Wilson (both of Richmond), Brandon Jackson of Burke and A.J. Jasper of Richmond - fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh.

Ages 15-18/200 individual medley - Bradford Worrell of Richmond - third.