Multiple Personal Bests Highlight Annual MOR Holiday Invitational

MOR Holiday Invite

• December 11-13, 2020
• Pullen Aquatic Center, Raleigh, North Carolina
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2020 MOR Holiday Invitational Meet”

The Marlins of Raleigh hosted their annual Holiday Invitational this past weekend in Raleigh, North Carolina. The meet was small, with only two other teams competing besides the host Marlins: Raleigh Swimming Association and the Tac Titans. In addition, several swimmers competed unattached.

Highlighting the meet with multiple wins were MOR’s Rachel Lundy and Mason Hetzell.

Lundy opened up the meet with a win in the 50 free (24.79). That was her first swim under 25 seconds. She also added wins in the 500 free (5:16.67), 200 free (1:56.86) and 100 free (53.67). All of those swims were PBs for the 16-year old, including a 10-second drop in the 500 free.

On the boys’ side, 15-year old Hetzell captured three individual wins, touching first in the 200 IM (1:57.34), 200 breast (2:10.42) and 100 breast (59.42). Hetzell also hit lifetime bests in all of his events.

Also swimming well was 18-year old Jesse Ssengonzi, who dominated the butterfly events. In the 100 fly, he was the only swimmer to finish under 50 seconds, topping the field by over 3 seconds (48.85). In the 200 fly he won by over 6 seconds, clocking in at 1:49.25. Both times were PBs.

Other Meet Highlights

• 17-year old Hallie Tant won the girls’ 200 IM in 2:11.23. The first four swimmers in that event all swam lifetime bests. Tant also finished first in the 200 breast (2:28.32), hitting another lifetime best.
• 16-year old Wells Walker doubled up on sprint wins, taking the 50 (21.78) and 100 frees (47.37). He hit best times in both events and was the only swimmer to finish the 50 free in under 22 seconds.
• 22-year old Sreekanth Gopi won the boys’ 500 free in 4:46.75, the only swimmer to finish under 4:50.
• The girls’ 100 fly was a tight race between 16-year old Olivia Boulware and 17-year old Ellie Russin. In the end, Boulware got her hand on the wall first, hitting a lifetime best 58.34. Russin also swam a lifetime best to finish second (58.78). Boulware also later won the 200 fly (2:08.62).
• 15-year old Sam Miller and 16-year old Mason Scott swept the 100 and 200 backstrokes for the girls and boys, respectively. Miller was 59.58 and 2:09.33, while Scott was 52.87 and 1:56.54.
• Alexis Mast won the girls’ 100 breast in 1:08.94, just ahead of 200 breast winner Tant (1:09.19).