EDWARDSVILLE - Montclaire Swim Club swimmers set two new pool records on the way to a dual meet win over Paddlers Swim Club of Granite City in a Southwestern Illinois Swimming Association event held Thursday evening, July 10, 2025, at Montclaire.
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The Marlins took an overall 479-161 win over the Pirates, with the boys winning 215-81, and the girls taking a 250-76 victory over their opponents in the meet.
Both teams swam well and look to be ready for the upcoming SWISA Championship meet, set for July 20, 2025, at Summers-Port Swim Club in Godfrey.
"I am super happy with the swims tonight," said Marlins head coach Gus Nugent. "We spent a lot of time working on some of the more technical aspects in the swims, trying to cut down on any of that silly (disqualifications) we were catching early in the season, and we're in a really good spot right now, I'm seeing a lot of really fast races, and a lot of really technically sound races."
Nugent feels his team is peaking at the right time for the SWISA Championships.
"Absolutely, yeah," Nugent said. "We're really excited. We're down to, basically, the last week here, now. The summer season just flies by, but going into SWISA, we're looking pretty good. As of right now, we're still undefeated, we're hoping to keep that going; we've got tonight's meet, and another on Tuesday, then SWISA. So if everything goes well, we'll get that undefeated season."
It was one of the preseason goals for Montclaire, and Nugent is feeling very confident about enjoying much success in the final days of the season.
"Yeah, I would say I'm pretty darn confident," Nugent said. "After the first few weeks, where we were seeing, as kids were getting into shape and learning, I would say we've now really hit our stride, and we're looking great. So I'm excited for next Sunday."
Nugent is also very optimistic and hopeful about success in the championship meet as well.
"Well, I'm hopeful we can go back-to-back," Nugent said, referring to last year's championship at the Chuck Fruit Aquatic Center at Edwardsville High School. "Last year, I won it for the first time I've ever won it before, and I'd like to make it two-for-two here. So, that would be awesome."
Going into the championship meet, Nugent does indeed feel confident about a lot of good things happening to his team.
"Certainly, yeah," Nugent said. "I'd say we've got a little more work to do, some more conditioning, some more technique work, but a week from now, we're going to be looking great."
Nugent also gave a shout out to his assistant coaches - Georgia Samet, Vivian Lu, Eddie Myers, Ethan Henke, and Kyla Calvin - for their help in assisting him in coaching all the swimmers and doing well, also.
"I want to give a huge shout out to my assistant coaches, Georgia, Vivian, Eddie, Kyla, and Ethan," Nugent said. "They have stepped up tremendously this season. I've been incredibly happy with how much they've worked with the kids. They've taught them a lot of good stuff, and the kids all seem to love them. So, I wouldn't be able to do this without them, so a massive shout out to my assistants."
The Paddlers also had good swims as well, and are all set for the championships on July 20.
Pirates head coach Macie Sparks said: "A lot of our kids are going for personal best times, we're seeing a lot of their improvements in their strokes, and we're really happy with how things are going."
In the results of the boys races, starting with the eight-and-under category, Conrad Shaffer of Montclaire won the 25-meter freestyle at 20.78 seconds, while Jack Perkins of Paddlers won the 50-meter freestyle at 1:11.79, Shaffer was the winner of the 25-meter breaststroke at 30.00 seconds, and Montclaire won the 100-meter freestyle relay at 1:47.31. In a pair of special mixed races, Shaffer won the 25-meter butterfly at 24.06 seconds, while Lennox Moszier of the Marlins won the 25-meter backstroke at 24.50 seconds. In a pair of special six-and-under races, Gavin Sweet of the Marlin won the 25-meter freestyle at 28.62 seconds, and also won the 25-meter backstroke at 36.37 seconds.
In the nine-and-10 division, Montclaire's Hudson Little won the 100-meter freestyle at 1:25.62, while the Marlins won the 200-meter medley relay at 3:14.72, Ashton Eastman of Montclaire won the 50-meter freestyle at 32.94 seconds, the Marlins' Dax Birk took the 100-meter individual medley at 1:38.12, then won the 50-meter breaststroke at 52.16 seconds, with Little winning the 50-meter backstroke at 52.40 seconds, and the Marlins won the 200-meter freestyle relay at 2:44.06.
In the 11-12 age group, Alex Jones of the Pirates won the 100-meter freestyle at 1:28.25, with the Marlins setting their first record of the night, as the team of Birk, Jack Frea, Parker Schlonar, and Clay Helms winning the 200-meter medley relay in a team record 2:22.88, breaking a mark set in 2010 of 2:23.23. Max Ferguson of Montclaire then won the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 36.31 seconds, Helms won the 100-meter individual medley at 1:44.91, Schlonat took the 50-meter breaststroke at 53.78 seconds, Ferguson won the 50-meter backstroke at 47.48 seconds, later winning the 50-meter butterfly at 48.19 seconds, and the Marlins took the 200-meter freestyle relay with a time of 2:47.44.
In the 13-14 category, Logan Barnes of Paddlers took the 100-meter freestyle at 1:07.45, while Montclaire won the 200-meter medley relay at 2:19.63, Braxton Tite of the Marlins won the 50-meter freestyle at 28.93 seconds, teammate Boden Rives won the 100-meter individual medley at 1:12.91, Montclaire's Caiden Calvin won the 50-meter breaststroke at 1:35.13, Rives brought home the 100-meter backstroke at 1:18.25, and also won the 50-meter butterfly at 31.50 seconds, with the Marlins winning the 200-meter freestyle relay at 2:02.44.
In the 15-18 age group, the Pirates' Mason Roseman won the 200-meter freestyle at 2:37.72, with teammate Beau Roberts taking the 100-meter freestyle at 1:12.56, with Paddlers taking the 200-meter medley relay at 2:23.88, Montclaire's Nolan Csaszar won the 50-meter freestyle at 28.40 seconds, and also won the 100-meter individual medley at 1:14.25, the Marlins' Alex Brewster took the 100-meter breaststroke at 2:48.33, Conor Jones of the Pirates won the 100-meter backstroke at 1:24.38, Roseman won the 50-meter butterfly at 35.25 seconds, and the Pirates won the 200-meter freestyle relay at 2:03.78.
Moving on to the girls races, in the eight-and-under grouping, the Marlins won the 100-meter medley relay at 2:26.84, with Montclaire's Olivia Largent winning the 25-meter freestyle at 29.69 seconds, teammate Lennox Moszer won the 50-meter freestyle at 48.63 seconds, Caroline Newman of the Marlins won the 25-meter breaststroke at 33.22 seconds, Moszier won the mixed 25-yard backstroke at 24.50 seconds, and the Marlins won the 100-meter freestyle relay at 1:52.40. In special six-and-under races, Stevie Rives of the Marlins won the 25-meter backstroke with a time of 42.44 seconds, and also won the 25-meter freestyle at 33.00 seconds.
In the nine-and-10 races, Anna Worman of the Marlins won the 100-meter freestyle at 1:36.28, while Montclaire won the 200-meter medley relay at 3:25.58. Meredith Luitjohan of the Marlins won the 50-meter freestyle at 38.41 seconds, then took the 100-meter individual medley at 1:42.25, Worman won the 50-meter breaststroke at 56.78 seconds, Montclaire's Layla Sweet won the 50-meter backstroke at 47.65 seconds, Luitjohan won the 25-meter butterfly at 18.25 seconds, and the Marlins won the 200-meter freestyle relay at 2:50.22.
Going to the 11-12 division, Violet Shaffer of Montclaire won the 100-meter freestyle at 1:15.65, while the Marlins won the 200-meter medley relay at 2:44.46. Teagan Moszer of Montclaire won the 50-meter freestyle at 34.19 seconds, then won the 100-meter individual medley at 1:30.78, with the Marlins' Lillian Barth winning the 50-meter breaststroke at 58.06 seconds, Shaffer won the 50-meter butterfly at 38.50 seconds, and the Marlins won the 200-meter freestyle relay at 2:25.34.
In the 13-14 age group, Maecey Hessel of the Marlins won the 200-meter freestyle at 2:40.22, while the Pirates' Alex Suhre won the 100-meter freestyle at 1:04.87, Paddlers won the 200-meter medley relay at 2:32.03, Montclaire's Corrine Morris took the 50-meter freestyle at 30.78 seconds, and also won the 100-meter individual medley at 1:19.65, Suhre won the 100-meter breaststroke at 1:19.78, Hessel brought home the 100-meter backstroke at 1:25.28, Suhre won her third event of the night in the 50-meter butterfly, winning with a time of 32.53 seconds, and the Pirates won the 200-meter freestyle relay at 2:12.25.
In the 15-18 division, Morgan Mitton of Monclaire won the 200-meter freestyle at 2:16.50, with Kyla Calvin winning the 100-meter freestyle in a pool record of 1:01.47, beating the mark set by Bailey Grinter in 2014. The Marlins won the 200-meter medley relay at 2:24.28, while Montclaire's Madison Popelar won the 50-meter freestyle at 31.88 seconds, Mitton won the 100-meter individual medley at 1:14.25, Popelar won the 100-meter breaststroke at 1:38.65, Calvin took the 100-meter backstroke at 1:15.43. Popelar won the 50-meter butterfly at 35.12 seconds, and the Marlins won the 200-meter freestyle relay at 2:09.41.
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
