McGrath “Mac” Marsh set league records in his marquee events last week at Arlington Knights of Columbus’s divisional meet. That left him little to accomplish at the Colonial Swim League’s culminating meet Saturday morning at Countryside pool in Sterling, Va.
Already far clear of his nearest competitors this season and in season’s long past, Marsh could have graduated out of the 9-10 age group feeling comfortable that his records would last, perhaps as long or even longer than the records he had eclipsed, a combined 21 years.
But Marsh wasn’t quite done. Best times are best times, regardless of history or record books, and that’s what the 10-year-old was in search of.
At the CSL’s Individual All-Star meet Saturday, Marsh broke the 9-10 boys’ 50 free record with a time of 30.41 seconds, bettering his own mark by nearly two-tenths of a second. In his other event of the day, he also lowered the mark he set last week in the 50 breaststroke, blasting a time of 38.32 — finishing more than 6½ seconds clear of second.
His time in breast would have placed fourth in the 13-14 age group, against a field of boys that for the most part had two years, half a foot and a lot of pounds on Marsh.
Julia Moser of Chase Club also dipped under a record she already held, taking down the mark she set last week at divisionals in the 13-14 girls’ 50 breaststroke by .12 seconds. She touched for a new standard of 33.95, the first girl under 34 seconds and only the 11th 14-and-under swimmer of any gender to break the barrier in the league.
Janika Perezous, swimming at her home pool of Countryside, took down a two-year mark in the 11-12 girls’ 100 individual medley. She finished in a time of 1:09.56, clearing the mark previously held by Charlotte Fieeiki by 1.11 seconds. Perezous nearly added the 11-12 girls’ 50 backstroke mark, falling .06 seconds short of Fieeiki’s 2013 record of 31.87.
John Shebat, a Texas-bound recruit swimming in his last league competition, challenged but was unable to beat three league marks he already held. Shebat assaulted the record books this year, taking down all five senior boys’ records. Saturday, the Franklin Farm senior fell short of the record in the 50 free by .54 (23.60), the 50 back by 0.24 (24.81) and the 100 IM by .09 (55.36).
