Swimming alumni place at the 9th Annual Black Heritage Swimming Championship

This past weekend, two Rattler swimming alumni competed in the 9th annual Black Heritage Swimming Championship in Cary, NC. The competition was hosted by the North Carolina Aquablazers at the Triangle Aquatics Center. The annual competition attracted over 900 swimmers from the across the US.

          Gregory Lowe (Class of 2009) was a stand out swimmer in the breaststroke events for the Rattlers. He was a conference finalist in the 100 yard breaststroke and currnetly ranks in the university all-time top ten performances  in the 100 and 200 yard breaststroke.

Lowe competing at the 2009 CCSA Champs.

       Coach Lowe, representing his hometown Plainfield(NJ) Aquatic Club, started the weekend with a ninth place finish in the 50 yard breaststroke (:30.94). He ended the first day of competition with a :23.94 split as the third leg of Plainfield's 200 yard freestyle relay B team for seventh place.

     On Sunday, Lowe shaved off a couple of tenths at :55.31 for 27th place in the men's 100 yard freeestyle. He had his highest finish in the 100 yard  breaststroke. His time of 1:06.59 earned him fifth in the event. Lowe rounded out the day of individual events with a 47th place in the 50 yard freestyle with a time of  :25.67. Lowe grabbed the bronze medal as the second leg of  Plainfield's 200 yard medley A team.
     
 

Carrington led the Rattlers swimmers as
head coach of the program from
 2008-2010.



       Douglas Carrington (Class of 2005) was a standout swimmer and coach for the Rattler program. The Wappingers Falls, NY native was a three season university record holder in the 200 yard backsroke, 4 time conference finalist in the 200 backstroke and 200 individual medley (I.M.), and currently ranks in the university all-time top ten performances in the 200, 500 freestyle, 100, 200 backstroke, 200, 400 individual medley (I.M.) and the 800 freestyle relay. Carrington also served on the coaching staff for five seasons from 2005-2010. 

        As a memeber of the Potomac Valley Swimming diversity swim team, Carrington started the weekend with a eighth place finish in the 50 yard backstroke with a time of :28.40. On Sunday, he had a full day starting with the 100 yard freestyle. He grabbed 14th place shaving off a half a second for a time of :53.71. In his second event of the morning, Carrington finished sixth in the 100 yard backstroke with a time of 1:02.30. Capping off  the morning of individual events, Carrington finished 15th with a time :24.33 in the 50 yard free.

      In the final event of the morning, Lowe and Carrington competed head to head in the coaches relay. Plainfield edged Potomac Valley for the win and bragging rights until next year!
    Despite the loss to Plainfield, Coach Carrington and the rest of the Potomac Valley team celebrated on Sunday evening as they earned their first Black Heritage swimming team championship with a total of 2,489.50 points. Coach Lowe's Plainfield team was second at 1699 points. Full meet results can be found here!
                                         9th Annual Black Heritage Swimming Championship

Swimmer/Coach Douglas Carrington (third from left)
 and the rest of the Potomac Valley Swimming Staff
hoist the Championship trophy!