Sandcrab boys win districts after seven year drought; girls claim three individual wins

Seabreeze swimmers qualified six individuals and two relays for the state championships Nov. 5 in Stuart.

  • By Michele Meyers
  • | 6:30 a.m. November 2, 2021
  • Ormond Beach Observer
  • Sports
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The Seabreeze High School swim team headed to the regional meet following the boys’ district championship and girls’ district runner-up finish in Mount Dora on Oct. 22.

All six relay teams advanced along with at least one swimmer in each individual event after the boys brought home the title that had eluded Seabreeze since 2013. Individual district champions included Jordyn Eckert in the 100-yard breaststroke, Mackenzie O’Keefe in the 100-yard butterfly and ZZ Nichols in the100-yard backstroke.

The girls were seeded first in the 200-yard freestyle relay going into regionals Oct. 29 at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce. The relay team consisting of Cassidy Clare, Eckert, Nichols and O’Keefe, qualified 12th to compete at the state championships Friday, Nov. 5 in Stuart.

In addition to the free relay, freshman O’Keefe and her relay buddies will swim in the medley relay event at state. She will also compete in two individual events: the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard freestyle.

O’Keefe has been swimming since she was 6 years old and currently swims with Hydro4 Swimming. This is her first year on the Seabreeze team.

“I love Seabreeze,” she said. “Coach John and coach Sam are amazing. I am so excited. I usually celebrate by going to a restaurant and ordering boba tea.”

Junior Caleb Orchard finished first in the 50-yard freestyle at regionals and captured the 24th spot in the 100 yard freestyle, awarding him two individual event slots at state. Orchard started swimming in seventh grade but got serious about the sport in high school. Last season, he contracted COVID and was forced to miss districts. This will be his first time competing at the state level.

“I didn’t think I’d do it in the 50,” he said. “I thought I’d do it in the 100. Just kind of pulled it out of nowhere. I don’t know what to say. Buy a tech suit is all I’ve got.”

All of the Seabreeze swimmers moving on to the state championships shaved time off of their regional qualifiers, including Eckert who cut almost six seconds off of her time in her signature event, the 100-yard breaststroke. Eckert finished first at districts with a time of 1:15.82 and qualified for states with a 1:10.11. Cassidy placed third at districts in the 100 free with a time of 57.31 and qualified for states with a 56.46.

Team captain Andrew Randolph started his swimming career between the ages of 4 and 5 at the YMCA. He is a senior this year and has decided to swim when he attends college to stay in shape but not competitively.

“I feel really good about my team,” he said. “This has been my favorite year so far. To stay motivated, we usually start with a chant, but I talk to my teammates. Not so much about the meet but personal stuff.”

The state meet will be at the Sailfish Splash Waterpark and Aquatics Center in Stuart.

 

 

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