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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville YMCA Breakers have had a couple busy weekends this past weekend and this Friday through Sunday at the Chuck Fruit Aquatics Center.

A total of 406 competed in the Sprint Spectacular this past Saturday and this weekend the Breakers are hosting their annual Martin Luther King Meet at Chuck Fruit with a lot of strong competitors. The MLK Meet features semis and finals in the evening.

“Both meets are consistently good meets and well attended,” Edwardsville YMCA Breakers head coach Bob Rettle said. “Both are two of several great events we have at the Chuck Fruit Aquatic Center.”

The Edwardsville YMCA Breakers seem to never lose strength under head coach Bob Rettle and assistant Christian Rhoten, who is head coach of the Edwardsville High School boys and girls teams, and the other talented coaching staff. The program is recognized not only on a state level, but now across the country. Bailey Grinter, a graduate last year of EHS and the Breakers, is now one of the top swimmers in the USA at the University of Tennessee along with many other former Breakers and EHS swimmers in college programs.

The Sprint Spectacular has an interesting format with all sprints in 50-yard races for the older youth and 25-yard dashes for 8 and under swimmers. At the Sprint Spectacular, swimmers are eligible to win a jacket in the 50-yard race if they win their age group. Others winners receive stocking caps.

The MLK Meet will attract 450-500 kids through the weekend and youth from all over the Midwest. The MLK Meet is USA-sanctioned.

Edwardsville YMCA Breakers won the Sprint Spectacular championship with 3,348.5 points, followed by O’Fallon Y with 1,365 points and CMY Riptide with 838. Edwardsville won the women’s division with 2,128.5 points and men’s competition with 1,220 points.

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Breakers 15-21 swimmer Josie Bushell was in a word “spectacular” in the sprint event, capturing first in the 15-21 50-yard free event with a finals time of 25.26. She also won the 15-21 50 fly in 28.32 and was second in the 50 breast (36.91). Bushell won the 15-21 50 back (30.28), followed by Allison Naylor (30.77). Teammate Naylor followed her with a times of 38.94 in the 50 breast in fifth and sixth position respectively.

Naylor was third in the 50 fly (28.85), followed by Sierra Brannan, sixth, (30.43). Naylor also was strong in every event she competed in during the Sprint Spectacular, including the relay and displayed her diverse swimming skills. She recorded a 26.42 in the 50 free.

The 15-21 200 medley team of Naylor, Izzy Doyle, Brannan and Bushell won in 2:24.56.

Cohen Osborn was the Breakers’ outstanding swimmer in the 11-12 age division, winning the 50-yard free (25.49). Osborn won the 11-12 50 fly (27.91). Osborn also was the champion in the 11-12 50 back (27.85) and 50 fly (27.91). Ava Whittaker broke the 30-second mark in the 13-14 50 fly with a time of 29.24.

Savannah Grinter, Autumn Grinter and Phoebe Gremaud went two, three and four in the 13-14 50 free with times of 27.03, 27.07 and 27.39 respectively.

Jonny Olson won the 15-21 50 back for the Breakers in a time of 26.18. He also won the 50 back in his age division (26.36).
Gremaud won the 13-14 50 back (30.25).

Pera Onal won the 50 breast in the 11-12 division with a time of 34.48; Olivia Ramirez won the 50 breast in 13-14 (33.75.

Viv Lu won the 8 and under 25 free for the Breakers (15.53); Kallie Hubbard won the 25 fly in 8 and under (17.28).

Edwardsville won the 8 and under girls 200 medley (1:19.42) and the 11-12 200 medley (1:41.55).

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