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The 2017 North Carolina Short Course Age Group Championship meet is set to take place from Thursday, February 23 through Sunday, February 26. The meet will be held at the Triangle Aquatic Center (TAC) located in Cary, North Carolina.

Over 1,000 swimmers ages 14 and under are slotted to race this weekend. 55 teams will be represented with the largest groups coming from SwimMAC Carolina, the host team TAC Titans, Marlins of Raleigh, and YMCA of the Triangle Area.

For the 13-14 age group swimmers, Thursday will include timed finals for the 1,000 freestyle and 800 freestyle relay. The following three days, swimmers will compete in prelims during the morning session and the top-16 will make it back for finals. All swimmers are limited to 9 individual events over the course of the meet.  

All 12 and under swimmers will race in three timed finals sessions Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoon.

SwimMAC Carolina is the defending meet champion winning last year by over 1,000 points and will look to continue their winning streak. SwimMAC is projected to finish top three in 8 of the 10 13-14 relays over the course of the meet. Their team will be carried by individual swims from Timothy Connery, Wesley Barnett, Claire Russell, and Isabella Gaskey, all of whom are expected to score in multiple events. 

Last year, the TAC Titans took runner up at the meet and are hoping to gain some ground on SwimMAC. The Titans are also expected to be in the top three in a majority of the meet relays so expect some competitive relay swims between the rivals. Braden Haughey, Colin Cotter, Brooke Zettel, and Charlotte Hook are some of the Titans swimmers who are poised to be big point scorers all weekend.

Other swimmers to watch this weekend include Marlins of Raleigh Abigail Arens who is the top seed in the 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly, 100 freestyle, 400 IM, and 200 breaststroke. New Wave's Amanda Ray is expected to win the 1,000 freestyle, 200 freestyle, and 200 butterfly. Arens and Ray have a similar meet line-up and the head-to-head battle between these two should be heated all weekend. Zachary Cairns from North Carolina Aquatic Club is projected to dominate the distance events with the top time in the 1,000 and the 1,650. He is seeded 2nd in the 500. The Aquatic Team of Mecklenburg should pick up points with Garrett Boone as the top qualifier in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, and 200 butterfly.

In the 12 and under portion of the meet, be sure to watch out for Claire Curzan from the Raleigh Swimming Association. Earlier this season she broke the National Age Group Record in the 100 butterfly. Her lineup this weekend includes the 50 butterfly, 100 butterfly, and 200 butterfly.