DI’s Flying Fish glide to third-straight City Meet championship

It might be a little premature to consider the Daniel Island Flying Fish a dynasty after the team won its third consecutive City Meet on July 6.

 

But there’s no doubt about the Flying Fish effort. They totally dominated from start to finish at the 57th annual championship, which was contested at the North Charleston Aquatic Center, which serves as the finale of the 2025 Coastal Carolina Aquatic Association’s season. 

 

The Flying Fish recorded their best score ever at the City Meet with 3,114.5 points. Northbridge Terrace was second with 2,702.5 points, while Snee Farm was third with 2,645.0.

 

About 900 swimmers from 18 teams competed in the all-day event.

 

“It was a perfect swim day for Daniel Island,” Flying Fish coach Rose Van Metre said. “Our younger swimmers came through, and we started fantastic. The other teams just couldn’t catch up. There wasn’t a doubt after the morning session. I knew our older kids had that experience.”

 

The Flying Fish won 11 of the 15 relay events and had three triple winners in individual races: Finn Gaston, Charlotte Good, and Ellie Chalupsky. All three won the 50-yard butterfly, 50-yard backstroke, and 100-yard individual medley in their respective age groups. The trio also were members of the winning medley and freestyle relay teams.

 

Chalupsky just might have been the MVP of the meet, collecting all that gold while setting meet records in the 50 backstroke and the 50 butterfly. She even broke her own year-old record in the backstroke event.

 

“She’s 17, a rising junior who will swim in college,” Van Metre said of her star. “She’s already committed to Arizona State. They have a very good program, a good coach, and a great facility. It will be a good fit for Ellie.”

 

Many of the Flying Fish set personal records, but nobody may have upped their game more than Paul Barber, who competed in the 7 to 8 age group. He was seeded 15th in the 25-yard backstroke and had the race of his life by earning the silver medal with a time of 20.14 seconds.

 

“That was a major surprise,” Van Metre said of Barber. “If you ask the coaches, they might tell you he is their favorite swimmer. He doesn’t swim year-round, and he’s been trying to figure it out. He figured it out Sunday.”

 

The Flying Fish bid farewell to two swimmers who are headed off to college next month: Bryce May and Grace Litzinger.

 

May has been a member of the Flying Fish since his early years. He will attend the University of South Carolina. 

 

Litzinger moved to the Lowcountry from South Bend, Indiana, and has been a member of the Flying Fish for three years. She will swim for Loyola University Maryland, which is located in Baltimore.

 

More Flying Fish City Meet results are available online at thedanielislandnews.com.