Luke O'Neill and Booker Hostetter will represent both the Schuylkill YMCA Blue Fins and the Middle Atlantic Local Swimming Committee (LSC) at the 2026 Eastern Zone Long Course Age Group Championships, which begin Wednesday, July 29, at the NOVA Aquatic Center in Richmond, Virginia.
The four-day championship will feature preliminary and finals sessions each day through Saturday, August 1.
O'Neill will compete in the Boys 9-10 Division, while Hostetter will race in the Boys 13-14 Division after meeting the qualifying standards established by USA Swimming.
Blue Fins Head Coach Keith Grabowski said the program is proud to once again have athletes competing at the regional championship level.
"I am very excited to have a third consecutive season where Schuylkill YMCA Blue Fins are able to have athletes qualified to represent the Middle Atlantic LSC at this next level meet," Grabowski said. "In order to qualify, athletes had to reach previous time standards based off of national averages provided by USA Swimming. Zone meets are a very important step for athlete development in our program and we could not be prouder of the investment our athletes make to earn their spots at these meets."
The Eastern Zone Long Course Age Group Championships are expected to draw approximately 1,000 qualified swimmers from around 250 clubs throughout the eastern United States.
The Eastern Zone consists of 12 USA Swimming Local Swimming Committees, including Adirondack, Allegheny Mountain, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Metropolitan, Middle Atlantic, New Jersey, Niagara, Potomac Valley, and Virginia.
For O'Neill and Hostetter, qualifying for the championships marks an opportunity to compete against many of the region's top young swimmers while representing both their local club and the Middle Atlantic LSC on a larger stage.