WAIPI'O — One of the biggest swim meets in the state has the youngest stars.

Twenty records were set at the four-day Hawaiian Swimming Age Group Short Course Championships that started on Friday and wrapped up yesterday at the Veterans' Memorial Aquatic Center at Patsy T. Mink Central O'ahu Regional Park. Swimmers ranged from the 10-and-under age division to the 17-18 division, and competitors had to qualify based on times from previous meets. The event drew more than 30 swim clubs from O'ahu, Maui, Kaua'i and the Big Island.

"I like it because all the islands come together and get trained up for fast swimming," said Christel Simms of Hawai'i Swim Club. "It's great. It feels like being at a big swim meet."

Simms set records in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke in the girls 17-18 age division and was a member of the record-setting 400 freestyle and 400 medley relay teams. Those records are in addition to other division marks she set since she started competing in the event at age 10. Now 18, the Punahou School senior competed at the summer Olympics as a member of the Philippines swimming team. Her name in the records list is just one of many who went on to compete successfully in college and at the international levels.

"It's my last short course state championships before college," Simms said. "I decided to stay all the way until I finish."

At the championships, the times are fast and there's an announcer providing play-by-play during the finals portion, adding to the championship feel of the event. But it's also friendly competition, a way to meet new swimmers and to hang out with friends, regardless of club colors.

"Having fun and being with my friends," 10-year-old Aimee Iwamoto of Pearl City Aquatics said when asked what was her favorite part of the event.

Iwamoto won the girls 10-and-under 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley yesterday.

Kamehameha Swim Club's Kacy Johnson described the meet as "friendly competition." Johnson set five records in the boys 13-14 age division in the 200 butterfly, 400 individual medley, 100 freestyle, 500 freestyle and 1,000 freestyle. He was also a member of four of Kamehameha Swim Club's record-setting relay teams.

"The records are just names and numbers," Johnson said. "It's about making personal bests and marks. That's all that's important."

Kamehameha Swim Club led all clubs with 1,938.50 points. Hawai'i Swim Club was second with 1,169 and Rainbow Aquatics was third with 967.

"We're thankful," said John Flanagan, who coaches Kamehameha Swim Club with his brother, Kevin, and Marshall Islands Olympian Jared Heine. "It's not always been this way. We appreciate where we're at."

Flanagan, whose club had more than 90 participants, said the relays are particularly exciting because the team gets together to support one another. His club set relay records in the girls 13-14 400 freestyle, 400 medley and 200 medley; boys 13-14 400 freestyle, 400 medley, 200 medley and 200 freestyle; and girls 11-12 400 freestyle and 400 medley.

Kamehameha's Anu Nihipali and teammate Jasmine Mau were part of the girls 13-14 record-setting relay teams. Yesterday, Nihipali edged Mau in the 200 backstroke by less than two seconds. Nihipali won in 2 minutes, 11.85 seconds while Mau was second in 2:13.22. Mau later won the 100 butterfly in 58.43, the only swimmer to go under 1:00.

"It's helpful; she pushes me when she's next to me," Nihipali said.

South Maui was one of the smaller clubs at the meet, bringing just five swimmers. But four of them advanced to the finals portion, including 10-year-old Raphael Marcoux. He won eight events in the boys 10-and-under division.

"So far, I've been good at achieving my goals," Marcoux said after winning his sixth medal yesterday.

"He spent a lot of time studying technique and all the other kids," South Maui coach Janet Renner said. "He's working so diligently on technique and it's paying off."

Nicholas Garrett of Kona Dolphins won the boys 15-16 200 backstroke and 100 butterfly yesterday, rebounding from shaky races on Sunday and persevering through four days of competition.

"It starts to set in and you start to wear out a bit," Garrett said. "That's when the training comes in; your distance and your stamina."

Two years after open heart surgery, Aloha Aquatics' Trey George competed in the 50 and 100 freestyle events and the 100 breaststroke. Though he finished last in the 50 free, near the bottom in the 100 free and improved in the 100 breaststroke, it was an accomplishment given he's been swimming for just seven weeks. He joined the Mililani club to encourage his 11-year-old sister Kayla, who had joined first.

"Success measured by a lot of people is how many people you beat," George, a 17-year-old junior at Mililani High School, said on Sunday. "If you come in first, that's success. I don't see it like that. Success is when you go into something and do your absolute best."

The Warrior Aquatic Club's boys 400 freestyle relay team set a record in the 11-12 division.

Two years ago at a practice meet with his Texas high school, George had more difficulty breathing than usual. Multiple doctors gave different opinions before it was discovered that the more than 15 holes in his heart made it difficult for him to get oxygen. He had open heart surgery on Dec. 20, 2006.

George's military family moved back to Hawai'i this past summer after previously moving away in 2003. A seven-inch scar remains on his chest from the operation and swimming was put aside until his sister joined Aloha Aquatics. Even then, he almost quit three days into the club's five-day free trial period.

"I plan to stick through it, join back with it and go with the long course season with Aloha Aquatics," George said. "My plans have changed. I originally didn't plan to swim at all, didn't plan to swim five days."

George also plans to balance swimming with his love for playing the drums. Three weeks after surgery, he played the drums at a gig in Austin, Texas. He and a few classmates will play in the spring at Mililani's senior prom. George described his band's music as acoustic rock with some jazzy influences, and they cover musicians like John Mayer and Jack Johnson.