AgonSwim Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming – 10/22/2014

It’s mid-October and even the teams that train through the month of September have swum their first meets. Things are starting to pick up; we’ve seen some really fast early-season swims already. Below are the AgonSwim Weekly Wonders for the weekend of October 17-19, 2014:

Emilio Perez, 11, Southwest Aquatic Team: 50y free (24.90) – Perez dropped nearly a full second in the 50 free off his seed time, and he was 3 seconds faster than in October 2013 at Badger Aquatics Club’s Spooktacular Meet. He also improved his 100/200 free and 100 back PBs at the meet.

Zachary Gallagher, 12, East Pennsboro Aquatic Club: 100y free (51.95) – At the Nittany Lion Aquatic Club Fall Kickoff in the McCoy Natatorium at Penn State, Gallagher won the boys 11-12 100 free with a best time by 1.6 and was about six seconds faster than a year ago. He also won the 50 free, 100/200 fly and 100/200 IM, and got new PBs in each of those events as well as in the 500 free, 50 back and 200 breast.

Sydney Stricklin, 11, Liquid Lightning: 200y free (2:04.04) – Stricklin knocked 7 seconds off her best 200 free time at the Fall Classic hosted by Oakland Live Y’ers at the Oakland University Aquatic Center. Even more impressive, she was 10.5 seconds faster than she’d been last October. Stricklin finished the weekend with new PB in 100/200 free, 100 back, 50/100/200 fly, 100/200/400 IM.

Kendall Brent, 16, Unattached: 500y free (4:48.46) – Representing Fort Myers High School at the Lee County Athletic Conference Championships at DeLeon Pool, Brent won the 200 free and 500 free, both with PBs. The 500 was 2.5 seconds faster than her seed time. Brent swims year-round for Swim Florida.

Carson Foster, 12, Cincinnati Marlins: 1000y free (10:26.79) – Foster threw down a big swim for his first 1000, jumping to the top spot in the country for 12-year-old boys, and by nearly ten seconds. Foster was competing at the SwimVille USA Jack Thompson Meet hosted by Lakeside Seahawks in Louisville, Kentucky. He also went best times in the 100/500 free, 200 back, 100 fly, and 400 IM.

Ethan Umpornpuckdi, 11, Cerritos Aquatic Club: 1650y free (18:29.06) – Dropping nearly 24 seconds at the age group meet hosted by Barracuda Aquatic Club in Bellflower, California, Umpornpuckdi posted the fastest mile in the country so far this year for 11-year-old boys. He is 37 seconds ahead of number two. He also went best times in the 50/100 free and 50 breast.

Fiona Raynor, 18, Greater Omaha Aquatics: 100y back (58.66) – Raynor went crashing through the 1:00 mark for a new best in the 100 back at the AAAA Senior Circuit meet in Lawrence, Kansas. She also went lifetime bests in the 100 free and 100 breast. Raynor was ahead of last year’s pace in every other event she swam, and seems to be poised for a breakthrough senior season.

Lindsey Merk, 12, Academy Bullets Swim Club: 100y back (1:00.69) – At the Glenbrook Aquatics Oktoberfest Meet in Northbrook, Illinois, Merk won all seven events she entered: 50 free, 50/100 back, 50/100 fly, and 100/200 IM. She was significantly ahead of last year’s pace in all of them, and picked up best times in the 50 free and 200 IM.

Nicole Oliva, 12, Santa Clara Swim Club: 200y back (2:06.58) – About a second off her best time at Walnut Creek Aquabears’ Senior 2 Meet, Oliva was nonetheless 4.5 seconds ahead of her 200 back from the same meet last year. She won the girls 11-12 50/200/500 free, 50/100/200 back, 50 fly, and 200 IM.

Stephen Husch, 17, Cougar Aquatic Team: 100y breast (56.95) – Husch posted impressive time drops while winning both the 100 (-1.1s) and 200 (-5.6s) breast at the Fall Kickoff hosted by Nittany Lion Aquatic Club in the McCoy Natatorium at Penn State. He made his first-ever national time standard with a Winter Juniors cut in the 100 breast. Husch also finished the weekend with best times in the 50 free and 100 fly.

Ethan Browne, 18, Excel Aquatics: 200y breast (2:02.29) – Browne won the 100/200 breast and 200/400 IM at the SwimVille USA Jack Thompson Meet hosted by Lakeside Seahawks. He swam a PB by just a tad in the 200 breast, a whole 3.5 seconds faster than the same weekend last year. Browne ended the meet with new times in the 50/100/200 free, 200 breast, and 100/400 IM.

Juliana Fox, 14, Pacific Swim: 200y fly (2:04.94) – At the Rancho San Dieguito ABC All Ages North Meet, Fox won the 100/200 back, 100/200 fly, and 200/400 IM. She went a lifetime best in the 200 fly by about 8/10, and was 9.5 seconds ahead of what she swam at the same meet a year ago.