Thanks to blueseventy, our presenting partner for Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming (January 6-12, 2020.).
Vivian Anderson, 13, North Texas Nadadores (NTN-NT): 100 back, 57.01 – In November 2018, a then-12-year-old Vivian Anderson went a then-best time of 1:01.52 in the 100-yard back. In February 2019, she went 59.78, and in March, 59.05. Anderson didn’t go faster again until December, when she went 58.87. Then, to open 2020, Anderson dropped nearly two seconds to go 57.01, a quadruple-A cut.
Kevin Zhou, 15, First Colony Swim Team (FCST-GU): 50 free, 22.67 – Then 14 years old, Kevin Zhou went a best time of 23.25 in the 50-yard free in January of last year. He only raced a 50 free once more last year, going 23.28 in September. To open 2020, Zhou went 22.67, a triple-A cut. At the same meet, Zhou went best times in the 200 free, 50 back, 200 breast, 50 fly, 100 fly, 200 fly and 100 IM.
Sonia Vaishnani, 14, Alamo Area Aquatic Association (AAAA-ST): 200 IM, 2:04.36 – Sonia Vaishnani ended 2018 with a best time of 2:09.83 in the 200-yard IM. In January 2019, she dropped to 2:07.59 (a 2019 Futures cut), and in March, 2:05.78. In November, Vaishnani dropped that to 2:04.92. In her first meet of 2020, she went 2:05.07 and a best time of 2:04.36 on the same day.
Haley Johnson, 12, Waukesha Express Swim Team (WEST-WI): 500 free, 5:11.69 – Haley Johnson entered 2019 having broken 6:00 in the 500 free just twice. To open 2019, she dropped approximately 22 seconds to go 5:36.74. By October, she was 5:30.98, and in December she went 5:15.87 — a quadruple-A cut. The time-slashing didn’t stop there, however: in her first attempt of 2020, Johnson took off another four seconds, going 5:11.69. She is the second-fastest 12-year-old in the country this year, and was the fastest in the country last weekend by seven seconds.
Cruz Suarez, 11, VillaSport Athletic Club (VSST-GU): 1650 free, 19:06.28 – Eleven-year-old Cruz Suarez swam just the third 1650 of his life last weekend — his first since 2017 — and dropped nearly two minutes. At just eight years old in 2016, he went 22:19.18, and as a nine-year-old in 2017, he went 20:59.51. Last weekend at the 2019 GU TWST Open, Suarez went 19:06.28, a triple-A cut.
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