Brandon Lin Takes Down Two Hawaiian Records At Hawaii Age Group Championships

2023 Hawaii Age Group LCM Championship

• July 14-17, 2023
• Kihei Aquatic Center, Kihei, Hawaii
• LCM (50 meters)
• Results 

The 2023 Hawaii Long Course Age Group Championships are in the books. Topping the team scores was the Kamehameha Swim Club, who absolutely dominated the meet with a total of 5507.5 points overall.

Team Scores – Combined:

1. Kamehameha Swim Club – 5507.5
2. Hawaii Swimming Club Maui – 1646
3. Lahaina Swim Club – 1438
4. Aulea Swim Club – 1293
5. Punahou Aquatics – 1171

One of the  top performers of the competition was 14-year-old Brandon Lin of Swim Kauai Aquatics. Lin won six of his eight individual events, going personal best times in the same number. Highlighting his schedule was the 100 and 200 breast, where he notched personal best times of 1:07.12 and 2:24.66. 

Both of Lin’s swims in the breaststroke races mark new Hawaii Swimming records. His performance in the 100 knocks over a second off Tom Caps’ previous mark of 1:08.48  from 2018, while his 200 time is over two seconds faster than Albert Lee’s record done in 2012 (2:26.23). Additionally, Lin’s swim in the 200 is good for a 2023 Winter Juniors qualifying time and moves him up to 75th all-time in the age group.

Rounding out Lin’s victories was 200 fly (2:12.46), 400 IM (4:52.78), 200 IM (2:15.23), and 200 backstroke (2:21.17). He saw a significant drop in the 200 fly, with his time coming in over two seconds quicker than his previous best set in June.

Flexx Faildo of the Kamehameha Swim Club also won numerous events in the boys’ 13-14 age group, including sweeping the sprint freestyle races. He opened with a victory in the 200 freestyle, going a best time of 2:01.99 to narrowly out-touch Lin in 2nd (2:02.06). He then went on to win the 100 with a best time of 55.42 in prelims, followed by a victory in the 50 where he touched 1st at 25.44. Faildo was also the only swimmer in the field to crack one-minute in the 100 fly with a best time of 59.76. 

On the girls’ side of the meet, 14-year-old Sacha Salem from Lahaina Swim Club secured five victories. Salem swept the freestyle races from the 200 to the 1500, while also picking up 2nd in the 100. One of her best performances, however, was in the 200 IM, where she dropped over a second to clock a best time of 2:34.55 and top the field by nearly three seconds. 

15-year-old Sage Miller did well in the girls 15-18 category. Miller, who swims with the Kamehameha Swim Club, had fantastic races in the butterfly events. She dropped over two seconds in the 200 to hit a best time of 2:19.65, while in the 100 she came within a tenth of her personal best at 1:03.17. Miller also had a strong swim in the 400 IM, where she stopped the clock at 5:10.54, knocking almost six seconds off her previous best.

One of the top swimmers in the boys 11-12 age group was Aulea Swim Club’s Ocean Serrano, who took 1st in seven events. Serrano saw massive time drops in the 200 free and 200 breaststroke, where he clocked personal best times of 2:19.90 and 3:01.21, respectively.