In our GMX7 Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming series, we celebrate swimmers of every age and experience level with age group profiles of some recent results.
Alexander Thomas, 13, Dads Club Swim Team (GU): Thomas had a breakout performance at the Tracey Harper-Santiago Memorial Meet last weekend, setting numerous best times including three that rank in the top five among 13-year-olds this season. Thomas blasted his way to a time of 47.50 in the 100 free, dropping more than two seconds from his previous PB to rank fourth this season among 13-year-old boys, while his new bests in the 100 fly (52.29) and 200 IM (1:55.88) both rank 5th. The Dads Club Swim Team product also put up times that hold top-17 rankings in the 50 free (22.38), 100 breast (1:00.98), 200 breast (2:11.86) and 400 IM (4:14.07).
Rylee Erisman, 14, Laker Swim (FL): At 14, Erisman made three ‘B’ finals at the Knoxville Pro Swim (LCM) last weekend, setting lifetime bests in all three events. In the 200 free, she dropped nearly two seconds to clock 2:00.64, ranking her tied for 12th all-time in the girls’ 13-14 age group. She also knocked half a second off her PB in the 100 back in 1:01.70, good for 16th all-time among 13-14s, and her seismic drop down to 4:16.69 in the 400 free moved her into the age group’s top 50.
Gavin Halusic, 14, Chattahoochee Gold Swim Club (GA): Halusic only hit the water two times at last weekend’s SwimAtlanta Winter Classic, but they were both standout performances. In the 200 fly, the 14-year-old chipped half a second off his previous PB to touch in 1:51.03, moving him up 24 slots into 51st all-time in the boys’ 13-14 age group. His previous best time of 1:51.58 was set just last month at the Georgia Senior SC Championships, where he also dropped a blistering PB of 49.62 in the 100 fly. That time currently ties him for 39th all-time in the 13-14 age group, and although he didn’t quite hit it last weekend, he came close, notching his second-fastest ever 100 fly in 50.00. This season, Halusic ranks 3rd among 13-14s in the 100 fly and 6th in the 200 fly.
Maddie Thornton, 15, Bend Swim Club (OR): Thornton notched a number of lifetime bests at the 47th Annual Washington Open last week, cracking the seasonal top 10 in a pair of events and moving into the top 20 in several others. Thornton went 25.52 in the 50 back to sit 5th this season among 15-year-olds, and in the 100 back she broke 55 seconds for the third time in the last five weeks, undercutting her PB in 54.72 to rank 9th. The Bend Swim Club product added bests in the 50 free (23.36), 100 free (50.73), 200 free (1:49.12) and 200 back (1:59.30) that rank in the top 20 among 15-year-olds this season, and she added a blistering 50.10 relay split to lead her team to a runner-up finish in the 400 free relay.
Hanz Palattao, 12, Pleasanton Seahawks (PC): Between two meets over the past couple of weeks, Palattao has reset his best time in 10 different events. Two weeks ago at the Pacific Coast All Stars meet, Palattao, representing Pacific Swimming, picked up a trio of victories, highlighted by his 100 IM swim of 56.69 that ranks tied for 55th all-time in the 11-12 age group and 1st this season. He also put up times of 29.21 in the 50 breast and 1:03.73 in the 100 breast, ranking 8th and 6th, respectively, in the age group in 2023-24. The Pleasanton Seahawk product also hit bests in the 50 free (23.86), 100 free (51.22), 100 back (56.92) and 200 IM (2:08.00) at the meet, and came back the following weekend with new PBs in the 50 back (27.68), 200 fly (2:15.39) and 400 IM (4:35.73).
Marley Spray, 13, Gold Medal Swim Club (AZ): Competing at the Road To Paris Senior Invite (LCM) last weekend in La Mirada, Calif., Spray established eight best times and picked up a pair of top-four finishes competing against a field primarily made up of older swimmers. The Gold Medal Swim Club athlete dropped three-quarters of a second in the 100 back, clocking 1:06.15 to rank 3rd this season among 13-year-old girls. In the 200 back, she dropped nearly three seconds to clock 2:21.33, ranking her 2nd among 13-year-olds this season. Both swims also earned Spray Futures cuts.
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About GMX7
Founded in 2018, GMX7 is based in St. Petersburg, Florida and is dedicated to changing the world of swimming by empowering competitive swimmers with the best aquatic resistance training devices ever created. GMX7 was founded by David McCagg, a 7-time gold medalist, former world record holder and winner of multiple national championships. The first device on the market by GMX7 is the X1-PRO. Designed by ROBRADY Engineering, it has already been the recipient of several awards including the 2020 International Design Excellence Award and the 2020 Red Dot Award for product design.
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