In First Time Swimming Mile, 12-Year-Old Aya Gillis-Pade Sets Pacific LSC Record (17:27.28)

2024 PC OAPB Senior Open

• Jan. 27-28, 2024
• Soda Aquatic Center
  • Moraga, California
• SCY (25 yards)

In her first time swimming the 1650-yard freestyle, 12-year-old Aya Gillis-Pade took down a Pacific Swimming LSC record from nine years ago.

Gillis-Pade clocked a time of 17:27.28 in the mile, shaving more than six seconds off of the previous LSC standard for 11-12 girls (17:33.88) set by Santa Clara Swim Club’s Bianca Yongyuth in 2015.

Gillis-Pade, listed as unattached but affiliated with Quicksilver Swimming on her SwimCloud profile, moved up to 48th in the U.S. girls’ 11-12 national age group (NAG) rankings. She won the 1650 free by about four seconds ahead of Orinda Aquatics 14-year-old Lily Yung (17:31.60), who chopped more than 12 seconds off her lifetime best with her runner-up finish.

Gillis-Pade added lifetime bests in the 50 free (25.80), 500 free (5:12.49), and 200 back (2:09.91). Just one day later, she sliced another chunk off her best 50 free time with a 25.38 at the Brian Malick Memorial meet in Morgan Hill.

Yung reached the wall first in the 500 free (5:08.38), a few seconds off her personal-best 5:04.80 from November. Orinda Aquatics 14-year-old Stella Canoles dropped almost 12 seconds in the 500 free on her way to a runner-up finish in 5:14.53.

Canoles showed off her versatility by picking up 1st-place finishes in the 50 free (23.89), 100 free (52.17), 100 fly (56.63), and 400 IM (4:37.30). She broke the LSC record in the 50 free with her personal-best 22.89 in December. In the 100 back (58.31), Canoles was one of three Orinda Aquatics swimmers within a second of North Bay Aquatics 18-year-old Coco Quill (57.44) along with Miranda Stevenson (57.91) and Adriana Smith (57.68).

Smith, an 18-year-old Cal commit, won the 200 back in 2:04.76. 14-year-old Bella Smith also impressed with a 5th-place showing in the 200 back (2:08.32) and an 8th-place effort in the 100 back (58.79).

Boys Recap

Budding distance star Luka Mijatovic was back in action on the boys’ side — albeit not in his signature events — securing victories in the 200 fly (1:51.14) and 200 back (1:52.20). The Pleasanton Seahawks 14-year-old also clocked a lifetime best in the 200 breast (2:10.74) to go along with solid showings in the 100 fly (51.81), 100 back (52.87), and 100 free (47.43).

Also in the 200 back, Orinda Aquatics 13-year-old Fedor Igoshin pulled off a huge time drop in the 200 back with a 6th-place finish in 1:59.50. Igoshin’s best time heading into the meet was 2:13.87 from last March, an improvement of more than 14 seconds. He also went 4:16.57 in the 400 IM, 2:01.06 in the 200 fly, 2:19.82 in the 200 breast, and 50.84 in the 100 free, not far off his best times from the past couple months.

Pleasanton Seahawks 12-year-old Hanz Palattao hit four lifetime bests at the PC OAPB Senior Open. He dropped more than seven seconds in the 400 IM (4:28.17), five seconds in the 500 free (4:59.46), four seconds in the 200 free (1:52.35), and two seconds in the 200 back (2:01.14).

Santa Clara Swim Club 14-year-old Aiden Zhou notched two new lifetime bests in the 100 fly (52.29) and 50 free (21.74). His previous bests in the 100 fly (52.93) and 50 free (21.88) were both from November. Zhou also posted a 200 back time of 1:55.72, a couple seconds off his personal-best 1:53.10 from December.

Pleasanton Seahawks 15-year-old Tim Wu won the 100 fly in 50.99, a few seconds off his personal-best 47.50 from November that stands as the Pacific Swimming LSC record in the event.  He also placed 2nd in the 200 IM (1:53.70) right behind 34-year-old breaststroke specialist Brandon Fischer (1:53.42).

Fischer, a former University of Wyoming swimmer and the oldest male qualifier for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials at age 34, swept the 100 breast (54.78) and 200 breast (2:01.69) along with his 200 IM victory. His season bests of 51.97 and 1:52.08 are among the top times nationally outside of the NCAA. Now a full-time scientist, Fischer is way faster than he was a Division I athlete (54.10/1:55.75).