Presenting the MP Weekly Wonders for the weekend of January 27-29, 2017.
Bret Serpas, 12, Pelican Athletic Club: 50y free (24.16) – Serpas went six-for-six, winning all his events (50/100 free, 50 back, 100 breast, 50 fly, and 100 IM) at the Winter Invitational hosted by Crawfish Aquatics. His 50 free was his third-best ever, just .11 off his PB, and it was 2.3 seconds faster than last year’s. Serpas did take home new times in the 100 breast and 100 IM.
Brandon Miller, 16, Clifton Boys & Girls Club Seahawks: 50y free (21.23) – Miller destroyed a three-month-old PB in the 50 free, dropping 7/10 and winning the boys’ open 50 free at the New Jersey Swimming Winter Cup hosted by Boys and Girls Club of Clifton Seahawks. He was 1.3 second faster than he’d been at this time last year. Miller also won the 100 fly, again with a best time (51.47, -2.2 since last year).
Kate Morris, 13, NWDupage YMCA / B.R. Ryall Swim Team: 100y free (50.24) – Swimming at the 34th Annual Circle City Classic Invitational hosted by Brownsburg Swim Club, Morris won the girls’ 13-14 50/100/200 freestyle events, lowering her PB in each event and earning first-time Winter Juniors cuts in the 100 and 200 freestyles (she already had the cut in the 50). She also won the 100 fly and placed second in the 500 free and 100/200 back. Morris went best times in all seven events.
Vivian Mudry, 13, Soundview YMCA Stingrays: 100y breast (1:05.16) – Mudry won the girls’ open 100 breast at Metropolitan Swimming’s Hawks Trials And Finals at the Valley Central High School Natatorium in Montgomery, New York. It was her second-best time ever, and she broke the meet record with her swim. Mudry also placed third in the 200 breast and fourth in the 200 IM, earning new PBs in both events.
Casadie Dibetta, 13, Wheeling YMCA: 100y breast (1:06.84) – Dibetta won the girls’ 13-14 100/200 breaststrokes at the Allegheny Mountain Swimming Junior Olympics sponsored by Bethel Park Recreation Swim Team. Dibetta’s 100 was an improvement by 4/10 and 2.7 seconds faster than a year ago. She also went a PB in the 200 IM and placed third.
Emma Sticklen, 14, Katy Aquatic Team For Youth: 100y fly (54.94) – Swimming unattached while competing for James E. Taylor High School, freshman Sticklen dipped under 55 seconds for the first time and won the 100 fly at the UIL District 19-6A Championships. She went a best time by 7/10 and was 3.6 seconds ahead of last year’s pace. Sticklen was runner-up in the 50 free, too, dropping a full second and breaking the 24-second barrier with 23.97.
Zhenya Ingram, 14, American Energy Swim Club: 100y fly (52.29) – Ingram came in fourth in the men’s open 100 fly at the Winter Ice Breaker Meet hosted by American Energy Swim Club, the only 14-year-old to finish in the top-10. He went his second-best time, and was 4.5 seconds faster than he’d been in the same meet last year. Ingram also competed in the 50/100 free, 100 back, 100 breast, and 200 IM; he picked up new PBs in the breast and IM.
Lauren Levy, 11, Town of Tonawanda Titans: 200y IM (2:20.96) – Swimming at the Winter Challenge hosted by STAR Swimming, Levy won the girls’ 11-12 200 IM with a best time by 5 seconds; she was 11.1 seconds faster than she’d been last year at this time. Levy also won the 200 free, 100 back, and 50/100/200 fly, and was runner-up in the 50 back and 100 IM. She took home new PBs in everything but the 50 fly.
Alex Podrez, 13, Great Lakes Sailfish Swimming: 400y IM (4:15.53) – Podrez came out of nowhere to place third in the boys’ 13-14 400 IM at the Circle City Classic. He dropped 17.7 seconds and was 25.3 seconds faster than he’d been last year with the swim. Podrez went 8-for-8 with best times, also dropping in the 1650 free (-34.1), 100 back (-2.5), 200 back (-7.1), 200 breast (-7.3), 100 fly (-6.2), 200 fly (-12.3), and 200 IM (-2.3).
Reminder: The Weekly Wonders column is a celebration of age-group swimming, where new champions are made every day. Anyone can look up the top swims of the week. That’s not what we’re doing here. If we were only reporting on the week’s top swims we would feature the same handful of athletes every Wednesday. Instead, this is an opportunity to introduce the swimming community to athletes who have made great strides in the context of their own particular swimming worlds. By association, it also celebrates their coaches and their teams. The Weekly Wonders column, therefore, amounts to a pat on the back for a job well done, and hopefully encourages swimmers of all levels to continue to reach from within to get to that next level.
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