Here are the Weekly Wonders for the weekend of June 2-4, 2017:
Gunnar Poley, 16, Gillette Swim Team: 50m free (25.02) – Swimming at the Southwest Classic hosted by Tucson Ford Dealers Aquatics, Poley dropped 8/10 in his 50 free, almost breaking the 25-second barrier. He was 1.1 seconds faster than he’d been last spring.
Raime Jones, 17, Edina Swim Club: 200m free (2:05.37) – Jones placed 23rd in the 200 free at the 2017 Arena Pro Swim Series Santa Clara with her second-best lifetime swim. It was the first time she has broken 2:06 in a while, and renewed her qualification for Winter Juniors. Jones also finaled in the 100 free and 200 IM.
Jack Alexy, 14, Somerset Hills YMCA: 100m back (59.93) – Also competing at Arena PSS Santa Clara was Alexy, whose best-by-3.1 performance gave him his first sub-1:00 in the 100 back. Alexy has now dropped 5.2 seconds in the event over the last 12 months. He also earned new PBs in the 100 free and 200 back.
Samuel Bork, 13, Mid Wisconsin Wave Makers: 100m back (1:03.20) – Bork won the boys’ 13-14 100 back by over 4 seconds at the Pirate Plunge hosted by South Eastern Aquatics YMCA. It was his best time by 1.3 seconds and 6.9 ahead of his pace from a year ago. Bork has swum the event 9 times over the last 12 months; every time he gets a little faster. He also ended the weekend with a new PB in the 100 breast.
Kaden Smesko, 15, Firestone Akron Swim Team: 100m back (59.40) – Smesko snagged his first Winter Juniors invitation with a .36 drop for a third-place finish in the boys’ 15-and-over 100 back at the Spring into Summer Meet hosted by Ohio State Swim Club. Smesko is now 4.2 seconds faster than he’d been last year at this time. Smesko wrapped up the meet with new times in the 50/100y free, 400m free, 200y back, 100/200m back, 200y IM, and 200m IM.
Berit Quass, 14, Dowling Catholic Riptide: 100m back (1:06.18) – Swimming at the Long Course Kick Off hosted by Cedar Rapids Aquatics Association, Quass dropped 1.3 seconds to win the girls open 100 back Super Final. She was 1.8 seconds faster than she’d been a year ago. Quass also won the 100 fly Super Final and the 200 fly, and was runner-up in the 200 IM Super Final with a new PB.
Jazz Barry, 14, DC Dept Of Parks and Recreation: 100m breast (1:16.42) – Barry took 1.7 seconds off her 100 breast time to finish third in the 13-14 event at the Maryland State LC Meet. She was 4.2 seconds ahead of where she’d been last year at this time. Barry won the girls’ 13-14 50 free, with a PB by 1/100. She also earned PBs in the 100 fly and 200 IM.
Cobi Lopez Miro, 16, Auburn Aquatics: 200m breast (2:28.98) – Lopez Miro dropped a whopping 4.2 seconds to break the 2:30 barrier in the 200 breast for the first time at the Betsy Dunbar Long Course Invitational. That’s an improvement of 9.5 seconds in 12 months. He was runner-up in both the 100 breast and 200 breast, and sixth in the 400 IM. Lopez Miro left the meet with new PBs in the 50/200/400 free, 100/200 breast, and 200/400 IM.
Allie Piccirillo, 16, Northern KY Clippers Swimming: 200m fly (2:17.39) – Swimming at the Eric Namesnik Memorial Invitational hosted by Club Wolverine, Piccirillo dropped 6/10 to earn her first Summer Juniors cut in the 200 fly. She also earned a pair of PBs in the 200 IM and 400 IM.
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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Breaststroker Cobi Lopez Miro from Auburn Aquatics. Hmmm, wonder who his dad is? Looks like Cobi’s on the right path ?