Brought to you by Spectrum Aquatics, a SwimSwam partner, our Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming series celebrates swimmers of every age and experience level with age group profiles of some recent results.
Sahiel Pai, 12, Irvine Novaquatics (CA): Pai had a pair of standout swims in the breaststroke events at the NOVA Intrasquad (LCM) meet at the end of April, including a stunning swim of 2:36.56 in the 200 breast. The performance, which improves on his previous best of 2:44.55 set last summer, ranks him 40th all-time in the boys’ 11-12 age group and 1st this season by nine seconds. He also went 33.15 in the 50 breast, ranking him 79th all-time and 1st this season, and he added PBs in the 50 free (27.75) and 100 free (59.83), which rank 15th and 5th this season, respectively. Pai’s 11-year-old teammate Mason Tran also produced a notable time in the 200 breast, clocking 2:47.49 to rank 3rd this season in the 11-12 age group.
Annabelle Hayes, 10, Irvine Novaquatics (CA): Also racing at the Nova Intrasquad to kick off the long course season, Hayes took on a busy schedule with seven events, setting new best times in all of them. Her most notable swim came in the 400 free, where Hayes clocked 4:50.20 to rank 14th all-time in the girls’ 10 & under age group and 1st this season, while teammate Grace Wang, also 10, clocked 4:54.08 to rank 35th all-time. Hayes also posted a time of 2:20.37 in the 200 free, ranking her 45th all-time in the age group and 1st this season, while she also took over the #1 spot this season in the 50 free (29.69), and 50 back (34.25), while she sits 2nd in the 100 free (1:05.35) and 3rd in the 100 back (1:14.03).
Elliot Leasure, 13, Rochester Swim Club (MN): Leasure set best times in all four 100-meter events at the Rochester Swim Club Pentathlon (LCM) on May 3, and added a 50 free PB for good measure. The 13-year-old brought his best time in the 100 back down from 1:01.25 to 59.81, ranking him 2nd this season in the boys’ 13-14 age group and 1st for 13-year-old boys by just under three and a half seconds. It also makes him the 4th-fastest 13-year-old in the U.S. since the beginning of 2020. Leasure also clocked 1:00.19 in the 100 fly, ranking him 1st among 13-year-olds this season and 15th in the 13-14 age group, while he added PBs in the 50 free (26.63), 100 free (56.09) and 100 breast (1:16.42) in what was his first long course meet of the year.
Ivy Zhang, 11, Pleasanton Seahawks (PC): Zhang moved to the top of the national rankings this season for 11-year-old girls in two events at the San Ramon Valley Aquatics (SRVA) LCM C-B-BB+ meet last weekend, setting new personal bests across the board. Zhang clocked 1:09.79 in the 100 fly and 2:37.84 in the 200 fly to rank 1st this season among 11-year-old girls, while her time of 2:36.27 in the 200 back ranks 2nd and her 33.81 in the 50 back ranks 6th. She also went 2:40.13 in the 200 IM, good for 11th this season for 11-year-olds. Zhang’s 200 back and 200 fly swims were also her first-ever in those events in the long course pool, having set new bests in short course yards last month.
Grant Bellin, 14, King Aquatic Club (PN): Bellin recorded six lifetime bests at the King Spring Derby in late April in Federal Way, highlighted by his swim in the 100 back. Bellin dropped more than two seconds from his PB to clock 59.32, ranking him 1st this season in the boys’ 13-14 age group and tied for 85th all-time. He also cracked 2:10 for the first time in the 200 back, touching in 2:09.96 to rank 3rd this season in the age group, while he also moved to 6th in the 50 free (24.83), 21st in the 100 free (55.87), 25th in the 100 fly (1:00.86) and 27th in the 200 free (2:03.31).
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