Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming: 11/16/2024

In our Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming series, we celebrate swimmers of every age and experience level with age group profiles of some recent results.

Luke Bickett, 14, Jersey Wahoos (MA): Bickett set four personal best times at the Mid-Atlantic Age Group Showdown at the beginning of November in Manassas, Va., winning five events and contributing some quick relay splits for the Jersey Wahoos. Bickett set new bests en route to wins in the 200 free (1:46.76), 200 IM (1:57.40) and 400 IM (4:09.81), and he also set a PB of 48.93 in the 100 free leading off the Wahoos’ 400 free relay. He moves into #8 this season in the boys’ 13-14 age group in the 400 IM, 10th in the 200 IM, 30th in the 200 free and 32nd in the 100 free.

Katrin Otaegi, 14, Crow Canyon Sharks (PC): Otaegi notched six lifetime bests at the PLS Senior Open in Pleasanton, Calif., moving into the top 10 in the girls’ 13-14 age group in several events. In the 100 free, Otaegi broke 51 seconds for the first time in the prelims (50.72) and then got down to 50.56 in the final, ranking her 2nd this season for 13-14 girls and within three-tenths of cracking the top 100 all-time. She also moved to 5th this season in the 200 IM (2:03.71), 7th in the 400 IM (4:25.07) and 8th in the 200 free (1:52.04), while in the 100 fly, she clocked 56.30 after going 56.10 earlier this season to rank 6th in the age group.

Zaryna Wardlay, 12, Metroplex Aquatics (NT): Wardlay hit personal bests in all four events she raced at the LAC Fall Classic in Justin, Texas, taking over the top spot in the girls’ 11-12 age group this season in two of them. Wardlay climbed to #1 in the age group this season in the 50 free (24.13) and 100 fly (58.43), with her 50 free marker also ranking her tied for 89th all-time. In the 100 free, Wardlay now ranks 2nd in the age group this season and 64th all-time, and she also cracked the top 10 this season in the 100 back (1:00.88 for 9th).

Trae Lewis, 16, Spartan Aquatic Club (MI): Lewis set five lifetime bests and collected three wins at the Greater Kalamazoo Arena Challenge at the beginning of November, highlighted by what he did in the backstroke events. The 16-year-old, who was actually 15 at the time of these swims, dropped a monstrous PB in the 100 back, going from 51.14 to 49.65 to rank 12th in the nation this season in the 15-16 age group. It also ranks 5th-fastest for 15-year-olds this season. In the 200 back, he took off just over a second in 1:48.63, ranking him 13th this season in the age group and 6th for 15-year-olds. He also set best times in the 100 breast (59.01), 200 breast (2:08.64) and 100 fly (50.16).

Michael Geh, 16, Badger Swim Club (MR): Like Lewis, Geh produced some blistering backstroke swims two weeks ago competing at the Fall SCY Invitational in the West Bronx. A Princeton commit in the boys’ high school class of 2026, Geh dropped a time of 48.40 in the 100 back to rank 6th in the boys’ 15-16 age group, and in the 200 back, his time of 1:46.49 moves him up to 4th. Coming into the meet, his best times stood at 49.39 in the 100 back and 1:48.75 in the 200 back. The 16-year-old added best times in the 50 free (20.93) and 500 free (4:30.69).

Bianca Nwaizu, 15, Irvine Novaquatics (CA): Nwaizu set a pair of personal bests at the Kevin Perry Senior Invitational last weekend, including lowering her PB in the 100 breast by .01. Nwaizu chipped down her best time to 1:00.22, ranking her 30th all-time in the girls’ 15-16 age group and 1st this season despite being only 15. She added a best time in the 200 free (1:51.50) and was within three-tenths of it in the 100 free (51.55).

Elliot Leasure, 13, Rochester Swim Club (MN): Leasure produced a time of 1:54.06 in the 200 back at the “WOLF Howl At the Moon” meet in Minneapolis, knocking more than two seconds off his previous best time of 1:56.40. The swim ranks the Rochester Swim Club product 2nd this season for 13-year-old boys and 6th in the 13-14 age group. He also logged best times of 1:48.87 in the 200 free and 4:15.40 in the 400 IM, the latter ranking him 8th this season for 13-year-olds.