In our GMX7 Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming series, we celebrate swimmers of every age and experience level with age group profiles of some recent results.
Joseph Campagnola, 15, West Florida Lightning Aquatics (FL): Campagnola was on fire last weekend at the Gator Holiday Classic, setting five lifetime bests including a pair of highly-ranked swims in the 200 back and 100 breast. Campagnola logged a time of 1:47.26 in the 200 back, dropping more than two seconds off his PB to rank #1 in the country this season among 15-year-old boys. The West Florida Lightning Aquatics product also moved to #3 this season for 15-year-olds with his 55.88 swim in the 100 breast, and he added best times in the 50 free (21.29), 100 free (46.83) and 100 fly (50.30).
Brynn Lavigueur, 16, Sarasota Sharks (FL): Also racing at the Gator Holiday Classic, Lavigueur set numerous best times, highlighted by her performance in the 200 back. Lavigueur, who only turned 16 over the past month, brought her best time down from 2:05.39 to 1:59.24 over the course of the day, ranking her 20th in the 15-16 age group this season. She also went 53.98 in the 100 back leading off Sarasota’s 400 medley relay—.02 shy of her best time that ranks ninth in the age group this season—and she added new bests in the 50 free (23.38), 100 free (51.27), 200 free (1:49.71) and 100 fly (58.13).
Hutch Paxton, 14, Nashville Aquatic Club (SE): Paxton had a breakout performance at the NAC Music City Invite, highlighted by his swim in the 100 fly. Having recently lowered his PB down by two seconds in November (51.21), Paxton went 50.37 in the prelims before eclipsing the 50-second barrier in the final, touching in 49.67 to move into 40th all-time in the boys’ 15-16 age group. The 14-year-old Nashville Aquatic Club member also went 21.35 in the 50 free to rank eighth in the 13-14 age group this season, and added bests in the 100 free (48.69), 200 free (1:43.60), 100 breast (59.95) and 200 IM (1:58.59).
Emelia Wang, 10, Pleasanton Seahawks (PC): Competing at the Pacific Swimming Winter 14 & Under Age Group Championships in California, Wang was a dominant force in the girls’ 10 & under age group, winning three events and finishing as the runner-up in four others. The top swims for Wang came in the freestyle events, as she clocked 2:03.73 in the 200 free and 5:25.55 in the 500 free, both new lifetime bests and the fastest time in the age group this season. The 500 free time also ranks 25th all-time for 10 & under girls, while the 200 free is 51st. She also logged PBs of 2:20.97 in the 200 IM and 1:05.82 in the 100 IM, ranking second and third, respectively, in the age group this season, and added bests in the 50 free (27.34) and 50 back (30.81).
Ethan Zhou, 13, Lakeside Aquatic Club (NT): Zhou had a standout performance at the MAC Winter Invitational in Mansfield, Texas, highlighted by his swims in the breaststroke events. Zhou dropped more than three seconds in the prelims of the 100 breast in a time of 58.63, and then matched it in the final. That swim ranks #3 this season among 13-year-old boys and ties for 18th all-time, and he followed up by clocking 2:06.55 in the 200 breast which ranks #2 this season and 14th all-time. Zhou also recorded lifetime bests in the 100 free (50.21), 200 free (1:47.99), 100 fly (54.58) and 200 IM (1:58.99).
Heba Fouitah, 13, Aiken-Augusta Swim League (GA): Fouitah produced numerous best times at the Georgia Senior SC Championships in Atlanta, with the standout swim coming in the 200 back where she claimed the title. Fouitah lowered her month-old best time of 2:01.19 down to 2:00.46, a swim that ranks #2 this season among 13-year-old girls and in the top 80 all-time. Perhaps more impressively, she went 25.95 in the 50 back which ranks first this season for 13-year-olds and 22nd all-time. The Aiken-Augusta Swim League product added PBs in the 50 free (23.95), 200 free (1:54.43), 100 back (57.07) and 100 fly (58.85).
About GMX7
Founded in 2018, GMX7 is based in St. Petersburg, Florida and is dedicated to changing the world of swimming by empowering competitive swimmers with the best aquatic resistance training devices ever created. GMX7 was founded by David McCagg, a 7-time gold medalist, former world record holder and winner of multiple national championships. The first device on the market by GMX7 is the X1-PRO. Designed by ROBRADY Engineering, it has already been the recipient of several awards including the 2020 International Design Excellence Award and the 2020 Red Dot Award for product design.
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