Ella Gotham & Hayden Sunman Lead Bolles To Victory At Florida Spring Champs

2021 FLORIDA SWIMMING SPRING AGE GROUP CHAMPS

• March 4 – March 8, 2021
• South Site: North Shore Pool, St. Petersburg, Florida
• North Site: Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center, Orlando, Fl
• Short Course Yards (SCY)
• Full Results – Combined
• Final Team Standings – Combined

The Bolles Sharks won the combined team titles at the 2021 Florida Swimming Sprong Age Group Champs over the weekend. 61 total teams raced in two separate locations with results being combined between the two sites. Bolles collectively scored 3,217.50 to beat 2nd place team Laker Swim who earned 1,333.50 and Sarasota Sharks with 1,242.50.

Final Team Scores

1. Bolles School Sharks – 3,217.50 Points
2. Laker Swim – 1,333.50 Points
3. Sarasota Sharks – 1,242.50 Points
4. Sarasota Tsunami Swim Team – 1,154 Points
5. Patriot Aquatics – 917.50 Points
6. Loggerhead Aquatics – 851 Points
7. Planet Swim Aquatics – 697 Points
8. Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club – 622.50 Points
9. Episcopal AmberJax – 608.50 Points
10. Saint Petersburg Aquatics – 592 Points

Bolles’ top point scorer at the meet was 12-year-old Ella Gotham who contributed 111 points to the team’s total.

In the 200 IM, Gotham took gold in a 2:14.22 ahead of Ella Harmon‘s 2:14.22 for silver and Kaya Robertson‘s 2:20.17 for bronze. That was just under her previous PB of 2:14.27 from last year. Gotham also won the 100 and 200 backstrokes, getting under a minute for the first time in the 100 with a 59.99. In the 200, she swam a 2:06.02, quicker than her fastest-ever swim going into the meet of 2:09.34.

Gotham also won 3 individual silver medals at the meet, taking second place in the 100 freestyle (53.83), 200 freestyle (1:56.43), and 500 freestyle (5:16.25).

Also pulling off some solid wins for Bolles was Hayden Sunman who collected the high point award in the 13-14 boys age category.

Sunman’s first win was in the 13-14 400 IM in which he swam a 4:08.13 to lower his PB from a 4:12.91, beating out Ryan Erisman from Laker Swim with a 4:12.24 for silver and Area Tallahassee’s Ethan Ekk who was a 4:15.16 for silver. Sunman followed that up with another PB and gold medal performance in the 200 IM, swimming a 1:56.33 to John McNamara‘s 1:57.90 and Aidan Siers‘ 2:01.43 for bronze. His third gold medal came in the 100 backstroke when he hit a 52.10 PB.

Sunman’s other individual points came from a third-place finish in both the 100 and 200 breaststrokes (1:00.74/2:08.45) and a second-place finish in the 1:53.19.

While Gotham and Sunman won the top score awards for 11-12 girls and 13-14 boys for Bolles, respectively, Owen Ekk won the 11-12 boys award for Area Tallahassee and Maeve Eckerman won the 13-14 girls award for the Sarasota Sharks.

Ekk had a solid start early on in the meet, posting the fastest time in the nation this season for 11-12 boys with a 9:50.82. Ekk followed up that performance with another few wins at the meet, taking gold in the 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 500 freestyle, and 100 breaststroke. Following his performance at this meet, Ekk now sits within the top 10 in all 6 of the events that he won, including 4 top ranks nationally.

Owen Ekk 11-12 Boys National Rankings (2020-2021)

• 1st: 100 Freestyle – 48.92
• 1st: 200 Freestyle – 1:46.10
• 1st: 100 Backstroke – 55.33
• 2nd: 500 Freestyle – 4:49.85
• 8th: 100 Breaststroke – 1:04.08

Maeve Eckerman meanwhile pulled off wins in the 400 IM, 100 backstroke, and 200 backstroke, along with silver in the 100 and 200 butterflies, and bronze in the 200 IM.

Maeve Eckerman Top 3 Performances

• Gold: 400 IM – 4:29.46
• Gold: 100 Backstroke – 56.32
• Gold: 200 Backstroke – 2:01.95
• Silver: 100 Butterfly – 56.48
• Silver: 200 Butterfly – 2:07.46
• Bronze: 200 IM – 2:07.03

Top 3 Performances By Age Category:

13-14 Girls

1. Maeve Eckerman (Sarasota Sharks) – 110 Points
2. Savannah Branon (Bolles School Sharks) 108 Points
3. Emma Sundermeyer (Southwest Stars Swim Club) – 106 Points

13-14 Boys

1. Hayden Sunman (Bolles School Sharks) – 109 Points
2. Ryan Erisman (Laker Swim) – 106 Points
3. Andrew Kravchenko (Rocoa Rockets) – 100 Points

11-12 Girls

1. Ella Gotham (Bolles School Sharks) – 111 Points
2. Hana Sungail (Patriot Aquatics) / Blakely Hammel (Swim Jax) – 110 Points

11-12 Boys

1. Owen Ekk (Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club) – 120 Points
2. Bogdan Zverev (Unattached Srq) – 114 Points
3. Liam Roberts (Bolles School Sharks) – 109 Points

10 & Under Girls

1. Sabrina Avila (Episcopal AmberJax) – 117 Points
2. Mia Pistanek (Sarasota Tsunami Swim Team) – 114 Points
3. Maya Szylkowski (Central Florida Marlins) – 93 Points

10 & Under Boys

1. Reef McMeeking (Hydro4 Swimming) – 112 Points
2. Sawyer Hansen W 9 Saint Petersburg Aquatics- 108 Points
3. Kyle Conboy (Patriot Aquatics) – 104 Points