SPIRE has had a monumentally busy and successful sesaon.
SPIRE hosted the following Championship swimming events:
The SPIRE Aquatic Center hosted over 1,500 athletes and approximately 4,000 spectators during the championship season. Athletes descended on SPIRE from across the country to compete at the top aquatics venue in the country.
Lake Erie Silver Dolphins, SPIRE’s 400+ member club swim team was awarded the 2013 Silver Medal Club Excellence award from USA-Swimming, ranking the club 29th in the country. Shortly thereafter, LESD won the 2013 USA-Swimming District Championship with over 2,600 points (the next closest team scored 831 points). Two weeks later it won the USA-Swimming Sectional Championship Team Title, edging out teams from North Carolina and Michigan.
SPIRE Academy’s Kaitlyn Johnson qualified for the 2013 Word Championship USA Team Trials at the Charlotte Grand Prix (May 2013). Kaitlyn also broke former Olympian Melanie Valerio’s 100 yard freestyle record at the 2013 USA-Swimming District Championship (March 2013).
SPIRE swimmer Rodrigo Suriano was a double gold medalist at the 2013 Central American Games, where he broke two meet records (March 2013).
SPIRE’S Giordan Harris set two personal records at the 2012 World Championships in Turkey (Dec 2012).
SPIRE’S Matt Goettler made the finals at the 2012 USA-Swimming Junior National Championship at the University of Tennessee (Dec 2012) with personal best times in the 100 Breast, 200 Breast, 200 IM, 100 Fly, and 100 Back.
SPIRE’S Alex Rosen won the 200 Freestyle at the Braun Fall Invitational (Nov 2012), dropping over two seconds off his best time.
SPIRE swimmer Hannah Shinn won the 200 yard breaststroke at the 2013 USA-Swimming District Championship (March 2013), shaving four seconds off her best time.
Top LESD/SPIRE individual highlights included:
Austin Quinn smashed his personal best time in the 200 yard backstroke in finals of the USA Swimming Junior Nationals with a time of 1:47.32, a new team and USA-Swimming district record.
The men’s 800 Yard Freestyle Relay of Rosen (SPIRE), Quinn (Chagrin Falls – LESD), Goettler (SPIRE), and Simpson (Hawken – LESD) finished 8th in the country at the USA Swimming Junior Nationals. The overall men’s team finished 21st in the country out of 86 teams.
High School Freshman Lauren Heller (SPIRE LESD) capped off a great year breaking the all-time 13-14 year old USA-Swimming District Record (formerly held by SPIRE’s own Olympian Diana Munz) in the 200 yard freestyle. She also was an Ohio high school state championship finalist in the 50 and 100 freestyle.
Congrats to all SPIRE Academy swimmers on a successful 2012-13 season!
SPIRE Academy is a swimswam partner.
Alex Rosen is actually composed of approximately 60% steak and 15 % body hair. They’re not sure about the rest but I’ve heard its an ambiguous combination including ocean water, BBQ sauce, and sweet tea.