GMX7 Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming – 4/29/2023

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.

Kayla Han, 14, La Mirada Armada (RMDA-CA): Han had a strong start to the long course season at the Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions (SMOC) in Mission Viejo, putting up a pair of personal best times that move her up the all-time rankings in the girls’ 13-14 age group. Han swam to a time of 2:16.40 in the 200 IM, dipping under her previous best of 2:17.23 to rank 12th all-time in the age group, while in the 200 fly, her PB of 2:14.59 moved her into 40th all-time. Han added a best time in the 100 breast (1:16.06) and clocked 4:44.71 in the 400 IM, nearing her best of 4:43.60 set last summer which ranks her third all-time in the age group.

Taylor Thongintra, 14, Aquazot Swim Club (AZOT-CA): Also racing in Mission Viejo, Thongintra established new personal best times in four events, including producing a massive seven-second drop in the 400 IM. Thongintra clocked 4:42.26 to move into sixth this season in the boys’ 13-14 age group, and the Aquazot Swim Club member also took off two and a half seconds in the 200 IM (2:13.97) to rank 10th.

Vivian Taylor, 13, Mission Viejo Nadadores (MVN-CA): Taylor put up five lifetime bests at the SMOC, highlighted by her 1:13.31 effort in the 100 breaststroke that earned her a victory in the consolation final. The time makes her the second-fastest 13-year-old in the U.S. this season, knocking over three seconds off her previous best set in January. The Mission Viejo Nadadore also swam to personal bests in the 50 breast (34.83), 200 breast (2:45.90), 100 fly (1:14.33) and 400 IM (5:19.39).

Cullen Kahl, 12, Magnolia Aquatic Club (MAC-GU): Kahl’s performances at the Aggieland April Long Course Invitational included a 22-second drop in the 800 freestyle, as the 12-year-old recorded a time of 9:22.16 to rank first in the U.S. this season in the boys’ 11-12 age group by over six and a half seconds. Kahl added personal best times in the 100 fly (1:06.97), 100 breast (1:19.74) and 100 free (1:02.65).

Sarah Zhang, 12, Gators Swim Club (BGSC-NE): Zhang reset five best times at the BGSC Long Course Season Opener, including a pair of quick swims in the breaststroke events. The 12-year-old Gators Swim Club member clocked 36.20 in the 50 breast, ranking her third in the 11-12 age group this season, and in the 100 breast, her time of 1:18.13 puts her second in the country in 2022-23.

Peter Vu, 14, Irvine Novaquatics (NOVA-CA): Yet another swimmer performing well at the SMOC, Vu established six new personal best times, headlined by his effort in the 100 breaststroke. The 14-year-old swam to a time of 1:06.66, ranking him 52nd all-time in the boys’ 13-14 age group and first this season. The Irvine Novaquatics product also moved to #1 in the country this season in the 200 IM (2:12.25), second in the 200 breast (2:26.08), and fourth in both the 100 free (53.87) and 200 breast (1:57.00).

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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