Our Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming series celebrates swimmers of every age and experience level with age group profiles of some recent results.
Jordan Willis, 16, SwimMAC Carolina (NC): Willis secured six lifetime bests at the Martha McKee Open last weekend, highlighted by his Olympic Trials cut in the 200 breaststroke. Willis clocked 2:15.51, ranking him 20th all-time in the boys’ 15-16 age group as he took off more than three seconds relative to his PB coming into the day (2:18.74). In the 100 breast, the SwimMAC product dropped over two seconds in 1:02.64, moving him into a tie for 21st all-time among 15-16s.
Elyse Brenenborg, 12, Racer X Aquatics (AM): Brenenborg won six events and added three more top-four finishes at the Robert F. Busbey Invitational last weekend in Cleveland, setting lifetime bests in every event. Brenenborg’s top swim of the meet came in the 1500 freestyle, where she dropped 53 seconds to clock a time of 18:41.26, ranking her first this season in the girls’ 11-12 age group. The Racer X Aquatics swimmer also now ranks second this season in the 400 free (4:43.84) and ninth in the 800 free (9:55.14).
Alexander Thomas, 12, Dads Club Swim Team (GU): Thomas swept his events at the KATY/PACE May Open Invite in Angleton, Texas, notching five personal bests including a pair of highly-ranked swims in the 200 back and 400 free. Thomas established respective PBs of 2:24.71 and 4:28.40, both ranking him first this season in the boys’ 11-12 age group, and he also clocked 29.18 to move into fifth in the 50 fly.
Lynsey Bowen, 15, Carmel Swim Club (IN): Bowen set personal best times en route to winning the 400 free (4:11.97) and 800 free (8:38.53) at the Indy Spring Cup, and she also set PBs to place second in the 200 free (1:59.82) and qualify sixth into the 200 fly final prior to scratching (2:16.15). Despite being on the younger half of the age group, Bowen now ranks 37th all-time among 15-16 girls in the 200 free, 63rd in the 400 free and 66th in the 800 free, and is the second-fastest 15-year-old in the nation this year in the 200 and 800 behind only Claire Weinstein. Her previous best times, all set in March, sat at 2:00.18, 4:12.28 and 8:39.85, in the 200, 400 and 800, respectively.
Ian Call, 14, Memphis Thunder Aquatic Club (SE): Call fired off a pair of sizzling times in the breaststroke events at the Officially Summer Invitational in Nashville, including becoming just the 28th swimmer in the boys’ 13-14 age group sub-1:06 in the 100 breast. Call dropped from 1:07.19 to 1:05.73 in the event, ranking him 23rd all-time among 13-14s, and he also executed a sizeable drop in the 200 breast, clocking 2:26.69 to rank fourth this season in the age group.
Collette Mock, 6, Rio Rapids Swim Team: At the age of six, Mock incredibly swam to a time of 39.51 in the girls’ 50 butterfly (SCY) at the Rio Del Oro Spring Invitational on Sunday, which is the fastest for six and under girls in the U.S. this season by three seconds. The competition was not USA Swimming sanctioned, but the swim was certainly an impressive one for the Sacred Heart first-grader. Read more about it here.