In our Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming series, we celebrate swimmers of every age and experience level with age group profiles of some recent results.
Giovanni Castaneda, 13, Terrapins Swim Team (PC): Castaneda scored six personal bests at the Arena Grand Challenge in Fresno, CA, including a 2:15.59 showing in the 200 fly. That swim ranks him 4th this season for 13-year-old boys, and marked a massive drop from his best time coming into the meet of 2:20.06 (was 2:18.91 in prelims). Castaneda also cracked the top 15 in the seasonal rankings for 13-year-olds in the 100 fly (1:01.49), and added PBs in the 800 free, 100 and 200 back, and 200 and 400 IM.
Alison Su, 14, Santa Clara Swim Club (PC): Also competing at the Arena Grand Challenge, Su set a trio of best times and picked up two podium finishes for Santa Clara Swim Club. The headlining performance for Su came in the 100 free, as she knocked nearly three-tenths off her PB in 57.63 to rank 5th in the girls’ 13-14 age group this season while narrowly missing cracking the top 100 all-time (57.38 cut-off). Su also set bests in the 200 free (2:10.04), 400 free (4:38.71), and was 3rd in the 50 free (26.55), just off the PB she set the weekend prior of 26.51—which ranks 12th this season in the age group.
Kennedi Dobson, 17, Eastern Express Swim Team (NJ): Dobson established eight best times at the Jeffrey S Mace Memorial meet in Piscataway, NJ, including producing a seismic drop in the 1500 free. Dobson knocked more than 41 seconds off her PB in 16:40.89, ranking her 3rd this season for 17-year-old girls and coming within striking distance of racking the top 100 all-time for 17-18s (16:38.21 cut-off). Dobson also moved to 15th this season for 17-year-olds in the 100 free (56.47), and had notable swims in the 50 back (29.73) and 100 back (1:02.85). Currently competing for the Eastern Express Swim Team, Dobson is committed to join the University of Georgia in the fall of 2025.
Jack Reburn, 13, South Lake Aquatics Club (FL): Reburn set eight personal bests at the FAST Independent Invitational last weekend, highlighted by a pair of standout showings in the distance freestyle events. Reburn dropped more than two minutes in the 1500 free in 17:27.05, ranking him 10th this season for 13-year-old boys. In the 800 free, he lowered his two-month-old PB by nearly 25 seconds in 9:07.16, good for 11th in the seasonal rankings. The South Lake Aquatics Club member added bests in the 200 free, 400 free, all three fly events and the 400 IM.
Finn Kelly, 12, Club Wolverine (MI): Kelly went on a tear in June, setting several best times across a few different meets. Most recently, at the Eric Namesnik Memorial Open, Kelly went 1:04.50 in the 100 fly, dropping his PB of 1:07.30 (also went 1:05.72 in the prelims) and moving into a tie for 4th this season in the boys’ 11-12 age group. The 12-year-old also went 2:27.96 in the 200 fly, taking off seven seconds and ranking 7th in the age group this season, and added bests in the 100 free and 200 IM.
Finola Whelehan, 12, TAC Titans (NC): Competing at the TAC Titans LC Qualifier, Whelehan dropped nearly three seconds in the 100 back leading off the Titans’ 400 medley relay, clocking 1:07.08 to rank 73rd all-time in the girls’ 11-12 age group. The 12-year-old has previously been 1:09.89, a time she set just two weeks earlier. The swim also ranks her 2nd in the 11-12 age group this season, within a half-second of top-ranked Aya Gillis-Pade (1:06.66). Whelehan also split 59.66 on the Titans’ 400 free relay, almost a second under her flat start PB in the 100 free.