Colorado Zone Leads The Way At 2023 IA Midwest All Stars

2023 IA Midwest All Stars

• January 14-15, 2023
• Wallmark YMCA, Des Moines, Iowa
• SCY (25 yards)
• Full Results (PDF)

The top age group swimmers in the Midwestern area converged in Des Moines on Jan. 14-15 for the annual Midwest All Stars meet, where the surrounding LSCs are invited to compete as a team and vie for points.

Each LSC could score five swimmers per event per age group—10 & under, 11-12 and 13-14.

The Colorado Swimming Zone was the top-scoring squad by a wide margin for both boys and girls, as the Colorado boys put up 933 points to top Missouri Valley (251) and the girls scored 681 to lead Iowa (324).

10 & Under Highlights

Girls

Missouri Valley’s Calleigh Turner, 10, was the top performer in the girls’ 10 & under category, winning six gold medals.

Turner, who swims for Empire KC Swim Club, set new personal best times to top the 200 free (2:14.98), 50 fly (31.38), 100 fly (1:11.70), 100 IM (1:11.08) and 200 IM (2:34.59), and she also placed first in the 50 free (28.24).

Also winning multiple events in the age group was Charlotte Kinsel, 10, of the Midwestern Zone and Izzy Renaud, 10, of the South Dakota Zone.

Kinsel, coming from the Aquatic Club of Elkhorn, won the 100 free (1:04.29), 50 back (31.97) and 100 back (1:10.09), while Renaud, out of the Rushmore Swim Team, set new best times en route to victories in the 50 breast (35.92) and 100 breast (1:19.48) while adding a trio of runner-up finishes.

Boys

Sheldon Lamb, 10, of the YMCA of Greater Des Moines / DSMY Marlins went six-for-six representing the Iowa Zone Team, leading the 50 free (25.77), 100 free (59.77), 200 free (2:08.43), 50 fly (29.28), 100 fly (1:07.87) and 100 IM (1:08.41). Every swim other than the 100 free was a new personal best.

Lamb’s time in the 50 free notably ranks him fifth among 10 & under boys this season in the U.S.

Colorado Zone’s Fletcher Schwartz, 10, also picked up two wins in the 50 back (32.03) and 100 back (1:07.92), both best times. Schwartz represents the Front Range Barracudas in club swimming.

11-12 Highlights

Girls

The girls’ 11-12 age group was dominated by Colorado, as the zone won 11 of the 12 events on the schedule, with five going to 12-year-old Grace Perry.

Perry, coming from Falfins Swimming in Colorado Springs, placed first in the 100 free (54.26), 200 free (1:57.72) and 500 free (5:13.78), setting best times in all of them, and added wins in the 50 fly (26.69) and 100 fly (59.27) while placing second in the 100 IM (1:01.34).

Elliana Wiesen, 12, from the Denver Swim Academy had wins in the 50 free (25.21), 100 breast (1:07.02) and 200 IM (2:14.12) to go along with a trio of other top-three finishes, while her club teammate Elsa Anderson, 12, topped the 50 breast (30.60) and 100 IM (59.85) while placing second in four other events.

Anderson’s swims in both the 50 breast and 100 IM rank her second this season in the girls’ 11-12 age group, as does Wiesen’s performance in the 100 breast.

Boys

The boys’ side saw University of Denver Hilltoppers’ standout Trevyn Krauss win six events, as the 12-year-old topped the 50 free (24.17), 100 free (52.56), 200 free (1:51.42), 500 free (5:04.74), 50 fly (25.78) and 200 IM (2:08.36).

Krauss set new best times in both the 200 free and 50 fly, now ranking fourth and 16th, respectively, in the 11-12 age group this season.

His Colorado Zone teammates Andrew Molloy, 12, (Avon Swim Club) and Leo Yin, 12, (Flatiron Athletic Club) also had multiple victories, as Molloy topped the 50 breast (31.58), 100 fly (1:00.44) and 100 IM (1:02.21), while Yin led the 50 back (27.59) and 100 back (1:00.59).

13-14 Highlights

Girls

Mallory Ferguson, 14, (Aquatic Club of Elkhorn) from the Midwestern Zone won three events and had six podium finishes in the girls’ 13-14 age group, pacing the 100 breast (1:05.04), 200 breast (2:20.68) and 200 IM (2:07.07) while setting new PBs in every race.

Representing the Missouri Valley Zone, Ad Astra Area Aquatics’ Lucy Velte won the 200 free (1:53.26) and 100 back (56.62) while adding three runner-up finishes in the 50 free (23.89), 100 free (52.09) and 100 fly (57.33). Velte now ranks fifth this season among 13-year-old girls in the 100 back.

Colorado Zone’s Jenna Fernstrom (Aces Swim Club) had two victories in the 50 free (23.81) and 100 free (51.61), ranking 10th and sixth respectively among 13-year-old girls this season.

Boys

The Colorado Zone swept every event in the boys’ 13-14 age group, with Samuel Lofstrom winning five times and Joey Sudermann earning four first-place finishes.

Lofstrom, 14, (Team Vortex) won the 50 free (21.93), 100 free (48.13), 200 free (1:45.02), 100 back (52.98) and 200 back (1:55.05), with his swim in the 200 free marking a new lifetime best.

Sudermann, 14, (University of Denver Hilltoppers) took wins in the 100 fly (52.18), 200 fly (1:58.11), 200 IM (1:57.61) and 400 IM (4:10.20), with the 200 fly swim his lone PB.

Sean Pasternak, another 14-year-old from the Hilltoppers, also won twice in the 100 breast (1:00.72) and 200 breast (2:12.15), setting a new best in the latter.