2021 FGC LCM Senior Championships
- July 30-Aug 1, 2021
- Coral Springs, FL
- Full Results
Over the weekend, the 2021 Florida Gulf Coast (FGC) LCM Senior Championships took place in Coral Springs, Florida. Two swimmers, 17-year-olds Heidi Smithwick and Josh Zuchowski, topped more than four events over the three-day affair.
Jupiter Dragons’ Smithwick won the most events of the pair, taking five event titles in Coral Springs over the weekend. The Princeton commit first won the timed finals of the 50 free (26.36) and 200 IM (2:24.51), where she won by a three-second margin. She then won three more prelims/finals events, including the 100 free (57.41) and 100 fly (1:01.69). In the 200 free final, Smithwick set a lifetime best of 2:05.45.
Smithwick also swam the 100 breast prelims/finals, where she settled for second place at 1:14.74 behind Azura 16-year-old Micaela Sierra (1:13.30). Sierra swept the women’s breaststroke events in Coral Springs, topping the 200 breast at 2:35.76 by a six-second winning margin.
On the men’s side, Flood Aquatics’ Zuchowski, a Stanford commit, won four events. Zuchowski took wins in the 100 back (57.44) and 200 IM (2:08.93) timed finals as well as the 200 back prelims/finals event (2:01.62). Zuchowski also set a lifetime best in his 4th event win, the 100 fly, touching in at 55.01 to rank among the top 40 times in the U.S. 17-18 age group this season.
Also highlighting the men’s side was 15-year-old Kaii Winkler of Eagle Aquatic, taking a win in the 200 free final at 1:53.14. During prelims, Winkler swam a time of 1:54.61. He now improves to No. 16 in the 15-16 age group this season. However, Winkler is ranked higher in the 100 free, where he took second place (51.51) behind Saint Andrew’s 18-year-old Reese Branzell (50.92). Winkler’s season best is 0.09s faster at 51.42, which already ranks No. 9 in his age group. Saint Andrew’s Branzell also swam in the 50 free final, getting touched out by Performance Aquatics’ Josiah Morales, 23.29 to 23.30.
Two more double-event winners came out from Coral Springs. Pine Crest 16-year-old Riley Botting won both women’s 400-meter prelims/finals events: the 400 free (4:29.40) and the 400 IM (5:07.19). Another 16-year-old, Dario Martin of Olympus, won the 200 breast final (2:19.83) and 400 IM final (4:35.98), setting a lifetime best to rank among the top 40 times in the 15-16 age group this season.