Read about our Weekly Wonders for the weekend of June 16-18, 2017:
Mackenzie DeWitt, 13, Hudson Explorer Aquatic: 50m free (27.19) – Swimming at the Jerry Holtrey Summer Classic hosted by Lake Erie Silver Dolphins, DeWitt won the girls’ 13-14 50 free with a PB that was 1.1 seconds faster than she’d been at the same meet last year. She was also a finalist in the 100 free (3rd) and 200 free (5th), and finished the weekend with new times in the 50/100 free and 100 back.
Mithuun Ramesh, 14, Texas Ford Aquatics: 200m free (1:59.46) – Ramesh won the boys’ 13-14 200 free at the 9th Annual Bill Nixon Memorial & 50 Free Shootout hosted by Lakeside Aquatic Club, smashing his old PB by 4.5 seconds and dipping under 2:00 for the first time. After dropping 1 second in prelims, he took another 3.5 off in finals, putting himself 8.1 seconds ahead of last year’s pace. Ramesh also improved his times in the 400/800 free and 200 fly.
Griffin O’Leary, 13, Barrington Swim Club: 100m back (1:00.54) – O’Leary dropped 8/10 off a 2-week-old PB, and was 4.3 seconds faster than at this time last year, while winning the boys’ 13-14 100 back at Barrington Swim Club’s Stars on the Water Summer Splash. He also won the 400 free, 200 back, and 100 fly, and was runner-up in the 100 free and 200 fly. He went best times in the 100/400 free, 100/200 back, and 100/200 fly.
Eleni Kotzamanis, 14, Flyers Aquatic Swim Team: 200m back (2:21.99) – Swimming at the FAST Summer Jam Invite hosted by Flyers Aquatic Swim Team, Kotzamanis won the girls’ 13-14 200 back in a time that was more than 2 seconds faster than the winning time in the open event. She improved her PB by 6 seconds and was more than 7 seconds faster than she’d been last June. Kotzamanis finished the weekend with updated times in the 100 free, 100/200 back, 100 fly, and 200/400 IM.
Mario Sumali, 12, ABQ Dolphins Swim Team: 100m breast (1:14.14) – Sumali dropped 2.2 seconds from a 100 breast PB that was only a month old, becoming 6.2 seconds faster than he’d been last year at this time. Swimming at the Vipers of Albuquerque Summer Open, Sumali won the boys’ 11-12 100/200 back and 100 breast, and posted the meet’s top times in the 200 breast and 200 IM in prelims. He went PBs in all five events.
Claire Donan, 15, Triton Swimming: 100m breast (1:11.58) – Donan notched the top time in the country for 18-and-under girls for the weekend, and picked up her first Senior Nationals cut in the 100 breast at the FAST Summer Jam Invite hosted by Flyers Aquatic Swim Team. It was her best time by 4/10, and 3.3 seconds faster than a year ago. Donan also improved her times in the 200 free and 400 free.
Elysse Pardus, 15, South Carolina Swim Club: 200m fly (2:19.54) – Pardus won the girls’ 15-16 50/100 free and 100/200 fly, and was fourth in the 100 back and 16th in the 200 back, at the Sizzlin Summer Invite hosted by Southern Crescent Aquatic Team. Had it not been for the Atlanta PSS last month, where she went 2:16.74, this would have been Pardus’ best 200 fly by 1.2 seconds. She did, however, pick up new PBs in the 100/200 free and 200 IM.
Matthew Styczen, 14, NYS Aquatics: 400m IM (4:40.62) – Competing at the New York Sharks Summer Sizzler Invitational at Felix Festa Middle School, Styczen took 1.2 seconds of a 5-week-old PB in the 400 IM, winning the boys’ 13&O event in a time that was 19.1 seconds faster than where he was last year at this time. Styczen also won the 50/200/400 free, 200 back, 200 fly, and 200 IM, going 7-for-7, and updating his times in the 200 free, 200 back, 200 fly, and 200/400 IM.
Reminder: The Weekly Wonders column is a celebration of age-group swimming, where new champions are made every day. Anyone can look up the top swims of the week. That’s not what we’re doing here. If we were only reporting on the week’s top swims we would feature the same handful of athletes every Wednesday. Instead, this is an opportunity to introduce the swimming community to athletes who have made great strides in the context of their own particular swimming worlds. By association, it also celebrates their coaches and their teams. The Weekly Wonders column, therefore, amounts to a pat on the back for a job well done, and hopefully encourages swimmers of all levels to continue to reach from within to get to that next level.
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Launched in the spring of 2015, MP designed by Aqua Sphere is a shared vision to develop innovative products that are inclusive and accessible to a broader range of swimmers across the full swimming lifecycle. Combining Aqua Sphere’s global product design expertise and distribution with Michael Phelps’ and Bob Bowman’s experiences at the highest levels of swim performance, the MP brand features technical swim products leveraging proprietary technologies and performance enhancing designs.
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Established in Genoa, Italy, in 1998, Aqua Sphere is the premier swimming equipment manufacturer for fitness and recreational swimming, aquatic exercise and triathlons. With the launch of its cutting-edge Seal Mask—the world’s first swim mask, the company set the industry standard and today continues to innovate with a complete range of premium products, including eye protection, swimwear, triathlon wetsuits, footwear, and swim fitness and training accessories. The designs have gained the respect and loyal following of many celebrities and notable athletes, including the world’s most decorated Olympian Michael Phelps, with whom Aqua Sphere is partnering to develop a global brand partnership. Alongside its parent company Aqua Lung and supported by an international distribution network, Aqua Sphere has grown into a worldwide enterprise representing unparalleled design, development and manufacturing expertise, with a global footprint in more than 90 countries. For more information, visit www.AquaSphereSwim.com orhttp://www.Facebook.com/AquaSphereSwim.
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Aqua Lung pioneered the creation of modern diving equipment in 1943 when Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau teamed with Emile Gagnan to develop the first “aqua-lung” that made underwater exploration possible. Today, the brand continues to be the leading global designer and manufacturer of dive and water sports gear. With a deep commitment to quality, research and testing, Aqua Lung has revolutionized the scuba diving experience by setting industry standards for scuba equipment in technology, comfort, safety and design. The company’s rich history as an expert in the dive and water sports industry has led to the demand of Aqua Lung equipment for recreational, technical and military applications in more than 90 countries around the world, under the brand names of Aqua Lung, Aqua Sphere, Apeks, U.S. Divers, and Stohlquist. For more information, visit www.AquaLung.com or http://www.Facebook.com/AquaLungDivers.