Presenting our Weekly Wonders from the weekend of January 4th-6th, 2019:
Connor Carlile, 13, Fishers Area Swimming Tigers: 400 IM, 4:25.82 – In January 2018, Carlile was 4:41.98 in the 400 IM. By October, he was 4:37.90, then in November, was 4:33.47. Then, at the 2019 IN Indiana Mid States All Star Championships last weekend, he dropped it all the way down to 4:25.82. At the same meet, he also went bests in the 500 free (4:56.80 down from 5:04.17), 1650 (17:11.96 down from 17:32.31).
Lily Struempf, 12, Terrapins Swim Team: 200 free, 1:54.05 – As of the end of 2017, Struempf had yet to break 2:00 in the 200 free. Come March 2018, she was 1:58.49, and then over the first two weeks of December, went from 1:56.55 to 1:54.16. Struempf kept the time-shaving streak alive in the new year, taking second at the 2019 Pacific Coast All-Stars meet in 1:54.16.
Angela Quan, 14, Santa Clara Swim Club: 100 fly, 55.25 – In her first swim of 2019, Quan took over a second off her 100 fly time at the 2019 Pacific Coast All-Stars meet. She posted the fastest time of the meet, completing an over 2.5-second drop since March of 2018. At All-Stars, Quan also went a best time in the 100 free, shaving her time from 54.75 to 54.39.
Nathan Deslisle, 13, Bluefish Swim Club: 200 back, 1:55.44 – Just three weeks ago, Deslisle was 1:57.28 in the 200 back. But the turn of the year brought a near-immediate two-second drop down to 1:55.44. What’s more impressive? His first swim of the day was 1:58.67, so the 13-year-old prepared himself well for finals. Other best times at the meet came in the 50, 100 free, 200, and 500 free, as well as the 100 back and 200 IM.
Andy Dobrzanski, 14, Milan Swim Club: 100 breast, 59.12 – Exactly a year before this swim, Dobrzanski was 1:04.94 in the 100 breast. He dropped over a second in his first few swims of 2018, then another second in November, when he was 1:02.22. But the 14-year-old wasted no time breaking 1:00 in 2019, dropping over three seconds to go 59.12 last weekend. Dobrzanski also went best times in the 50 and 100 free as well as the 200 breast and 200 IM at the same meet.
Rachel Stege, 15, Fox Valley Swim Team: 1650 free, 17:08.21 – Stege, a Winter Junior qualifier in the 200 (1:49.53) and 500 free (4:44.52), swam the first 1650 of her career last weekend. Her first effort was fruitful, earning a 2019 Futures cut and the fastest time at the 2019 ILOP ACAD Speedo Invitational. The 15-year-old also went a lifetime best in the 200 back (2:20.33).
Bryce Henkel, 16, Albany Starfish: 200 fly, 1:52.38 – Henkel broke 2:00 for the first time in February 2018, going 1:59.55, then later that same day, 1:57.97. A month after that, he was 1:57.09 After logging zero 200 fly races in the remainder of 2018, the 16-year-old dropped nearly five seconds last weekend, going 1:52.38. He also went bests in the 100 free (a full-second drop to 48.09) and 400 IM (4:08.50, down from 4:15.53) at the 2019 AD Starfish Trophy Invite.
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.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MP, PLEASE VISIT WWW.MICHAELPHELPS.COM.
ABOUT MP
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.
ABOUT AQUA SPHERE
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.
ABOUT AQUA LUNG
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.