Presenting our Weekly Wonders from the weekend of February 22nd-24th, 2019:
Andy Dorsel, 16, SwimMAC Carolina (MAC-NC): 400 IM, 3:58.51 – In his first 400 IM of last weekend, Dorsel dropped 2.5 seconds – from 4:02.88 to 4:00.30. But later that day, he shattered the 4-minute mark, dropping nearly two more seconds for a 3:58.51. At the same meet, he also went best times in his 200 back (1:54.22), 100 breast (57.19), 200 breast (2:06.71), 200 fly (1:52.65), 100 IM (51.29), and 200 IM (1:50.20).
Summer Cardwell, 14, Tampa Bay Aquatic Club (TBAC-FL): 200 free, 1:48.78 – Cardwell began November 2018 having never broken 1:53 in this event. By the end of November, she was 1:51.09. Last weekend, she skipped the 1:50 mark altogether, going 1:49.36 in her first swim. In her second attempt, she broke the 1:49 barrier, dropping a 1:48.78. She also went bests in her 100 (50.41) and 500 free (4:54.68), as well as her 100 fly (56.26) and 400 IM (4:24.34).
Letitia Sim, 15, TNT Swimming (TNT-SE): 100 back, 54.84 – Sim went 56.99 in January 2018, and then didn’t drop time again until January 2019, when she went 56.98. Then, last weekend, she went 56.49 in her morning swim, and then dropped all the way to 54.84 at night, hitting a Winter Juniors cut. She also improved in her 50 (23.73), 100 (51.09), and 200 free (1:52.72), as well as 100 (54.51) and 200 fly (2:01.10).
Joseph Jordan, 17, Excel Aquatics (XCEL-SE): 50 free, 20.79 – Jordan broke :22 for the first time in December 2017, when he went 21.94. He continued to shave off tenths throughout 2018, wrapping up the year by breaking :21 (20.93). In his first 50 free of 2019, Jordan dropped to 20.88, and then later the same day, 20.79.
Michaela Mattes, 14, Sarasota YMCA Sharks (SYS-FL): 200 IM, 2:04.27 – Mattes closed 2017 with a 2:09.51 in the 200 IM. A year later, in December 2018, she dropped over two seconds to go 2:07.44. Then, two weeks ago, she shaved off nearly another second, posting a 2:06.69. Last weekend, in her first swim, Mattes went a then-best of 2:06.43. Later that day? She took off over two more seconds to drop a new best time of 2:04.27.
Lucy Fox, 12, Katy Aquatic Team for Youth (KATY-GU): 500 free, 5:21.82 – In February 2018, Fox went 5:51.78 in the 500 freestyle. Then, in October, she lowered that time to 5:47.00. Last weekend, she obliterated that previous best to go 5:21.82 and hit a “AAA” standard. At the same meet, she went a best in the 200 free (2:02.72), 200 IM (2:15.69), 50 fly (28.51) and 50 breaststroke at 35.58.
Arsenio Bustos, 14, Woodbridge Aquatic Club (WAC-CT): 200 breast, 2:00.75 – Bustos began 2018 with a 2:10.29 in the 200 breast, then posted a then-best of 2:06.88 at the end of March. That time held until the end of the year, when he went 2:02.96 at Winter Juniors. Then last weekend, he first jumped back up to 2:08.45 before dropping all the way to 2:00.75.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MP, PLEASE VISIT WWW.MICHAELPHELPS.COM.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.