These are our Weekly Wonders for the weekend of May 4-6, 2018:
James Calvin Huenefeld, 14, Bulldog Aquatic Club: 100m free (56.66) – At the Long Course Invitational hosted by Mississippi Makos, Huenefeld won the boys’ 13-14 100 free with a time that erased 1.1 seconds from his PB and was 3.1 seconds faster than what he’d been at this same meet last year. Huenefeld also won the 200 free, 400 free, 100 back, 200 back, 100 breast, 100 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM. He took home new PBs in the 100 free, 400 free, and 100 breast.
Ryan Reynolds, 13, Blue Dolphins: 100m free (59.18) – Reynolds dropped 3.5 seconds to win the 100 free at Treasure Coast Swimming’s Go For the Gold Invitational. It was his first sub-minute 100, and 4.5 seconds faster than he’d been at this point in the season last year. Reynolds also won the 200 free, 100 fly, and 200 breast; he was runner-up in the 100 breast and fourth in the 200 fly. He updated his PBs in the 100 free, 200 free, and 100 fly during the weekend.
Lance Norris, 14, Rocky Mount Family YMCA: 800m free (8:31.32) – Norris won the mixed 800 free by more than 45 seconds at the Long Days of Summer Quad Meet hosted by STAR Aquatics. He scored a PB and took home his first Winter Juniors cut in the event. He also won the 200 free, 400 free, 200 back, 200 IM, and 400 IM and was runner-up in the 200 fly. Norris finished the meet 7-for-7 with lifetime-best times in all the events he swam.
Sam Tenhulzen, 15, Gold Medal Swim Club: 200m back (2:16.93) – Tenhulzen shaved 3.9 seconds off his previous best 200 back time at the May Flowers A-2 Meet hosted by Bellevue Club Swim Team Boosters. He placed fifth in the event, 11.5 seconds faster than he’d been a year ago. Tenhulzen scored new PBs in all six events he competed in: 50 free, 100 free, 50 back, 100 back, 200 back, and 200 IM.
Julia Fondersmith, 12, Fox Swim Club: 200m back (2:38.54) – Swimming at the Early Bird Long Course Invitational sponsored by Maryland Suburban Swim Club, Fondersmith lopped 6.8 seconds off her previous PB and placed 10th in the women’s open 200 back. She also improved her best times in the 100 back, 50 fly, 100 fly, 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM during the course of the weekend. She won the girls’ 11-12 100 fly and 200 IM and was runner-up in the 50 fly.
Mattie Oberley, 13, Old Dominion Aquatic Club: 200m fly (2:27.48) – Oberley won the boys’ 13-14 200 fly at the TIDE Wipe Out Speedo Challenge at the Princess Anne YMCA. He improved his seed time by 5.3 seconds and was 7.5 faster than he’d been a year ago. He also won the 100 fly and finished the meet with a slew of new times: 100 free, 200 free, 400 free, 800 free, 100 breast, 200 breast, 100 fly, and 200 fly.
Eleanor Sun, 13, Nation’s Capital Swim Club: 200m IM (2:27.17) – Swimming at the Poseidon Classic, Sun took 3.8 seconds off her seed time to finish second in the girls’ 13-14 200 IM, going 7.4 seconds faster than what she went at this time last year. She won the 100 breast and 200 breast, and placed 3rd in the 100 back, 6th in the 200 back and 7th in the 200 fly. At the end of the meet, Sun had new PBs in the 100 back, 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 fly, and 200 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.