Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming – 7/1/2023

Our Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming series celebrates swimmers of every age and experience level with age group profiles of some recent results.

Note: All results are in long course meters in this edition.

David Sammons, 13, SwimMAC Carolina (NC): Sammons had an incredible performance at the SGSA Eastern Invitational in Greensboro in mid-June, setting best times in eight events and ranking near the top all-time for 13-year-old boys in the U.S. in four of them. Sammons clocked 1:58.66 in the 200 free, good for 21st all-time among 13-year-olds, while his 58.75 in the 100 fly is 18th-fastest in the 13-14 age group this season. In the 200 IM, his time of 2:12.03 ranks first among 13-year-olds this season and 14th all-time. The SwimMAC product also put up notable times of 4:22.88 in the 400 free and 4:47.94 in the 400 IM, showing strong range.

Haylee Pramono, 12, Aquazot Swim Team (CA): Pramono picked up a pair of Futures cuts at the SCS/RMDA June Age Group Invite in La Mirada, Calif., doing so in the 200 breaststroke (2:43.08) and 200 IM (2:26.22). The 200 breast performance ranks her second this season in the girls’ 11-12 age group, improving on her previous best by more than six seconds, while in the 200 IM she ranks third after a 2.6-second drop.

Luke Rojek, 8, Valparaiso Swim Club (IN): Rojek set numerous best times across a pair of meets in June, including clocking 1:25.98 in the 100 backstroke at the Lake Central Summer Sizzler in St. John, Indiana. The performance ranks him first among eight-year-old boys this season by well over two seconds. He won all nine events he contested at the meet and added two more PBs at the Northwest Indiana Showcase two weeks later.

Lucy Velte, 14, Ad Astra Area Aquatics (MV): Velte picked up her first Junior Nationals cut in the 50 free (26.57) at the Aquajets’ Summer Spectacular in Minneapolis, ranking her seventh this season in the girls’ 13-14 age group. Velte also set a new Ad Astra Area Aquatics team record in the 200 IM (2:25.53), getting a Futures cut in the process, and also had drops in the 100 fly (1:03.51), 200 free (2:11.50) and 100 back (1:05.86), adding another Futures cut in the latter.

Colin Jacobs, 14, Sarasota Sharks (FL): Jacobs moved into 30th all-time in the boys’ 13-14 age group in the 800 freestyle at the Sarasota Shark Open, clocking a time of 8:24.93 to improve on his previous best of 8:28.37 from March. He also put up a time of 16:14.58 in the 1500 free, good for 75th all-time, and his 4:07.33 showing in the 400 free ranks him second this season for 13-14s behind NAG record-breaking machine Luka Mijatovic. Jacobs added best times in the 100 free (56.26), 200 free (1:59.27), 200 back (2:12.93) and 200 IM (2:15.49).

Ellie Lange, 12, Racer X Aquatics (AM): Lange clocked eight best times en route to earning High Point honors at the Holtrey Summer Classic in Geneva, Ohio. Lange set a new Allegheny Mountain (LSC) record in the girls’ 400 IM with a time of 5:14.54, ranking her third this season in the 11-12 age group. The Racer X Aquatics swimmer also logged 18:40.64 in the 1500 free to rank third in the age group for 2022-23, put up a time of 2:30.20 in the 200 fly to rank fourth, and added a 4:44.32 in the 400 free to sit ninth.