Here are the Weekly Wonders for the weekend of October 6-8, 2017:
Tony Ponomarev, 13, Evergreen Swim Club: 50y free (22.68) – Ponomarev kicked off his 2017-18 season with a bang at the October Challenge Division 3 hosted by ESC. He won the boys’ 13-14 50/100/200/500 free, 50 breast, 100 fly, and 400 IM, and was runner-up in the 100 breast. He left the meet with new times in all 8 events. His 50 free time was a PB by 0.6, and 1.9 seconds faster than at this time last year.
Jordan Thompson, 17, Spartan Aquatic Club: 50y free (21.40) – Thompson won the men’s 17&O 50 free and was runner-up in the 100 free at the SCAT-hosted Fall Invite at Georgia Tech. He went a lifetime best by .08 in the 50, and was a whole 1.2 seconds faster than he’d been last fall.
Payton Buse, 14, Tecumseh Swim Club: 50y free (22.80) – Swimming at the NSC Fall Fling at the Castle High School Natatorium, Buse dropped .75 in the 50 free to swim a time that was 2.5 seconds faster than where he was a year ago. Buse also updated his lifetime bests in the 100/200 back, 100 breast, 100 fly, and 200 IM during the course of the weekend.
Orla Egan, 14, Laguardia Aquatic Club: 1000y free (10:12.78) – Egan won the girls’ 13-14 1000 free at the Flushing Y Junior Swim Championship, dropping 4.7 seconds off a month-old PB which was, in turn, 11 seconds faster than her previous best time. Egan is now 44.5 seconds faster than she was last year at this time. She also won the 200 back and was runner-up in the 100 breast; she got PBs in all three events.
Marc Macomson, 13, Poseidon Swimming: 100y back (54.88) – Macomson dropped 1.3 seconds to win the boys’ 13-14 100 back at the TIDE Indian Summer Speedo Challenge, going 4.3 seconds faster than he’d been last October. He also won the 50 free and 200 back, was runner-up in the 200 free, and placed 3rd in the 200 breast, 4th in the 100 breast and 200 fly, and 6th in the 500 free. He took home PBs in the 50/200/500 free, 100 back, 100/200 breast, and 200 fly.
Logan Smith, 13, Falcon Swim Club of the Lebanon YMCA: 100y breast (1:02.82) – Smith won the boys’ 13-14 100 breast and 200 breast at the Fall Kick Off Invitational hosted by West Shore YMCA. His 100 breast time was a PBx1.5 seconds and 6.6 ahead of last year’s pace. Smith wrapped up his weekend with new PBs in the 50/100/200 free, 100 back, and 100/200 breast.
Allison Henry, 15, NRG Swimming: 200y breast (2:22.13) – Henry won the girls’ 50 free, 100 breast, 200 breast, 100 fly, and 200 IM, and was runner-up in the 100 free, 200 free, and 200 fly, at the DST Banana Boat ABBC Meet. Henry posted a PB in the 200 back and notched her second-best 200 breast time ever, 1.2 seconds ahead of where she was last year at this time.
Kayla Wieckowski, 12, Streamliner Aquatics: 200y fly (2:16.72) – Swimming at the FINIS Koudelka Memorial Swim Meet sponsored by Nampa Swim Team, Wieckowski won the girls’ 11-12 50/200 free and 50/100/200 fly. Her 200 fly time was her second-best lifetime swim, fully 7.3 seconds faster than she’d been a year ago.
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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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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