In our GMX7 Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming series, we celebrate swimmers of every age and experience level with age group profiles of some recent results.
Aslan Lofthus, 14, South Bay Aquatics (SBA-SI): Coming off a successful showing at the Western Zone Age Group Championships in early August, Lofthus was back in the water last weekend at the San Diego-Imperial (SI) LC Age Group Championships in Coronado, California. The 14-year-old dropped a new best time of 54.21 in the 100 free, having lowered his PB the previous week in 54.51, ranking him 33rd in the boys’ 13-14 age group for the 2021-22 season. Lofthus added additional lifetime bests in the 400 free, 800 free and 100 fly at the meet while coming close in the 50 free and 200 free.
Carolyn Han, 12, Rancho San Dieguito (RSD-SI): Han knocked down five of her personal best times at the SI meet, including a notable 29.06 in the 50 free and breaking the 1:05-barrier for the first time in the 100 free (1:04.17). The 12-year-old also swam to new bests in the 50 fly, 100 fly and 200 IM.
Derek Ho, 13 Rancho San Dieguito (RSD-SI): Also competing at the SI AG meet was Ho, who has had a very impressive summer that’s included some highly-ranked swims in the breaststroke events last month at Roseville Sectionals. In Coronado, Ho neared his best times in both breast events while also hitting new PBs in the 100 back (1:03.54) and 200 fly (2:14.92). Despite them not being his primary events, the Rancho San Dieguito swimmer now ranks 16th this season among 13-year-old boys in the 200 fly, and 24th in the 100 back.
Catherine Rowe, 14, Pacific Swim (PS-SI): Rowe cracked 1:02 for the first time in the 100 free in Coronado, clocking 1:01.99 to down her previous best of 1:02.65 set in May 2021. She also put up a new lifetime best in the 200 breast, and neared her 100 back PB from the week prior (1:06.73) in 1:06.96. Having entered August with a best time of 1:08.60 in the 100 back, the 14-year-old has now been 1:07.1 or faster four different times.
Oliver Quinones, 12, Pacific Swim (PS-SI): Quinones established three new lifetime bests at the SI AG meet, highlighted by his swim of 1:09.02 in the 100 back which marked his second straight best time in just over a week, having been 1:09.15 at the Western Zone Age Group Champs nine days earlier. The 12-year-old Pacific Swim product also hit bests in the 50 fly and 200 IM, and neared his week-old best in the 200 back.
About GMX7
Founded in 2018, GMX7 is based in St. Petersburg, Florida and is dedicated to changing the world of swimming by empowering competitive swimmers with the best aquatic resistance training devices ever created. GMX7 was founded by David McCagg, a 7-time gold medalist, former world record holder and winner of multiple national championships. The first device on the market by GMX7 is the X1-PRO. Designed by ROBRADY Engineering, it has already been the recipient of several awards including the 2020 International Design Excellence Award and the 2020 Red Dot Award for product design.
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