SOFLO Has Slim Lead Headed Into Final Day Of FGC Senior Championships; Golding, Rodriguez Top Finishers On Day Two

By Sharon Robb

PEMBROKE PINES, March 24, 2018—The battle for the combined team title is going down to the wire at the Florida Gold Coast Senior Championships.

Defending champion and meet host South Florida Aquatic Club leads Metro Aquatics by 8.5 points going into the third and final day of competition at Academic Village Pool.

SOFLO, led by Kathleen Golding and Rafael Rodriguez for the second consecutive day, leads by only 8.5 points. SOFLO has 1,654 points and Metro Aquatics is second with 1,646. East Coast Aquatic Club is third with 1,554.

It is expected to be one of the closest finishes in meet history. SOFLO is attempting to win both Seniors and Junior Olympic titles in the same short course season for the sixth time in the team’s 18-year history.

“The kids swam really well,” said SOFLO head coach Chris Anderson after Saturday’s finals. “We are shaving off a lot of best times in the groups. The Gold Group did a really nice job and senior training group is making consos and finals and scoring points. Sunday should be one of our stronger days with the medley relays.

“The team is really coming together,” Anderson said. “They are doing a good job closing out races and when necessary winning some races. Teams are are definitely gunning for us.

“We need to come together as a team. I told them they have to have a little bit more grit and get a little tougher. They need to get comfortable feeling slightly uncomfortable going fast. It’s going to be a matter of pride. I think it will come down to the men’s and women’s B relays.”

Golding won the 100-yard butterfly in a best time 53.90 and was third in the 50-yard backstroke in a best time 26.23. Golding has 137 points.

Golding was also a member of SOFLO’s third place 800-yard freestyle relay that finished in 7:45.61. Other relay members were Paige Lane, Kelley Heron and Katrina Del Vecchio.

Lane was also third in the 200-yard freestyle in a best time 1:53.38 and fourth in the 100-yard butterfly in 58.56.

Rodriguez won the 400-yard individual medley in a best time 4:01.32 and was second in the 200-yard freestyle in a best time in 1:42.25. Leonardo Mateus was third in the 400 IM in a best time 4:13.43.

Rodriguez was also a member of SOFLO’s runner-up 800-yard freestyle relay that finished in 7:04.39. Other relay members were Heath Brames, Ricardo Roche and CJ Kopecki.

Lance Lesage was second in the 15-16 50-yard backstroke in a best time 25.00 and has 65 points in high point. Ricardo Roche was fourth in a best time 24.88 in the open division. Roche has 84 points.

Juan Pablo Pineda was second in the 200-yard breaststroke in a best time 2:10.88. Pineda has 62 points in high point.

SATURDAY RESULTS
COMBINED TEAM TOTALS

1. South Florida Aquatic Club 1,654, 2. Metro Aquatics 1,646.5, 3. East Coast Aquatic Club 1,554, 4. Gulliver Swim Club 1,538.5, 5. Pine Crest Swim Team 762, 6. Miami Swimming 528, 7. Azura Florida Aquatics 514, 8. TS Aquatics 494.5, 9. AquaKids Sharks 398, 10. YMCA of South Florida 396.

GIRLS TEAM TOTALS

1. Gulliver 1,114, 2. East Coast 1,040, 3. SOFLO 705.5, 4. Pine Crest 513.5, 5. Metro Aquatics 437, 6. AquaKids Sharks 318, 7. YMCA of South Florida 231, 8. Miami Swimming 210, 9. Montverde Aquatic Club 174, 10. TS Aquatics 168.

GIRLS INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

200-yard freestyle:
15-16, 1. Andrea Santander, PC 1:49.95; SOFLO: 3. Paige Lane 1:53.38, time drop, 17. Maya Coffey 2:00.31, 20. Kyana Castro 2:02.62; Open, 1. Mary Smutny, AquaKids Sharks 1:47.60.

50-yard backstroke:
15-16, 1. Chade Nersicio, ECAC 25.64; Open, 1. Mary Smutny, AquaKids Sharks 25.74; SOFLO: 3. Kathleen Golding 26.23, time drop, 5. Kelley Heron 27.38, 11. Katrina Del Vecchio 28.77, time drop, 15. Molly Golding 29.57, time drop; BRST: 8. Emily Chen 27.85

200-yard breaststroke:
15-16, 1. Chade Nersicio, ECAC 2:18.51; Open, 1. Mercedes Toledo, Unattached 2:18.14; SOFLO: 3. Jennifer Rodriguez 2:25.54, time drop, 12. Sabrina Osorio 2:35.96, time drop; BRST: 19. Emily Chen 2:43.06.

100-yard butterfly:
15-16, 1. Madison Cummings, ECAC 55.89; SOFLO: 4. Paige Lane 58.56, 10. Katrina Del Vecchio 1:00.16, 16. Maya Coffey 1:01.25, 19. Daniela Curbelo 1:01.93; Open, 1. Kathleen Golding, SOFLO 53.90, time drop; SOFLO: 10. Kelley Heron 1:00.16, 17. Molly Golding 1:01.69, time drop.

800-yard freestyle relay:
1. East Coast 7:40.27, 3. SOFLO A 7:45.61 (Paige Lane, Kelley Heron, Kathleen Golding, Katrina Del Vecchio).

400-yard individual medley:
15-16, 1. Andrea Santander, PC 4:24.87; SOFLO: 9. Daniela Curbelo 4:49.02; Open, 1. Kathleen Golding, SOFLO 4:12.46, time drop; SOFLO: 7. Jennifer Rodriguez 4:46.87.

BOYS TEAM TOTALS

1. Metro Aquatics 1,209.5, 2. SOFLO 948.5, 3. East Coast 514, 4. Gulliver 424.5, 5. Azura 350, 6. TS Aquatics 326.5, 7. Miami Swimming 318, 8. Pine Crest 248.5, 9. Jupiter Dragons 248, 10. Swim Fort Lauderdale 181.

BOYS INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

200-yard freestyle:
15-16, 1. Andres Wong, MAC 1:41.03; SOFLO: 2. Rafael Rodriguez 1:42.25, time drop, 12. Lance Lesage 1:46.24, time drop, 16. Michael Arias 1:47.62, time drop, 17. Leonardo Mateus 1:48.96, time drop; Open, 1. Aitor Fungairino, MAC 1:36.29; BRST: 8. Cameron Taddonio 1:43.63; SOFLO: 12. Heath Brames 1:43.59, 13. Ricardo Roche 1:43.85, 16. CJ Kopecki 1:46.03.

50-yard backstroke:
15-16, 1. Aaron Rodriguez, MAC 24.77; SOFLO: 2. Lance Lesage 25.00, time drop, 10. Juan Serna 27.57, 14. Nicolas Rossi 27.05, time drop, 15. Leonardo Mateus 27.15, time drop, 17. Nicolas Munoz 27.34, time drop; Open, 1. Edson Lima, Azura 23.66; BRST: 2. Jose Garcia 24.02, time drop; SOFLO: 4. Ricardo Roche 24.88, time drop, 11. Heath Brames 25.81, time drop, 12. Juan Diaz 25.93, time drop.

200-yard breaststroke:
15-16, 1. Kevin DeGrijze, ECAC 2:07.79; SOFLO: 2. Juan Pablo Pineda 2:10.88, time drop, 8. John Paul Handal 2:15.74, time drop; Open, 1. Teo Darias, GRSC 2:05.40; BRST: 2. Cameron Taddonio 2:08.42, time drop, 14. David Genz 2:4.27; SOFLO: 16. Logan Gonzalez 2:29.14, time drop.

100-yard butterfly:
15-16, 1. Nicholas Vale, PC 50.90; SOFLO: 2. Rafael Rodriguez 50.95, time drop, 10. Juan Serna 55.09; Open, 1. Miguel Cancel, Unattached 48.53; BRST: 12. Jose Garcia 51.34.

800-yard freestyle relay:
1. Metro Aquatics 6:45.28, 2. SOFLO A 7:04.39 (Heath Brames, Ricardo Roche, Rafael Rodriguez, CJ Kopecki).

400-yard individual medley:
15-16, 1. Rafael Rodriguez, SOFLO 4:01.32, time drop; SOFLO: 3. Leonardo Mateus 4:13.43, time drop, 8. Joseph Lee 4:22.55, time drop, 10. John Paul Handal 4:23.73, time drop, 13. Juan Pablo Pineda 4:29.22, time drop, 16. Nicolas Munoz 4:31.46, time drop, 18. Nicolas Rossi 4:33.49; BRST: 27. Lorant Domokos 4:49.00
Open, 1. Miguel Cancel, Unattached 3:51.33; BRST: 3. Cameron Taddonio 4:07.09, time drop; SOFLO: 4. Ricardo Roche 4:09.19.

IF YOU GO

What: Florida Gold Coast Senior Championships.

When: Sunday, prelims 8:30 a.m., finals 4 p.m.

Estimated Timelines: Sunday, prelims 8:30 a.m.-12:05 p.m., finals 4-7:04 p.m.

Where: Academic Village Swimming Pool, 17191 Sheridan St., Pembroke Pines.

Of note: Admission is $5 per session. Heat sheets are free and will be available online at soflomeets.info/seniorchamps and on Meet Mobile. For information call the swim office, 954-538-3721.

Sharon Robb can be reached at sha11cats@aol.com
http://www.swim4soflo.com