By Sharon Robb
PEMBROKE PINES, November 28, 2018–Let the holidays begin with the SOFLO Holiday Classic Friday and Saturday at Academic Village Pool.
There will be fun, merriment and good racing during the two-day Florida Gold Coast meet.
SOFLO heads the field with 158 swimmers (79 girls and 79 boys) competing in 910 individual events.
Among other FGC teams competing are Flying Fish, Heritage Aquatics, Boca Raton, TS Aquatics, Miami Swimming, Plantation Swim Team, North Palm Beach and City of Miami Swim Team.
The field has attracted a variety of swimmers from Olympians and high school swimmers to top age group swimmers.
Four-time Jamaican Olympian Alia Atkinson is fine tuning for the 2018 FINA World Short Course Championships. She will swim the 200-yard butterfly (1:57.71) and 100-yard breaststroke (57.29).
Atkinson is coming off the FINA World Cup Series meet in Singapore. She has won eight gold medals during this year’s series. Atkinson still holds the short course world record in the 50-meter breaststroke. The 14th World Championships are Dec. 11-16 in Hangzhou, China. Atkinson will be joined by SOFLO head coach Chris Anderson and two other Jamaican swimmers.
SOFLO dominates the top seeds. Among them are:
Maya Coffey, 17, 200-yard freestyle, 1:57.38.
Alia Atkinson, 29, 200-yard butterfly, 1:57.71; 100-yard breaststroke, 57.29.
Philopatier Ibrahim, 15, 200-yard butterfly 1:56.57.
Jacqueline Lugo, 16, 50-yard freestyle, 25.22.
Rafael Rodriguez, 16, 50-yard freestyle, 21.82.
Molly Golding, 15, 200-yard backstroke, 2:16.92; 200-yard individual medley, 2:09.21.
Lance Lesage, 16, 200-yard backstroke, 1:53.65; 100-yard backstroke, 52.76.
Marc Rojas, 24, 100-yard breaststroke, 56.01.
Leonardo Mateus, 16, 200-yard individual medley, 1:59.99.
Gaby Banks, 16, 100-yard freestyle, 53.01.
Robert Wilson, 16, 100-yard freestyle, 47.20.
Paige Lane, 16, 100-yard butterfly, 58.02.
Kathleen Golding, 18, 100-yard backstroke, 1:01.16.
Among other SOFLO swimmers entered are Sarah Acevedo, 14; Michael Arias, 15; Kaitlyn Barrios, 12; Alexis Christensen, 13; Luna Delgado, 12; Alex Golding, 14; John Paul Handal, 15; Zackary Harris, 14; Jena Legaspi, 14; Anastasia Lutz, 12; and Sara Quintero, 15.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: SOFLO Holiday Classic
WHEN: Friday-Saturday
SCHEDULE: Friday, 5 p.m.; Saturday, 8:30 a.m. prelims, 5 p.m. finals.
WHERE: Academic Village Pool, 17191 Sheridan Street, Pembroke Pines.
OF NOTE: The meet is hosted by SOFLO and Comets Swim Team Booster Club…Events 400 yards and longer are timed finals…Admission is $5 per session. Heat sheets are free and may be found on Meet Mobile or http://www.soflomeets.info/holiday classic…For more information call the pool office at 954-538-3721.
Sharon Robb can be reached at sha11cats@aol.com
http://www.swim4soflo.com
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