Trinidad’s Agard Double Winner On Day One Of Panam Aquatics Age Group Swimming Championships; Morales Swims Friday

By Sharon Robb
BALMAIN COUVA, Trinidad & Tobago, June 2, 2022–With the hometown crowd cheering him on, Alejandro Johann Agard was a double winner for Trinidad & Tobago on Day One of the Panam Aquatics Age Group Swimming Championships Thursday at National Aquatic Centre.

Agard, 12, won his country’s first gold medal in the 11-12 200-meter individual medley in 2:30.93. He also won the 50-meter breaststroke in 35.70.

Caleb Romero Serrano, 14, of Puerto Rico won the 13-14 200-meter individual medley in 2:16.93 for his first major IM title and first time under 2:18.

Christanya Shirley, 14, won Jamaica’s first gold medal in the 13-14 50-meter breaststroke in a best time 35.24, lowering her previous best of 35.63. It was her country’s first medal ever in the race.

Bransly Dirksz, 16, of Aruba won his country’s first gold medal in the 15-17 50-meter breaststroke with a best time 29.67. Dirksz had won CARIFTA gold in the Barbados earlier this year in 29.97.

Azura’s Yeziel Morales, 26, representing Puerto Rico, will compete Friday in the first of four events he entered. He will swim the 18-and-over 100-meter butterfly.

Puerto Rico leads the combined and men’s team standings and Peru leads the women’s teams.

The meet has attracted 232 athletes from 17 countries and is serving as a qualification meet for the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games.

The four-day tournament, formally called the UANA Cup, is an elite championship for age groupers. The event has athletes from South America, Central America, Canada, British Commonwealth and Caribbean.

Friday’s events are 400 IM, 200 freestyle, 100 butterfly, 200 breaststroke, 50 backstroke, 4×50 and 4×100 freestyle relays.

The event is being live streamed on the Panam Sports app. Streaming website: http://www.panamsportschannel.org.

THURSDAY RESULTS
COMBINED: 1. Puerto Rico 317.5, 2. Peru 313, 3. Trinidad & Tobago 203, 4. Honduras 74.5, 5. Jamaica 71.5.
WOMEN: 1. Peru 187, 2. Puerto Rico 177, 3. Trinidad & Tobago 64, 4. Jamaica 49, 5. Colombia 44.
MEN: 1. Puerto Rico 140.5, 2. Trinidad & Tobago 139, 3. Peru 126, 4. Honduras 55.55, 5. Surinam 39.

WOMEN
800-meter freestyle:
13-14, 1. Tifany Murillo Jinete, COL 9:14.79; 15-17, 1. Emma Sophia Guglielmello PUR 9:02.47; 18-and-over, 1. Jennifer Posada, HON 9:28.66.

200-meter individual medley:
11-12, 1. Astrid Cervantes, PER 2:39.04; 13-14, 1. Lia Lugo, PER 2:31.11; 15-17, 1. Ella Alvarez, PER 2:24.15; 18-and-over, 1. Maria Machuca, PER 2:23.97.

50-meter breaststroke: 11-12, 1. Ana Cornejo, PER 39.45; 13-14, 1. Christanya Shirley, JAM 35.24; 15-17, 1. Andrea Cuebas, PUR 35.63; 18-and-over, 1. Marissa Mojica, PUR 34.05.

100-meter freestyle: 11-12, 1. Elvira Demera, ECU 1:00.90; 13-14, 1. Tifanny Jinete, COL 59.15; 15-17, 1. Alanis Maceira, PUR 58.77; 18-and-over, 1. Rafaela Erazo, PER 57.39.

MEN
800-meter freestyle: 11-and-over, 1. Victor Rosado, PUR 8:30.44.

200-meter individual medley: 11-12, 1. Alejandro Agard, TTO 2:30.93; 13-14, 1. Caleb Serrano, PUR 2:16.93; 15-17, 1. Xavier Flores, PUR 2:11.44; 18-and-over, 1. Luis Mercado, PER 2:17.32.

50-meter breaststroke: 11-12, 1. Alejandro Agard, TTO 35.70; 13-14, 1. Jorell Figueroa, PUR 31.01; 15-17, 1. Baynsly, Dirksz, ARU 29.67; 18-and-over, 1. Josue Ramos, DOM 28.46.

100-meter freestyle: 11-12, 1. Chris Soeperman, SUR 59.93; 13-14, 1. Zachary Anthony, TTO 53.99; 15-17, 1. Nikoli Blackman, TTO 50.91; 18-and-over, 1. Ricardo Willing PER 52.52.

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

Sullivan, Johnston Win On Opening Day; SOFLO’s Horrego Races Thursday At TYR Pro Swim Series

By Sharon Robb
MISSION VIEJO, Calif., June 1, 2022–Erica Sullivan and David Johnston won their opening events at the fourth and final TYR Pro Swim Series Wednesday at newly-renovated Marguerite Aquatic Center.

Sullivan, 21, of University of Texas and 2020 Olympic silver medalist, won the women’s 1500-meter freestyle in 16:34.91. It was the top seed’s first meet since suffering a shoulder injury in April. Teenager Mattea Sokolow, 17, of Team Santa Monica was runner-up in a best time 16:59.96. She dropped four seconds.

David Johnston, 20, also of the University of Texas, won the men’s 1500-meter freestyle in 15:18.32. Egyptian Olympian Marwan Aly El Kamash, 28, of Indiana Swim Club was second in 15:32.02.

There were only four heats in the men’s and women’s events.

South Florida Aquatic Club’s Julio Horrego will compete in his first event of the four-day meet on Thursday in the 100-meter breaststroke. He is seeded third in the 100 in 1:01.18.

Horrego, 23, a 2020 Honduran Olympian, will also swim the 200-meter breaststroke where he is seeded fourth in the 200 in 2:17.35. It is his final tuneup meet before the 19th FINA World Championships, June 18-July 3 in Budapest, Hungary.

Horrego is joined by teammate Ricardo Roche, 22, who competes in the 200-meter backstroke on Friday.

The meet is being televised on the Olympic Channel Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday it will be televised on CNBC tape-delay at 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. respectively.

In addition to Olympic Channel and CNBC’s coverage from Mission Viejo, daily prelims (Thursday-Saturday at noon ET) as well as Saturday’s live finals can be streamed on http://www.usaswimming.org/watch.

SOFLO is sponsored by TYR, a USA manufacturer of recreational and competitive swimwear, caps, goggles, triathlon gear and accessories. One of the nation’s top companies, TYR was created by athletes and named for the Norse god of warriors in Germanic mythology.

WEDNESDAY RESULTS
WOMEN
1500-meter freestyle: 1. Erica Sullivan, TEX 16:34.91, 2. Mattea Sokolow, TSM 16:59.96, 3. Olivia McMurray, TEX 17:03.35.

MEN
1500-meter freestyle: 1. David Johnston, TST 15:18.32, 2. Marwan Aly El Kamash, ISC 15:32.02, 3. Isaac Fleig, TST 15:42.80.

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