Azura’s Yeziel Morales Wins On Day Two Of Panam Aquatics Age Group Swimming Championships

By Sharon Robb
BALMAIN COUVA, Trinidad & Tobago, June 3, 2022–Yeziel Morales, the only Florida Gold Coast swimmer competing in the Panam Aquatics Age Group Swimming Championships, won on Day Two at National Aquatic Centre.

Morales, 26, representing Puerto Rico, won the 50-meter backstroke in 26.40 and finished second in the 100-meter butterfly in 55.22 in the 18-and-over category on Friday. Morales trains with Azura Florida Aquatics.

Ecuador’s Elvira De Los Angele Espinosa Demera was a double winner in the 11-12 category. Demera won the 200-meter freestyle in a best time 2:12.08, dropping 2.21 and 100-meter butterfly in 1:06.63, another best time dropping 0.99.

Hometown favorite Nikoli Blackman, 16, of Trinidad & Tobago won his second event of the meet. After winning the 100-meter freestyle in a best time 50.91 on Thursday, won the 200-meter freestyle in a best time 1:53.39.

Peru overtook Puerto Rico to lead the combined team standings, 675-644. Host Trinidad & Tobago leads the men’s team standings with 301 and Peru continues to lead the women’s teams with 398.

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 meet, 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.

Saturday’s events are 400-meter freestyle, 100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter backstroke, 50-meter butterfly, and 4×200-meter freestyle relay.

The event is being live streamed on the Panam Sports app. Streaming website: http://www.panamsportschannel.org. Former SOFLO swimmer Alia Atkinson is doing on-deck interviews of the gold medalists.

FRIDAY RESULTS
COMBINED: 1. Peru 675, 2. Puerto Rico 644, 3. Trinidad & Tobago 435, 4. Honduras 158.5, 5. Jamaica 149.5.
WOMEN: 1. Peru 398, 2. Puerto Rico 352, 3. Trinidad & Tobago 134, 4. Jamaica 106, 5. Colombia 82.
MEN: 1. Trinidad & Tobago 301, 2. Puerto Rico 292, 3. Peru 277, 4. Honduras 105.5, 5. Surinam 77.

WOMEN
400-meter individual medley: 11-and-over, 1. Maria Machuca, PER 5:05.85.

200-meter freestyle: 11-12, 1. Elvira Demera, ECU 2:12.08; 13-14, 1. Tifanny Jinete, COL 2:06.60; 15-17, 1. Danna Moreno, ECU 2:07.44; 18-and-over, 1. Jessica Cattaneo, PER 2:07.24.

100-meter butterfly: 11-12, 1. Elvira Demera, ECU 1:06.63; 13-14, 1. Yasmin Contreras, PER 1:03.64; 15-17, 1. Ella Alvarez, PER 1:04.47; 18-and-over, 1. Jennifer Posada, HON 1:04.02.

200-meter breaststroke: 11-and-over, 1. Adriana Cornejo, PER 2:44.54.

50-meter backstroke: 11-12, 1. Karla Carrizo, PAN 33.98; 13-14, 1. Leah Chin, JAM 31.57; 15-17, 1. Alexia Acuna, PER 29.88; 18-and-over, 1. Ornella Walker, TTO 29.89.

MEN
400-meter individual medley: 11-and-over, 1. Xavier Flores, PUR 4:36.87.

200-meter freestyle: 11-12, 1. Felipe Nunez, HON 2:13.25; 13-14, 1. Caleb Serrano, PUR 1:56.60; 15-17, 1. Nikoli Blackman, TTO 1:53.39; 18-and-over, 1. Victor Rosado, PUR 1:54.15.

100-meter butterfly: 11-12, 1. Andres Vigil, PER 1:05.93; 13-14, 1. Giovanni Rivas, TTO 58.27; 15-17, 1. Ariel Herrera, ECU 56.02; 18-and-over, 1. Cadell Lyons, TTO 55.84, 2. Yeziel Morales, PUR/AZURA 55.22.

200-meter breaststroke: 11-and-over, 1. Xavier Flores, PUR 2:21.92.

50-meter backstroke: 11-12, 1. Zachary Burke, BAR 32.40; 13-14, 1. Cristobal Buchholtz, PER 28.59; 15-17, 1. Johann Matamoro, TTO 27.81; 18-and-over, 1. Yeziel Morales, PUR/AZURA 26.40.

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

Teenager Katie Grimes Wins; SOFLO’s Ricardo Roche Swims Friday At TYR Pro Swim Series

By Sharon Robb
MISSION VIEJO, Calif., June 2, 2022–Teenager Katie Grimes of Sandpipers of Nevada won the 400-meter freestyle Thursday night at the fourth and final TYR Pro Swim Series at newly-renovated Marguerite Aquatic Center.

Grimes, 16, pushed by teammates Bella Sims and Claire Weinstein, won in a best time 4:05.77. Sims was second in 4:07.54 and Weinstein third in 4:13.53.

Egyptian Olympian Marwan El Kamash won the men’s 400 freestyle in 3:51.12.

In other finals:
Polish national record holder Katarzyna Wasick, 30, won the 100-meter freestyle in 54.57. She went out fast in 26.27 and led the entire race. Olympic silver medalist Bella Sims was second in a best time 55.18.

Ryan Held of New York Athletic Club won the 100-meter freestyle in 48.64 just ahead of Mission Viejo’s Justin Ress in 48.90.

Kailtyn Dobler, 20, of Trojan Swim Club led from start to finish to win the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:07.60.

Will Licon of Texas Longhorns overtook early leader Brandon Fischer in the last 10 meters to win the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:01.46.

Arizona State’s Lindsay Looney won the 200-meter butterfly in 2:08.86. ASU teammate Leon Marchand won the men’s 200-meter butterfly in 1:56.54. Both led the races from start to finish.

South Florida Aquatic Club’s Julio Horrego got off to a rough start in prelims where he was disqualified in his first event, the 100-meter breaststroke for fly kick under water at both walls. He was seeded third in the 100 in 1:01.18 and one of the pre-meet favorites. He will time trial the event on Friday.

Horrego, 23, a 2020 Honduran Olympian, will also swim Saturday in 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 will compete in the 200-meter backstroke on Friday. Roche did a time trial Thursday in the 100 backstroke in 1:00.84.

The meet is being televised on the Olympic Channel Friday at 8 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday it will be televised on CNBC taped-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 (Friday-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.

THURSDAY RESULTS
WOMEN
100-meter freestyle: 1. Katarzyna Wasick, TRA 54.57, 2. Bella Sims, SAND 55.18, 3. Lindsay Looney, SUN 55.55.

100-meter breaststroke: 1. Kaitlyn Dobler, TROJ 1:07.60, 2. Viktoria Gunes, UN 1:09.38, 3. Isabelle Odgers, TROJ 1:09.56.

200-meter butterfly: 1. Lindsay Looney, SUN 2:08.86, 2. Justina Kozan, UN 2:11.38, 3. Lainey Mullins, SSC 2:12.08.

400-meter freestyle: 1. Katie Grimes, SAND 4:05.77, 2. Bella Sims, SAND 4:07.54, 3. Claire Weinstein, SAND 4:13.43.

MEN
100-meter freestyle: 1. Ryan Held, NYAC 48.64, 2. Justin Ress, MV 48.90, 3. Carter Swift, SUN 49.51.

100-meter breaststroke: 1. Will Licon, TEX 1:01.46, 2. Brandon Fischer, UN 1:01.79, 3. Ethan Hansen, SUN 1:03.59.

200-meter butterfly: 1. Leon Marchand, SUN 1:56.54, 2. Ilya Kharun, SAND 1:58.70, 3. Colby Mefford, UN 1:59.98.

400-meter freestyle: 1. Marwan El Kamash, ISC 3:51.12, 2. Gabriel Jett, UN 3:53.05, 3. Rex Maurer, UN 3:54.07.

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

SOFLO Heads Field For Saturday’s North Miami Swim Team June Open Invite

By Sharon Robb
NORTH MIAMI, June 2, 2022—South Florida Aquatic Club heads the field for the North Miami Swim Team June Open Invite Saturday at Miami-Dade North College.

The one-day meet begins 10 a.m. and expected to end at 1:56 p.m.

SOFLO has 55 swimmers (34 girls and 21 boys) entered in 216 individual events.

Among SOFLO’s top seeds are:

Ellie Phan, 7, 25-yard backstroke, 23.01; 25-yard butterfly, 20.59; 25-yard breaststroke 25.38; 25-yard freestyle 18.84.

Haley Garcia, 14, 200-yard breaststroke 2:56.09.

Mikhel Martin, 13, 100-yard backstroke 1:08.71; 100-yard IM 1:11.46.

Jake Rezende, 11, 50-yard backstroke 40.23; 50-yard butterfly 39.22.

Joseph Blake-Natino, 13, 200-yard breaststroke, NT; 100-yard breaststroke 1:12.70.; 100-yard butterfly 1:11.03.

Among top Florida Gold Coast teams competing are Heritage Aquatics, Eagle Aquatics and Metro Aquatics.

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