St. Thomas Aquinas Sweeps Cypress Bay In BCAA Season-Opener; SOFLO’s Ana Villamil, Stephen Kim Double Winners

By Sharon Robb
PLANTATION, August 31, 2022—St. Thomas Aquinas girls and boys teams won their BCAA season-opener Tuesday night at Plantation Aquatic Complex.

The Raiders swept the Cypress Bay Lightning. The boys won, 117-53 and the girls squeaked by, 89-87.

South Florida Aquatic Club’s Ana Villamil was a double winner in the 200-yard individual medley (2:14.91) and 100-yard breaststroke (1:08.50).

The Raiders had three other girls double winners.

Mariana Cote won the 200-yard freestyle in 2:00.02 and 500-yard freestyle in 5:22.28.

Ana Lutz won the 50-yard freestyle in 25.32 and 100-yard freestyle in 56.01.

Julianne McCranie won the 100-yard butterfly in 58.22 and 100-yard backstroke in 1:00.35.

Cypress Bay won the 200-yard medley and 400-yard freestyle relays.

SOFLO’s Stephen Kim, 16, of Cypress Bay, won the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:05.51 and 200-yard individual medley in 2:05.94.

The Raider won two boys relays in the 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard freestyle relay and had two other double winners.

Alex Mansur won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:48.13 and 100-yard freestyle in 48.81.

Gabriel Tortola won the 100-yard butterfly in 55.44 and 500-yard freestyle in 5:02.38.

GIRLS
St. Thomas Aquinas 89, Cypress Bay 87
200-yard medley relay: 1. Cypress Bay 1:52.47, 2. St. Thomas Aquinas A 1:52.94, 3. St. Thomas B 2:00.64.

200-yard freestyle: 1. Mariana Cote, CB 2:00.02, 2. Samira Zambrano, CB 2:02.82, 3. Sarah Vazquez, STA 2:06.52.

200-yard individual medley: 1. Ana Villamil, CB 2:14.91, 2. Nicol Bellardi, CB 2:16.53, 3. Mariann Catalasan, STA 2:25.03.

50-yard freestyle: 1. Ana Lutz, STA 25.32, 2. Valentina Valecilles, CB 25.65, 3. Natalia Ortiz, CB 26.03.

1-meter diving: 1. Lindsay Ruoff, STA 187.65.

100-yard butterfly: 1. Julianne McCranie, STA 58.22, 2. Lena Lajko, STA 1:00.38, 3. Gabriella DeLuna, CB 1:00.96.

100-yard freestyle: 1. Ana Lutz, STA 56.01, 2. Mia Gelin, STA 57.50, 3. Natalia Ortiz, CB 57.84.

500-yard freestyle: 1. Mariana Cote, CB 5:22.28, 2. Sarah Vazquez, STA 5:28.96, 3. Samira Zambrano, CB 5:32.07.

200-yard freestyle relay: 1. St. Thomas Aquinas A 1:44.70, 2. Cypress Bay 1:45.31, 3. St. Thomas Aquinas B 1:55.22.

100-yard backstroke: 1. Julianne McCranie, STA 1:00.35, 2. Nicol Bellardi, CB 1:02.65, 3. Gabriella DeLuna, CB 1:04.14.

100-yard breaststroke: 1. Ana Villamil, CB 1:08.50, 2. Mariann Catalasan, STA 1:14.94, 3. Sara Mendoza, CB 1:15.65.

400-yard freestyle relay: 1. Cypress Bay A 3:45.27, 2. St. Thomas Aquinas A 3:48.01, 3. Cypress Bay B 3:58.78.

BOYS
St. Thomas Aquinas 117, Cypress Bay 53
200-yard medley relay: 1. St. Thomas Aquinas A 1:47.75, 2. St. Thomas Aquinas B 1:51.44, 3. Cypress Bay 1:54.53.

200-yard freestyle: 1. Alex Mansur, STA 1:48.13, 2. Matthew Tan, STA 1:58.97, 3. Gabriel Landron, STA 1:59.51.

200-yard individual medley: 1. Stephen Kim, CB 2:05.94, 2. Jonas Santos, STA 2:12.13, 3. Giovanni Gianfriddo, STA 2:16.58.

50-yard freestyle: 1. Samuel Collingwood, STA 21.81, 2. Juan Orjuela, STA 23.82, 3. Aiden Park, CB 24.59.

1-meter diving: None.

100-yard butterfly: 1. Gabriel Tortola, STA 55.44, 2. Juan Orjuela, STA 56.52, 3. Mateo Shearer, STA 57.66.

100-yard freestyle: 1. Alex Mansur, STA 48.81, 2. Samuel Collingwood, STA 49.20, 3. Diego Villalonga, CB 53.70.

500-yard freestyle: 1. Gabriela Tortola, STA 5:02.38, 2. Rafael Landron, STA 5:19.26, 3. Giovanni Gianfriddo, STA 5:25.69.

200-yard freestyle relay: 1. Cypress Bay 1:37.16, 2. St. Thomas Aquinas A 1:37.28, 3. St. Thomas Aquinas B 1:41.26.

100-yard backstroke: 1. Mateo Shearer, STA 58.27, 2. Matthew Tan, STA 59.81, 3. Alejandro Osorio, STA 1:04.63.

100-yard breaststroke: 1. Stephen Kim, CB 1:05.51, 2. Diego Villalonga, CB 1:06.58, 3. Rafael Landron, STA 1:08.15.

400-yard freestyle relay: 1. St. Thomas Aquinas A 3:28.52, 2. St. Thomas Aquinas B 3:45.25, 3. Cypress Bay A 3:48.57.

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

TYR JULY GIRL SWIMMER OF THE MONTH: Lydia Smutny

By Sharon Robb
MIAMI, August 30, 2022–Swimming is definitely a family affair for Lydia Smutny.

It’s been that way since her parents were competitive swimmers in high school and college and her father, Steven, competed at the 1984 Olympic trials and was an outstanding college swimmer at Temple University.

All six of the Smutny children followed in their parents’ footsteps in the sport. There is Matt, 27; Luke 24; Mary, 21, Lucy, 19, Maddie, 17; and Lydia, 14.

Is it any wonder Lydia has the advantage of being the youngest in the family, learning from her siblings’ swimming experiences, good and bad?

USA Swimming and veteran Florida Gold Coast official Steven Goldman once posted on his Facebook page: “Seems like every meet I go to there is a Smutny.”

And SOFLO Miami site head coach Lou Manganiello, with more than 40 years of coaching experience at every level of swimming, has been involved in all of their swimming careers, past and present. “Yes, I’ve coached them all,” he said.

Smutny, a freshman, is home schooled and will compete for Cutler Bay Senior High School’s swim team for the first time this season and hopes to make it to states. She recently moved up from the Makos with Coach Issy to the Great Whites group and now works with Coach Lou at the Miami site. She calls it a fun group and “competitive group where I get to race people that are around my speed.”

Smutny, who has never had a swim lesson, has been swimming for nine years.

“My entire family was in swimming so I just started swimming,” said Smutny, who would go to the pool when she was little to watch her siblings work out. “I watched them swim and saw how much fun it was. I always wanted to do swimming. I was very happy I started.”

Smutny, whose favorite stroke is the butterfly like the rest of her family, said she loves to compete.

“I am a very competitive person with a lot of siblings. We’re competitive but we’re also supportive of each other. We tease each other about the times at each other’s age, like when they were my age they would tell me what they did but they cheer me along. I did follow a lot of their footsteps for fly and strokes. They watch me and encourage me during practices and meets.

“It’s just a very enjoyable sport for me. It keeps me fit. I’ve made a lot of friends and it helps me with time management and motivation.”

A normal day for Smutny features two to three daily practice sessions. After early morning practice she has her school session, naps, goes to her high school pool for another practice and from there goes to her home club pool.

“I like club more because I have been there a lot longer and it’s year-round,” Smutny said. “I have a lot more friends there.”

At the 14-and-under Florida Gold Coast Junior Olympics at Sailfish Splash Water Park in Stuart, Smutny turned in six lifetime best times: 100-meter butterfly, 1.76 and dropping below 1:10 for the first time; 100-meter freestyle, 0.67 drop; 400-meter freestyle, 6.66 drop; 200-meter freestyle, 6.94 drop; 200-meter butterfly, 8.07 drop and 400 IM.

“It was a very fun meet for me because a lot of my teammates were there and it was a big meet,” Smutny said. “I like long course and it’s fun to swim fast to me. I was surprised at my 200 fly and 400 IM. I dropped a good amount in prelims and even more in finals. That was my best long course JOs and the biggest meet I’ve been to yet.

“There are some meets where I put pressure on myself and I get nervous before but then I do good after,” she said. “Sometimes I work better under pressure.”

In addition to trying to make states this season, Smutny would like to get her Futures Cut and another sectional cut in addition to her 200 butterfly cut she got at JOs. A long range goal is swimming in college.

Each TYR Swimmer of the Month receives a free TYR backpack. Smutny joins SOFLO teammates Amber Connor (June), Eva Ortiz (May), Sally Golding (April), Natalie Gembicki (March), Sofia Lugo (February) and Valentina Remmele (January) as 2022 Swimmers of the Month.

SOFLO sponsor TYR is a USA manufacturer of recreational and competitive swimwear, caps, goggles, triathlon gear and accessories and one of the nation’s top companies.

TYR, created by athletes, is named for the Norse god of warriors in Germanic mythology. Among its female-sponsored athletes are 2020 Olympians Simone Manuel, Katie Ledecky, Lilly King, Annie Lazor, Ashley Twichell and other elite swimmers Melanie Margalis, Molly Hannis and Kelsi Dahlia.

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