SOFLO Relays Shine; SOFLO Second Among Combined, Women’s Teams At Piranhas Senior Invite

By Sharon Robb
PLANTATION, March 3, 2023—In a meet dominated by the Bolles Sharks, South Florida Aquatic Club finished among the top three in the men’s and women’s relays Friday night at the Piranhas Senior Invite at Plantation Aquatic Complex.

In a tuneup for the FGC Senior Championships, SOFLO’s women won and finished third in the 400-meter freestyle relay and men finished third.

The women’s relay of Gabriela Avila, Natalia Sibug, Gabriella DeLuna and Ana Villamil won in 4:23.45. SOFLO’s B relay of Sarah Bedoya, Mariann Catalasan, Amelie Bicerne and Genesis Escobar was third in 4:33.28.

The men’s relay of Enrique Rodriguez, Wisthon Rendon, Stephen Kim and Aldo Zepeda was third in 3:43.59.

Manny Melendez was SOFLO’s top boys finisher placing third in the 50-meter breaststroke in 31.65. Gabriella DeLuna was one of the top girls finishers placing fourth in the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:18.18. Ana Villamil was also fourth in the 50-meter breaststroke in 36.49.

South Florida Aquatic Club is second among combined teams with 765 points behind Bolles (1,512) and second among women’s teams with 333 behind Bolles (839). SOFLO men are third with 314 behind Bolles (673) and Azura (546).

The meet continues through Sunday with prelims at 8:30 a.m. and finals at 5 p.m.

FRIDAY RESULTS
WOMEN
50-meter butterfly: 1. Simany Lee, Bolles 29.22; SOFLO: 6. Ana Villamil 29.96.

400-meter individual medley: 1. Erin Miller, PCST 5:13.51

100-meter breaststroke: 1. Gracie Lanning, Bolles 1:14.50; SOFLO: 4. Gabriella DeLuna 1:18.18, 8. Mariann Catalasan 1:21.64.

200-meter freestyle: 1. Brittany Corbett, Empire Swiming 2:08.49.

50-meter breaststroke: 1. Gracie Lanning, Bolles 35.07; SOFLO: 4. Ana Villamil 36.49, 8. Mariann Catalasan 37.98.

400-meter freestyle relay: 1. SOFLO A 4:21.30 (Gabriela Avila, Natalia Sibug, Gabriella De Luna, Ana Villamil), 2. Plantation 4:23.45, 3. SOFLO B 4:33.28 (Sarah Bedoya, Mariann Catalasan, Amelie Bicerne, Genesis Escobar).

MEN
50-meter butterfly: 1. Alex Meyers-Labenze, Bolles 26.63; SOFLO: 6. Manny Melendez 27.10, 8. Aldo Zepeda 27.27.

400-meter individual medley: 1. Han Yuen Cohen Chiam, Bolles 4:38.76; SOFLO: 12. Jaden Amores 4:57.63.

100-meter breaststroke: 1. Eldad Zamir, Bolles 1:05.46; SOFLO: 5. Manny Melendez 1:07.32, 10. Stephen Kim 1:11.25.

200-meter freestyle: 1. Anthony Pineiro, Unatt 1:56.38; SOFLO: 10. Enrique Rodriguez 2:00.67.

50-meter breaststroke: 1. Eldad Zamir, Bolles 30.93, 2. Jordy Groters, GIANT 31.31; SOFLO: 3. Manny Melendez 31.65, 7. Stephen Kim 32.49.

400-meter freestyle relay: 1. Azura 3:38.73 (Leon Seaton, Elias Segovia, Justino Pale, Ali Alawi), 2. Plantation 3:39.66, 3. SOFLO A 3:43.59 (Enrique Rodriguez, Wisthon Rendon, Stephen Kim, Aldo Zepeda), 6. SOFLO B 4:01.61 (Jaden Amores, Felix Gonzalez, Manny Melendez, Luis Del Campo Salazar).

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

Dylan Carter Wins Second Event; SOFLO’s Julio Horrego Takes Fourth On Day Three Of TYR Pro Swim Series

By Sharon Robb
FORT LAUDERDALE, March 3, 2023—Dylan Carter of Trinidad and Tobago won his second event Friday at the TYR Pro Swim Series at Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center.

After tying with Michael Andrew in the morning preliminaries of the 50-meter butterfly in 23.25 to set up an exciting final, the pair tied again for first in 23.33. On Thursday, Carter, 27, a Plantation American Heritage alum, won the 100 freestyle with a national record 48.2, securing the FINA A cut for the world championships this summer.

There was an unusual amount of ties during the night’s finals at the $48 million facility.

There were two ties in the women’s 50-meter butterfly. Abbey Weitzeil and Emilie Beckmann tied for first in 26.27 and Katerine Savard and Natalie Hinds tied for third in 26.68.

There was a tie for third in the 200-meter freestyle between Shaine Casas and Luiz Altamir in 1:47.88.

There was also a tie in the women’s 50-meter breaststroke for third between Siobhan Haughey and Rachel Bernhardt in 31.21.

Canadian Summer McIntosh, training with the Sarasota Sharks, broke her own world junior record and Katie Ledecky’s U.S. Open record in the 200-meter freestyle in 1:54.13. Ledecky was second in 1:54.96.

South Florida Aquatic Club’s top finisher was 2020 Honduran Olympian Julio Horrego, fourth in the 50-meter breaststroke in 27.97. The top four finishers all dipped under 28 seconds.

SOFLO’s Olivia Dinehart was sixth in the C final of the 50-meter breaststroke in 33.74.

SOFLO teammate Luciano Gonzalez was 24th in the 50-meter butterfly in 25.40.

Kaii Winkler of Eagle Aquatics was second in the B final and tenth overall in the 200-meter freestyle in 1:49.02.

Dylan Smiley of Miami Country Day was seventh in the B final and 15th in the 50-meter breaststroke in 28.85. He won the C final in the 50-meter butterfly in 24.84.

Julia Podkoscielny, 18, of Pine Crest Swimming won the B final and was ninth overall in the 200-meter backstroke in 2:15.02.

Aspen Gersper, 17, of St. Andrew’s Aquatics was 16th in the 200-meter freestyle in 2:02.21. She was 19th in the 50-meter butterfly in 28.08. Diego Balbi, also of St. Andrew’s, was 18th in the 50-meter butterfly in 24.88.

SOFLO Friday prelim results:
Julio Horrego, 24, 50-meter breaststroke, 5. 28.10.
Luciano Gonzalez, 29, 50-meter butterfly, 21. 24.87.
Maddie Smutny, 17, 200-meter freestyle, 47. 2:09.06; 50-meter butterfly, 58. 29.74.
Olivia Dinehart, 18, 50-meter breaststroke, 25. 33.93; 400-meter individual medley, 26. 5:11.05.
Elena Dinehart, 18, 50-meter backstroke, 28. 31.23, time drop 0.16; 50-meter butterfly, 59. 29.77; 200-meter backstroke, 25. 2:22.65.
Ricardo Roche, 23, 200-meter backstroke, 24. 2:12.60.
Javier Colmenares, 16, 50-meter breaststroke, 43. 30.27, time drop 0.49; 50-meter butterfly, 84. 27.30, time drop 0.50.

SOFLO’s swimmers have the following events left to swim: Olivia Dinehart, 200-meter breaststroke 2:34.53L; Luciano Gonzalez, 50 freestyle 23.51L; Julio Horrego, 200 breaststroke 2:17.35L; Ricardo Roche, 100 backstroke 58.71L.

Prize money is being offered: $1,500 for first, $1,000 for second and $500 for third.

Prelims are 9 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m. each day. Meet parking is limited around the venue and restricted to available parking lots. Meet tickets range from $12.24 to $75.89.

Action is being shown on YouTube and also on CNBC (March 4-5, 10:30 a.m. tape delay). Finals on Saturday along with all prelim sessions will be streamed on usaswimming.org.

SOFLO sponsor TYR is an American designer, developer and 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. The company’s mission statement is starting from, powered by and made for athletes, we strive to create and re-imagine technologies that enhance experience and performance at every level.

FRIDAY RESULTS
WOMEN
200-meter freestyle: 1. Summer McIntosh, SYS 1:54.13, WJR, US records, 2. Katie Ledecky, GSC 1:54.96, 3. Siobhan Haughey, HKG 1:55.53, 16. Aspen Gersper, SAA 2:02.21.

50-meter breaststroke: 1. Lilly King, ISC 30.04, 2. Imogen Clark, GBR 30.48, 3. tie, Siobhan Bernadette Haughey, HKG and Rachel Bernhardt, Team NC 31.21.

50-meter butterfly: 1. tie, Abbey Weitzeil, CAL and Emilie Beckmann, DNK 26.27, 3. Katerine Savard, CAN and Natalie Hinds, GSC 26.68, 21. Julianne McCranie, PC 28.06.

200-meter backstroke: 1. Regan Smith, SUN 2:05.34, pro swim series record, 2. Katie Grimes, SAND 2:09.53, 3. Erika Pelaez, EA 2:11.67, 9. Julia Podkoscielny, PC 2:15.02.

400-meter individual medley: 1. Katie Ledecky, GSC 4:36.04, 2. Ella Jansen, CAN 4:43.32, 3. Tess Cieplucha, TNAQ 4:44.92.

MEN
200-meter freestyle: 1. Matthew Richards, WAL 1:47.04, 2. Kieran Smith, RAC 1:47.36, 3. tie, Shaine Casas, TXLA and Luiz Altamir, BRA 1:47.88, 10. Kaii Winkler, EA 1:49.02

50-meter breaststroke: 1. Michael Andrew, MASA 27.10, 2. Nic Fink, MAAC 27.29, 3. Tommy Cope, MW 27.48, 4. Julio Horrego, SOFLO 27.97, 15. Dylan Smiley, MCD 28.85.

50-meter butterfly: 1. tie, Dylan Carter, ISC and Michael Andrew, MASA 23.33, 3. Shaine Casas, TXLA 23.48, 17. Dyan Smiley, MCDA 24.82, 18. Diego Balbi, SAA 24.88, 24. Luciano Gonzalez, SOFLO 25.40.

200-meter backstroke: 1. Ryan Murphy, CAL 1:56.44, 2. Chase Kalisz, SUN 1:59.73, 3. Jay Litherland, SUN 2:01.14.

400-meter individual medley: 1. Bobby Finke, STP 4:15.93, 2. Lorne Wigginton, CAN 4:19.95, 3. Grant Sanders, TBAY 4:25.33.

MEET SCHEDULE
9:00 AM: Prelims, 6:00 PM: Finals.
Saturday: 800fr/100ba/200br/100fly/200IM/50fr

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