By Sharon Robb
PEMBROKE PINES, March 16, 2023—Defending champion South Florida Aquatic Club got off to a good start in its title defense Thursday at the Florida Gold Coast Swimming Senior Championships at Academic Village Pool.
SOFLO’s Izzy Wilson, 16, got the ball rolling winning the grueling 1,650-yard freestyle in a best time 16:58.71, shaving 12.32 off her previous best and dipping below 17 minutes for the first time. Her previous best was 17:11.03.
Felix Gonzalez, 16, was SOFLO boys top finisher in the 1,650, placing seventh in a best time of 16:31.51, dropping 3.21 seconds.
The SOFLO men’s and women’s relays picked up valuable points.
While Pine Crest swept the women’s relays and Azura swept the men’s relays, SOFLO women finished second (Elena Dinehart, Olivia Dinehart, Ana Villamil, Natalie Gembicki) and sixth (Gabriella DeLuna, Sophia Grubbs, Michelle Marinheiro, Maddie Smutny) in the 4×50-yard medley relay and third (Gembicki, Olivia Dinehart, Smutny, Ana Villamil) and ninth (Elena Dinehart, Grubbs, Tania Mantilla, Marinheiro) in the 4×50-yard freestyle relay.
SOFLO men were second (Richaro Roche, Julio Horrego, Luciano Gonzalez, Aldo Zepeda) and third (Enrique Rodriguez, Javier Colmenares, Wisthon Rendon, Luis Salazar Del Campo) in the 4×50-yard medley relay and second (Horrego, Zepeda, Roche, Gonzalez) and fourth Carlos Salas, Rendon, Rodriguez, Colmenares) in the 4×50-yard freestyle relay.
SOFLO leads the combined team standings with 300 points and Azura is second. SOFLO also leads the women’s standings with 153 points ahead of FAST with 139. Azura leads the men’s with 180 and SOFLO is second with 147 points.
The meet continues Friday with a full scheduled of events. Prelims are 8:30 a.m. and finals 6 p.m.
SOFLO is among thirty-three teams from Broward, Palm Beach and Metro-Dade competing over four days. In addition to host SOFLO, FGC teams competing are: Azura, Blue Marlins, Boca Raton, Bravo, Coral Springs, Eagle Aquatics, FAST, Gulliver, Heritage Aquatic Team, Hialeah, Hurricane Aquatics, Jupiter Dragons, Lake Lytal Lightning, Martin County, Metro Aquatics, Miami Country Day, Miami Swimming, Midtown Weston, North Miami, North Palm Beach, Olympus, PAQ, Pine Crest, Plantation, Pompano Beach Piranhas, Ransom Everglades, St. Andrew’s Aquatics, Sunrise Swimming, Swim Fort Lauderdale, TS Aquatics and Wellington.
THURSDAY RESULTS
COMBINED: 1. SOFLO 300, 2. Azura 233, 3. FAST 163, 4. Plantation Swim Team 128, 5. TS Aquatics 122.
MEN TEAM TOTALS: 1. Azura 180, 2. SOFLO 147, 3. Plantation 74, 4. Ransom Everglades 62, 5. Hurricane Aquatics 60.
WOMEN TEAM TOTALS: 1. SOFLO 153, 2. FAST 139 3. TS Aquatics 84, 4. Pine Crest 80, 5. Plantation 54.
WOMEN
1,650-yard freestyle: 1. Izzy Wilson, SOFLO 16:58.71, time drop 12.32, 2. Emma Herrera, FAST 17:19.11, 3. Fatima Portillo, Azura 17:24.81; SOFLO: 7. Michelle Marinheiro 17:40.89, time drop 2.59, 11. Sarah Vasquez 18:16.62, time drop 3.56, 12. Amelie Bicerne 18:20.10.
4×50-yard medley relay: 1. Pine Crest 1:43.55 (Julia Podkoscielny, Sara Lin, Julianne McCranie, Riley Botting), 2. SOFLO A 1:44.76 (Elena Dinehart, Olivia Dinehart, Ana Villamil, Natalie Gembicki), 3. FAST 1:46.92, 6. SOFLO B 1:49.53 (Gabriella DeLuna, Sophia Grubbs, Michelle Marinheiro, Maddie Smutny).
4×50-yard freestyle relay: 1. Pine Crest 1:35.77 (Julia Podkoscielny, Riley Botting, Erin Miller, Julianne McCranie), 2. FAST 1:36.11, 3. SOFLO A 1:36.44 (Natalie Gembicki, Olivia Dinehart, Maddie Smutny, Ana Villamil), 9. SOFLO B 1:40.83 (Elena Dinehart, Sophia Grubbs, Tania Mantilla, Michelle Marinheiro).
MEN
1,650-yard freestyle: 1. Diego Dulieu, Azura 15:20.18, 2. Sauod Alshamroukh, CSSC 15:42.77, 3. Maximiliano Paccot, Azura 16:09.54; SOFLO: 7. Felix Gonzalez 16:31.15, time drop 3.21, .12. Nicholas Pelaez 17:07.29
4×50-yard medley relay: 1. Azura 1:29.68 (Yeziel Morris, Kito Campbell, Davidson Vincent, Jayhan Odlum-Smith), 2. SOFLO A 1:29.91 (Ricardo Roche, Julio Horrego, Luciano Gonzalez, Aldo Zepeda), 3. SOFLO B (Enrique Rodriguez, Javier Colmenares, Wisthon Rendon, Luis Salazar Del Campo), 1:35.88.
4×50-yard freestyle relay: 1. Azura 1:22.94 (Salvatore Lanzafame, Jayhan Odlum-Smith, Yeziel Morales, Davidson Vincent), 2. SOFLO A 1:23.66 (Julio Horrego, Aldo Zepeda, Ricardo Roche, Luciano Gonzalez), 3. Hurricane Aquatics 1:26.91, 4. SOFLO B 1:27.30 (Carlos Salas, Wisthon Rendon, Enrique Rodriguez, Javier Colmenares).
IF YOU GO
What: Florida Gold Coast Swimming Senior Championships.
When: Friday-Sunday.
Where: Academic Village Pool, 17191 SW 171st Avenue, Pembroke Pines.
Timeline: Friday, prelims 8:30 a.m., 7 a.m. warmup and finals 6 p.m., 4:30 p.m. warmup; Saturday, prelims 8:30 a.m., 7 a.m. warmup and finals 6 p.m., 4:30 p.m. warmup; Sunday, prelims 8:30 a.m., 7 a.m. warmup and finals 5 p.m., 3:30 p.m. warmup.
Admission: $5. Admission allows spectators to enter the pool deck only with the barricaded areas.
Of note: SOFLO and Comets Swim Team Booster Club are hosting the meet. The meet is being live streamed. The pool deck and parking lot is being monitored by security. For more information or questions call 954-538-3721 or go to SoFloMeets@swim4soflo.com.
Sharon Robb can be reached at sha11cats@aol.com
http://www.swim4soflo.com
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