SOFLO’s DeLuna Wins Senior Title, Rodriguez Makes Futures Cut; Azura Leads On Day Two Of FGC Senior Championships

By Sharon Robb
CORAL SPRINGS, July 23, 2022–It was a night of first-time accomplishments for SOFLO swimmers Gabriella DeLuna and Enrique Rodriguez at the Florida Gold Coast Senior Championships Saturday at Coral Springs Aquatic Complex.

DeLuna, 15, won her first senior title in the 400-meter individual medley in a best time 5:11.04, shaving 1.43 seconds off her previous best of 5:12.47. Her splits were 1:08.96 butterfly, 1:22.66 backstroke, 1:29.20 breaststroke and 1:10.22 freestyle. She was the fastest qualifier in morning prelims in 5:13.03.

Rodriguez, 17, made his first USA Swimming Futures cut in the 200-meter freestyle, winning the C final in a best time 1:57.72, dropping 0.59 off his previous best of 1:58.31.

University of Georgia’s Connor Haigh, 20, who has been training at SOFLO and swimming unattached in the meet, won the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:19.56. SOFLO’s Manuel Melendez, 18, was sixth in a best time 2:33.71, dropping 0.15.

Dominic Bono, 19, was third in the 400-meter individual medley in 4:42.19.

SOFLO’s 400-meter freestyle relay team of Aldo Zepeda, Enrique Rodriguez, Manuel Melendez and Agustin Rodriguez pulled off a sixth place in 3:39.48, also a Futures cut time.

Michelle Marinheiro, 19, was fourth in the C final of the 200-meter freestyle in a best time 2:12.77, dropping 1.37 seconds off her previous best. She was also eighth in the B final in a best time 1:07.17, dropping 0.74.

Sabrina Osorio, 17, was third in the B final of the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:53.11 and Mariann Catalasan, 16, was fifth in the B final in a best time 2:53.69, dropping 1.60.

Ana Villamil, 17, was second in the C final of the 100-meter butterfly in a best time 1:06.18, dropping 0.19. Gabriela Avila, 15, was sixth in the 100 butterfly in 1:07.59. Villamil was also seventh in the 400 IM in a best time 5:37.14, dropping 6.76.

Hashan Ekanayake, 15, won the D final in the 200-meter freestyle in a best time 2:02.10 with a time drop of 0.35.

Alexander Miller, 15, was third in the B final of the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:37.39.

Adrian Hernandez, 16, was fourth in the D final of the 100-meter butterfly in 1:01.22 and Jaden Amores, 15, was fifth in a best time 1:01.31, dropping 0.08.

In a close battle for combined, Azura leads Flood Aquatics, 1,277-1,240. Flood Aquatics leads the women’s with 585 and Azura leads the men’s with 754. SOFLO is third among women’s teams and fourth in the combined and men’s team standings.

The three-day meet concludes Sunday with prelims at 8:30 a.m. and finals at 5 p.m.

St. Andrew’s Aquatics is defending long course champions after winning its first-ever title last August.

SOFLO has 29 swimmers (19 boys and 10 girls) entered in 131 individual events and 16 relays in eight relay events. After senior champs, SOFLO swimmers have Zones and Futures remaining to end the summer.

SATURDAY RESULTS
COMBINED TEAM TOTALS: 1. Azura Florida Aquatics 1,277, 2. Flood Aquatics 1,240, 3. TS Aquatics 803, 4. South Florida Aquatic Club 746, 5. St. Andrew’s Aquatics 481, 6. Pompano Beach 476.50, 7. Plantation Swim Team 367, 8. T2 Aquatics 359, 9. Wahoos of Wellington 356, 10. Swim Fort Lauderdale 343.

WOMEN TEAM TOTALS: 1. Flood Aquatics 585, 2. Azura 523, 3. SOFLO 409, 4. TS Aquatics 352, 5. Midtown Weston 306.

MEN TEAM TOTALS: 1. Azura 754, 2. Flood Aquatics 655, 3. TS Aquatics 451, 4. SOFLO 337, 5. Swim Fort Lauderdale 328.

WOMEN
200-meter freestyle: 1. Emily Trieschmann, NSU 2:04.49, 2. Heidi Smithwick, JUP 2:05.70, 3. Eriana Temperino, GPA 2:08.28; SOFLO: 20. Michelle Marinheiro 2:12.77, time drop 1.37.

200-meter breaststroke: 1. Elizabeth Maradyn, GPA 2:39.37, 2. Paola Gonzalez, UN 2:42.00, 3. Madison Sipowski, FAST 2:44.09; SOFLO: 11. Sabrina Osorio 2:53.11, 13. Mariann Catalasan 2:53.69, time drop 1.60.

100-meter butterfly: 1. Lismar Lyon, MWA 1:01.67, 2. Heidi Smithwick, JUP 1:02.55, 3. Nicole Aguilar, WOW 1:02.80; SOFLO: 16. Michelle Marinheiro 1:07.17, time drop 0.74, 18. Ana Villamil 1:06.18, time drop 0.19, 22. Gabriela Avila 1:07.59.

400-meter individual medley: 1. Gabriella DeLuna, SOFLO 5:11.04, time drop 1.43, 2. Lilia Blanco, PB 5:13.63, 3. Paola Gonzalez, UN 5:15.19; SOFLO: 7. Ana Villamil 5:37.14, time drop 6.76.

400-meter freestyle relay: 1. Azura A 3:54.67 (Julimar Avila, Sirena Rowe, Lucia Miller, Nicole Frank Rodriguez), 2. TS Aquatics 3:58.94. 3. FAST 4:00.46, 11. SOFLO A 4:11.87 (Michelle Marinheiro, Gabriela Avila, Ana Villamil, Sara Quintero), 18. SOFLO B 4:28.74 (Gabriella DeLuna, Mariann Catalasan, Sabrina Osorio, Sofia Osorio).

MEN
200-meter freestyle: 1. Dylan Felt, SFTL 1:52.58, 2. Thomas Flower, NSU 1:52.73, 3. Varis Monroe, FAST 1:53.42; SOFLO: 17. Enrique Rodriguez 1:57.72, time drop 0.59, 25. Hashan Ekanayake 2:02.10, time drop 0.35.

200-meter breaststroke: 1. Connor Haigh, UN/Georgia/SOFLO 2:19.56, 2. Jacques Sonnier, BR 2:24.92, 3. Noah Sipowski, FAST 2:26.47; SOFLO: 6. Manuel Melendez 2:33.71, time drop 0.15, 11. Alexander Miller 2:37.39.

100-meter butterfly: 1. Steven Aimable, Azura 54.47, 2. Josh Zuchowski, FAST 54.69, 3. Esteban Nunez Del Prado, Azura 55.98; SOFLO: 28. Adrian Hernandez 1:01.22, 29. Jaden Amores 1:01.31, time drop 0.08.

400-meter individual medley: 1. Matheo Mateos, Azura 4:32.22, 2. Mariano Sosa, Azura 4:39.62, 3. Dominic Bono, SOFLO 4:42.19.

400-meter freestyle relay: 1. Azura A 3:28.49 (Davidson Vincent, Gabriel Araya, Matheo Mateos, Steven Aimable), 2. FAST 3:28.86, 3. TS Aquatics 3:34.92, 6. SOFLO A 3:39.48 (Aldo Zepeda, Enrique Rodriguez, Manuel Melendez, Agustin Rodriguez), 17. SOFLO B 3:48.03 (Alexander Miller, Nathaniel Garrick, Marvan Ekanayake, Adrian Hernandez).

IF YOU GO
WHAT: Florida Gold Coast LCM Senior Championships.

WHEN: Friday-Sunday.

WHERE: Michael Lohberg Pool of Champions, Coral Springs Aquatic Complex, 12441 Royal Palm Blvd.

TIMELINES: Sunday, 8:30 a.m.-12:32 p.m., 5-7:29 p.m.

ADMISSION: $5 per sessions for prelims and finals. There will be a concession stand available. Heat sheets are available at http://www.swimcssc.com or Meet Mobile. For more information call swim office 954-340-5032.

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

SOFLO Breaks Eleven Team Records During Summer Meet Season

By Sharon Robb
PEMBROKE PINES, August 15, 2021–There are eleven new team records posted on the record boards at Academic Village Pool.

Five South Florida Aquatic Club swimmers set new team records at JOs, Sectionals and Futures.

Javier Colmenares, 14, led the way with four team records all broken at sectionals. Colmenares holds the 13-14 records in the 50-meter breaststroke (31.91), 100-meter breaststroke (1:07.12), 200-meter breaststroke (2:25.92) and 200-meter individual medley (2:13.57).

Juan Mora, 17, broke three team records at sectionals. He broke the 17-18 records in the 50-meter breaststroke (29.83), 100-meter breaststroke (1:04.18) and 200-meter individual medley (2:10.78).

Dominic Bono, 17, set two teams records in the 17-18 and open divisions. He owns records in the 200-meter backstroke (2:06.12), broken at Futures and 400-meter individual medley (4:34.61) broken at sectionals.

Elena Dinehart and Noah Mejias each broke one record.

Dinehart, 16, broke the 15-16 100-meter backstroke record in 1:04.98 at sectionals.

Mejias, 10, broke the 9-10 100-meter butterfly record in 1:13.54 at Junior Olympics.

SOFLO Coach Jack Davies provided the team record research.

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

SOFLO’s Dominic Bono Makes Top 20 On Day Two Of USA Swimming Futures Championships

By Sharon Robb
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., July 29, 2021—Dominic Bono was South Florida Aquatic Club’s top finisher on Day Two of the USA Swimming Futures Championships Thursday at Huntsville Aquatics Center.

Bono, 18, was 20th in the 400-meter individual medley in 4:37.36. In morning prelims he went a best time 4:34.61 for a time drop of 3.51. His previous best was 4:38.12.

SOFLO’s Javier Colmenares, 15, did a 100-meter freestyle time trials in 56.92 for 19th place.

The top Florida Gold Coast finisher was University of Miami’s Aino Otava of Finland, 16th in the 400-meter individual medley in 5:03.19.

Atlanta-based Dynamo Swim Club leads the combined (462), men (188) and women (274) team standings.

An estimated 1,000 swimmers are competing. The Aquatic Center has two Olympic-size pools with 1,400 seats.

The meet continues Friday with prelims at 10 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m. The four-day meet ends on Saturday.

THURSDAY RESULTS
COMBINED TEAM TOTALS: 1. Dynamo 406, 2. TAC Titans 316.5, 3. Club Wolverine 156.5, 4. Bolles 126, 5. Blue Dolfins 96.

MEN TEAM TOTALS: 1. Dynamo 188, 2. Bolles 124, 3. TAC Titans 115, 4. Lakeside 59, 5. Club Wolverine 54.

WOMEN TEAM TOTALS: 1. Dynamo 218, 2. TAC Titans 201.5, 3. Club Wolverine 102.5, 4. Y-Spartaquatics 85, 5. Blue Dolfins 78, 14. Hurricane Aquatics 16.

GIRLS
100-meter freestyle: 1. Ella Welch, CARD 55.55, 2. Gretchen Walsh, NAC 55.74, 3. Kirsti McEnroe, YSSC 56.59.

400-meter individual medley: 1. Elizabeth Tilt, GOLD 4:51.61, 2. Lily Ann Willis, TAC 4:52.91, 3. Keelan Cotter, TAC 4:55.57; FGC: 16. Aino Otava, CANE 5:03.19.

100-meter backstroke: 1. Ryenne Ulett, DYN 1:01.94, 2. Catherine Choate 1:02.04, 3. Kyla Maloney, DYN 1:03.27.

800-meter freestyle relay: 1. Gator Swim Club 8:08.99, 2. Irish Aquatics 8:12.53, 3. TAC Titans 8:16.73.

BOYS
100-meter freestyle: 1. Macguire McDuff, BSS 50.98, 2. Chance Tirheimer, TBAY 51.31, 3. William Thompson, TAC 51.43.

400-meter individual medley: 1. Peter Meng, DYN 4:35.38, 2. Stuart Higdon, ATAC 4:35.72, 3. Samuel Kohm, TAC 4:37.02; SOFLO: 4. Dominic Bono 4:37.36, time drop 3.51.

100-meter backstroke: 1. Nathaniel Stoffle, SPAC 55.28, 2. Andrew Simmons, DYN 56.46, 3. William Thompson, TAC 56.70.

800-meter freestyle relay: 1. Dynamo A 7:31.11, 2. TAC Titans 7:33.08, 3. Dynamo B 7:43.46.

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

SOFLO Captures Back-To-Back Southern Zone South Sectional Championships; Five SOFLO Swimmers Win On Final Day

By Sharon Robb
PLANTATION, July 12, 2021—For the first time in club history, South Florida Aquatic Club won its second USA Swimming Southern Zone South Sectional Championships in six months on Sunday at Plantation Aquatic Center.

Kicking off the summer championship season on a high note, SOFLO won the combined team title with 1,100.5 points and boys team title with 594 points. The girls moved from fourth to second on the final day and finished with 506.50 points.

In mid-February at Coral Springs Aquatic Complex, SOFLO won the combined team title for the first time, was second among women and third among the men’s teams.

The meet, split between two sites, was held at (Site 1) the O’Connell Center in Gainesville and Plantation Aquatic Center (Site 2). The top 24 places in finals in the combined results are scored from both sites.

On Sunday, SOFLO had five individual winners on the fourth and final day.

SOFLO swept the men’s and women’s 1500-meter freestyle events. Dominic Bono, 17, won the men’s event in 16:40.31. Bono was also second in the 200-meter backstroke in 2:09.50. He had 66 points in high point.

Schleicher, 17, women’s 1500 race in 17:32.94, finishing ahead of St. Andrew’s Erin Miller in 17:49.39. She had 85 points in high point. SOFLO teammate Olivia Dinehart, 16, was third in 17:51.39.

Juan Mora, 17, won the 50-meter breaststroke in a best time 29.83, dropping 0.17. It was the first time Mora cracked 30 seconds, his previous best. Mora was also second in the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:22.27. He had 82.50 in high point.

Gaby Banks, 18, won the 100-meter freestyle in a best time 58.89, dropping 74/100ths of a second off her previous best. She had 35 points in high point.

Olivia Dinehart, 16, won the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:38.84. She finished with 91 points in high point.

Other SOFLO top three finishers were:

Molly Golding, 18, 200-meter breaststroke, second 2:40.71, time drop 3.04. She was also third in the 50-meter breaststroke in a best time 35.07, dropping 0.17.

Ivan Grass, 16, 1500 freestyle, third, 17:27.87.

SOFLO had the largest contingent of 43 swimmers (27 male and 16 female) competing in 170 individual events and four relays.

Among FGC teams entered at the Plantation site were Pine Crest, St. Andrew’s, Boca Raton Swim Team, Coral Springs Swim Club, Eagle Aquatics, Florida Keys and North Palm Beach.

SUNDAY RESULTS
COMBINED TEAM TOTALS: 1. South Florida Aquatic Club 1,100.50, 2. Blue Dolfins 1,034, 3. Area Tallahassee 625.50, 4. St. Andrew’s Aquatics 607. 5. Gator Swim Club 574, 6. Sarasota Tsunami 487, 7. Golden Panther Aquatics 401.50, 8. Club Seminoles 396.50, 9. Planet Swim Aquatics 308, 10. Swim Florida 306.

MEN’S TEAM TOTALS: 1. South Florida Aquatics 594, 2. Blue Dolfins 442, 3. Sarasota Tsunami 414, 4. St. Andrew’s Aquatics 270, 5. Area Tallahassee 250.50, 6. St. Petersburg Aquatics 228, 7. Gator Swim Club 217, 8. Metro Aquatics 196.50, 9. Club Seminole 190.50, 10. Plantation Swim Team 171.50.

WOMEN’S TEAM TOTALS: 1. Blue Dolfins 592, 2. South Florida Aquatic Club 506.50, 3. Golden Panthers Aquatics 401.50, 4. Area Tallahassee 375, 5. Gator Swim Club 357, 6. St. Andrew’s Aquatics 337, 7. Planet Swim 308, 8. Club Seminole 206, 9. Swim Florida 188, 10. Pipeline Swimming 172.

WOMEN’S EVENTS
200-meter butterfly: 1. Michelle Morgan, PS 2:16.95, 2. Clarice Spencer, SWIM 2:18.59, 3. Aspen Gersper, SAS 2:20.42; SOFLO: 5. Maddie Smutny 2:23.38, 21. Sarah Acevedo 2:35.22.

100-meter freestyle: 1. Gaby Banks, SOFLO 58.89, time drop 0.74, 2. Giuliana Carlini, SWIM 59.12, 3. Sydney Knapp, CANE 59.44; SOFLO: 16. Nat Gembicki 1:01.04, 22. Maddie Smutny 1:01.14.

200-meter breaststroke: 1. Olivia Dinehart, SOFLO 2:38.84, 2. Molly Golding, SOFLO 2:40.71, time drop 3.04, 3. Clarice Spencer, SWIM 2:44.09; SOFLO: 4. Mallory Schleicher 2:44.33, 14. Sabrina Osorio 2:51.13, time drop 1.18, 15. Sally Golding 2:53.32, 17. Sophia Grubbs 2:52.47.

200-meter backstroke: 1. Erika Pelaez, EA 2:18.38, 2. Sarah Evans, RATS 2:18.86, 3. Michelle Morgan, PS 2:20.52; SOFLO: 4. Elena Dinehart 2:21.36, 10. Gabriella DeLuna 2:29.79.

1500-meter freestyle: 1. Mallory Schleicher, SOFLO 17:32.94, 2. Erin Miller, SAS 17:49.39, 3. Olivia Dinehart, SOFLO 17:51.39; SOFLO: 5. Isabelle Wilson 18:00.69, time drop 2.74, 11. Alexis Christensen 19:47.11.

50-meter breaststroke: 1. Lucia Miller, SAS 34.49, 2. Rachel Clancy, FAST 34.83, 3. Molly Golding, SOFLO 35.07, time drop 0.17; SOFLO: 9. Sophia Grubbs 35.90, 15. Mallory Schleicher 37.17, 20. Sabrina Osorio 37.76, time drop 0.33, 24. Sally Golding 38.77, 27. Gaby Banks 39.06.

MEN’S EVENTS
200-meter butterfly: 1. Mitchell Ledford, TCSC 2:03.59, 2. Dario Martin, OSC 2:05.07, 3. Joey Carbone, SAS 2:05.28; SOFLO: 6. Philopatier Ibrahim 2:12.40, 8. Rafael Rodriguez 2:13.63, 12. Enrique Rodriguez 2:14.45, time drop 0.09, 13. Alejandro Mateus 2:14.92, time drop 1.65.

100-meter freestyle: 1. Kaii Winkler, EA 51.94, 2. Colton Rasmussen, SWIM 52.31, 3. Mykhailo Semenov, SDA 52.61; SOFLO: 11. Matthew Tarafa 54.63.

200-meter breaststroke: 1. Dario Martin, OSC 2:18.67, 2. Juan Mora, SOFLO 2:22.27, 3. Giulian Martin, CANE 2:22.30; SOFLO: 4. Javier Colmenares 2:25.92, time drop 4.70, 7. Javier Roman 2:29.54, time drop 0.86, 12. Manuel Melendez 2:33.97, time drop 4.02, 18. Christopher Hau 2:38.10, 19. Garrett Oliver 2:43.26, 21. Alexander Miller 2:44.64.

200-meter backstroke: 1. Patrick Doyle, SUN 2:06.24, 2. Dominic Bono, SOFLO 2:09.50, 3. Landon Kyser, HAT 2:09.57; SOFLO: 4. Ricardo Roche 2:12.06, 6. Alex Golding 2:14.53, time drop 6.00, 8. Alejandro Mateus 2:19.42, 11. Adrian Hernandez 2:17.44, time drop 2.10, 12. Austin Nelson 2:18.12, 14. Aldo Zepeda 2:18.90,22. Tristan Wilson 2:22.65.

50-meter breaststroke: 1. Juan Mora, SOFLO 29.83, time drop 0.17, 2. Dario Martin, OSC 30.44, 3. Michael Fernandez, SAS 30.82; SOFLO: 13. Javier Colmenares 31.91, 15. Anthony Robaina 32.04, time drop 1.30, 27. Garrett Oliver 33.04, time drop 0.33, 30. Javier Roman 33.44, 31. Manuel Melendez 33.51.

1500-meter freestyle: 1. Dominic Bono, SOFLO 16:40.31, 2. William Johnson, RATS 17:12.50, 3. Ivan Grass, SOFLO 17:27.87.

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

SOFLO Olympians, Bono, Men’s Relay Win On Day Two Of Southern Zone South Sectional Championships

By Sharon Robb
PLANTATION, July 9, 2021—After opening day action was postponed because of bad weather, the USA Swimming Southern Zone South Sectional Championships resumed on Friday at Plantation Aquatic Complex.

South Florida Aquatic Club 2020 Olympians Alia Atkinson and Julio Horrego got the tuneup in their signature events that they were looking for just two weeks before the Tokyo Olympics.

Atkinson, 32, a five-time Olympian for Jamaica, won the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:09.15.

Horrego, 22, of Honduras also won the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:02.10

Horrego was also a member of the winning 200-meter freestyle relay that won in 1:36.88. Horrego led off the relay and was followed by Rafael Rodriguez, Matthew Tarafa and Juan Mora.

Dominic Bono, 17, won the 400-meter individual medley in a best time 4:38.12, dropping 0.34.

The 800-meter freestyle and 50-meter backstroke were moved from Thursday to Friday with Anna Auld, 18, of St. Andrew’s (8:53.10) and Sebastian Gonzalez, 16, of Midtown Weston (8:45.46) winning the 800 and U.S. Olympic trials qualifiers Aspen Gersper, 15, of St. Andrew’s (30.94) and Josh Zuchowski, 17, of FAST (26.83) winning the 50 backstroke.

Another U.S. Olympic trials qualifier Erika Pelaez, 14, of Eagle Aquatics won the 100-meter butterfly in 1:02.50.

Michelle Morgan, 16, of Winter Haven-based Pipeline Swimming was a double winner in the 200-meter freestyle in 2:03.22 and 400-meter individual medley in 4:50.02.

The meet, split between two sites, is also being held at (Site 1) the O’Connell Center in Gainesville. The top 24 places in finals in the combined results will be scored from both sites.

SOFLO has the largest contingent of 43 swimmers (27 male and 16 female) competing in 170 individual events and four relays.

Among FGC teams entered at the Plantation site are Pine Crest, St. Andrew’s, Boca Raton Swim Team, Coral Springs Swim Club, Eagle Aquatics, Florida Keys, Gulliver, Jupiter Dragons and North Palm Beach.

Saturday’s events are men’s and women’s 100 backstroke, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, 400 freestyle, 50 butterfly and 200 medley relay.

The meet is being live streamed on ISWIM.TV. The charge is $12.99 for the Plantation meet and $6.99 for the Gainesville meet. Heat sheets are available on Meet Mobile.

In conjunction with the City of Plantation, Plantation Aquatic Complex is no longer requiring facial coverings. However, no fans are allowed on the pool deck, only coaches, officials, volunteers and swimmers.

FRIDAY RESULTS
WOMEN
800-meter freestyle: 1. Anna Auld, SAS 8:53.10, 2. Brynn Stoneburg, TCA 9:17.86, 3. Erin Miller, SAS 9:26.85.

50-meter backstroke: 1. Aspen Gersper, SAS 30.94, 2. Solana Capalbo, Unattached 31.85, 3. Leeann Ranalli, PST 32.24.

200-meter freestyle: 1. Michelle Morgan, PS 2:03.22, 2. Anna Auld, SAS 2:03.73, 3. Erika Pelaez, EA 2:05.77; SOFLO: 4. Mallory Schleicher 2:05.94, 17. Maddie Smutny 2:08.58, 22. Elena Dinehart 2:11.43, 25. Nat Gembicki 2:12.81.

100-meter breaststroke: 1. Alia Atkinson, SOFLO 1:09.15, 2. Anna Auld, SAS 1:12.36, 3. Molly Golding, SOFLO 1:14.01, time drop 1.53; SOFLO: 4. Olivia Dinehart 1:14.43, 13. Sophia Grubbs 1:17.90.

100-meter butterfly: 1. Erika Pelaez, EA 1:02.50, 2. Anelis Roque, MAC 1:03.56, 3. Aino Otava, CANE 1:03.69; SOFLO: 6. Molly Golding 1:05.08, time drop 0.58, 11. Elena Dinehart 1:04.56, 17. Maddie Smutny 1:04.43.

400-meter individual medley: 1. Michelle Morgan, PS 4:50.02, 2. Anna Auld, SAS 4:50.22, 3. Alexandra Stern, RATS 5:05.55; SOFLO: 5. Olivia Dinehart 5:09.22, 8. Gabriella DeLuna 5:17.16, time drop 5.42, 9. Nat Gembicki 5:17.39.

200-meter free relay: 1. Hurricane Aquatics 1:50.71, 2. SOFLO A (Gaby Banks, Elena Dinehart, Mallory Schleicher, Olivia Dinehart) 1:51.45, 3. St. Andrew’s 1:51.53, 7. SOFLO B (Nat Gembicki, Maddie Smutny, Sophia Grubbs, Sally Golding) 1:55.92.

MEN
800-meter freestyle: 1. Sebastian Gonzalez, MWA 8:45.46, 2. Carlos Lezcano, MAC 8:55.59.

50-meter backstroke: 1. Josh Zuchowski, FAST 26.83, 2. Mykhailo Semenov, SDA 27.02, 3. Ricardo Roche, SOFLO 28.00; SOFLO: 8. Hernan Gonzalez 28.62, 13. Alejandro Mateus 29.11, time drop 0.55.

200-meter freestyle: 1. Colton Rasmussen, SWIM 1:54.53, 2. Mitchell Ledford, TSSC 1:55.13, 3. Kaii Winkler, EA 1:55.49; SOFLO: 12. Philopatier 1:59.79, 14. Agustin Rodriguez 2:00.45, 18. Matthew Tarafa 2:00.70, 24. Adrian Hernandez 2:01.96.

100-meter breaststroke: 1. Julio Horrego, SOFLO 1:02.10, time drop 0.18, 2. Juan Mora, SOFLO 1:04.18, time drop 0.25, 3. Dylan Brisco, Unattached 1:04.89; SOFLO: 5. Javier Colmenares 1:07.12, time drop 1.85, 12. Manuel Melendez 1:09.56, time drop 0.58, 13. Javier Roman 1:09.89, 17. Anthony Robaina 1:10.08, 23. Christopher Hau 1:12.46.

100-meter butterfly: 1. Mitchell Ledford, TCSC 55.02, 2. Josh Zuchowski, FAST 55.79, 3. Mykhailo Semenov, SDA 56.27; SOFLO: 21. Philopatier Ibrahim 59.88.

400-meter individual medley: 1. Dominic Bono, SOFLO 4:38.12, time drop 0.34, 2. Sebastian Gaonzalez, MWA 4:43.66, 3. Alex Golding, SOFLO 4:45.62; SOFLO: 5. Javier Colmenares 4:47.01, 6. Javier Roman 4:54.49, 7. Enrique Rodriguez 4:55.73.

200-meter free relay: 1. SOFLO A (Julio Horrego, Rafael Rodriguez, Matthew Tarafa, Juan Mora) 1:36.88, 2. St. Andrew’s 1:37.37, 3. Plantation Swim Team 1:37.69, 6. SOFLO B (Hernan Gonzalez, Adrian Hernandez, Agustin Rodriguez, Philopatier Ibrahim) 1:40.66.

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

SOFLO’s Dinehart, McDonald, Schleicher, Mora, Bono Win On Final Day Of SOFLO Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier; Meet Produces Four OT Cuts

By Sharon Robb
PEMBROKE PINES, May 30, 2021—South Florida Aquatic Club swimmers dominated the third and final day of the SOFLO Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier at Academic Village Pool.

Only four Olympic cut times by two swimmers for Wave One were accomplished.

SOFLO’s Margaux McDonald of Princeton got her cut in the 100-meter backstroke in 1:02.17. McDonald will join four other SOFLO swimmers at the Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb.–Luke Smutny, Maddie Smutny, Mary Smutny and Liza Whitmire.

Florida State’s Izaak Bastian, 20, a St. Andrew’s alum and member of the Bahamas national team, earned his cut in the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:17.83. He also made his cut in the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:01.88 in a time trial.

St. Andrew’s Swimming’s Maximilian zum Tobel got his 50-meter freestyle cut of 23.16 during morning prelims of the 100-meter freestyle opening 50.

Among SOFLO’s winners were:

Double winner Dominic Bono, 17, in the 200-meter backstroke in 2:10.34 and 400-meter individual medley in 4:48.17.

Olivia Dinehart, 16, in the 200-meter breaststroke in a best time 2:34.85, dropping 2.52 off her entry time of 2:37.37.

Margaux McDonald, 19, in the 200-meter backstroke in 2:16.09, dropping 3.40 seconds off her previous best of 2:19.49.

Mallory Schleicher, 17, in the 400-meter individual medley in 4:58.24, dropping 5.21 off her previous best of 5:03.45 and cracking 5 minutes for the first time.

Juan Mora, 17, in the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:21.20, dropping 1.14 off his previous best of 2:22.34.

A top international swimmer, Cherelle Thompson, 29, of Trinidad and Tobago, who has already qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, won the 50-meter freestyle in a best time 26.08, dropping 0.38 from her entry time of 26.46.

SOFLO had 22 swimmers (13 women and 9 men) entered in 128 events during the three-day meet.

All COVID-19 pandemic safety precautions were observed. The venue was not open to spectators. Face coverings were worn at all times within the venue. Only athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers were allowed on the pool deck.

SUNDAY RESULTS
WOMEN
200-meter breaststroke: 1. Olivia Dinehart, SOFLO 2:34.85, time drop 2.52, 2. Jessica Yeager, SOFLO 2:38.03, time drop 2.73, 3. Alexa Lantin, Unattached 2:40.04.

50-meter freestyle: 1. Cherelle Thompson, Trinidad & Tobano 26.08, 2. Elinah Phillip, GPA 26.40, 3. Gaby Banks, SOFLO 26.65, time drop 0.22; SOFLO: 7. Nathalie Valdman 27.63, time drop 0.01.

200-meter backstroke: 1. Margaux McDonald, SOFLO 2:16.09, time drop 3.40, 2. Elena Dinehart, SOFLO 2:20.57, time drop 4.73, 3. Sarah Evans, RATS 2:41.38.

100-meter butterfly: 1. Julia Miranda, GPA 1:02.20, 2. Liza Whitmire, SOFLO 1:03.56, 3. Isabel Blaze, Unattached 1:03.79; SOFLO: 5. Molly Golding 1:05.66, time drop 0.12.

200-meter freestyle: 1. Phoebe Griffiths, Club Seminole 2:05.18, 2. Nathalie Valdman, SOFLO 2:06.69, time drop 2.23, 3. Ashley Zettle, CS 2:06.87; SOFLO: 9. Olivia Dinehart 2:12.17, time drop 0.57, 10. Elena Dinehart 2:12.35, time drop 2.48.

400-meter individual medley: 1. Mallory Schleicher, SOFLO 4:58.24, time drop 5.21.

MEN
200-meter breaststroke: 1. Juan Mora, SOFLO 2:21.20, 2. Dario Martin, OSC 2:21.74, 3. Kevin Jiang, BGSC 2:29.86; SOFLO: 4. Alex Golding 2:42.32.

50-meter freestyle: 1. Tre ‘V Monroe, NPB 23.81, 2. Alexander Santana, Unattached 23.93, 3. Josiah Morales, PAQ 23.97; SOFLO: 7. Hernan Gonzalez 24.84, time drop 0.21.

200-meter backstroke: 1. Dominic Bono, SOFLO 2:10.34, 2. Ricardo Roche, SOFLO 2:11.36, time drop 2.78.

100-meter butterfly: 1. Joey Carbone, SAS 56.07, 2. Kyle Floyd, Unattached 56.24, 3. Jack Butera, BGSC 56.28; SOFLO: 4. Miguel Sierra 56.35.

200-meter freestyle: 1. Andres Wong, Unattached 1:56.97, 2. Sam Reynoso Williams, BGSC 2:00.22, 3. Philopatier Ibrahim, SOFLO 2:00.33, time drop 1.84.

400-meter individual medley: 1. Dominic Bono, SOFLO 4:48.17, 2. Cam Taddonio, Club Seminoles 4:50.48.

1500-meter freestyle: 1. Jack Callan, TAC 15:58.09, 2. Philip Moldovanu, WOW 16:26.11, 3. Zach Szmania, Unattached 16:29.19, 4. Cam Taddonio, Club Seminole 16:46.89.

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

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Dominic Bono

By Sharon Robb
PEMBROKE PINES, May 20, 2021—Dominic Bono will have the best of both worlds when he heads off to college this fall.

Bono, 17, will swim at Division I Youngstown (Ohio) State University and major in art illustration.

“I didn’t want to go to a college that favored one or the other because they are both huge parts of my life,” Bono said. “How could I choose between one or the other? It’s an impossible decision. It’s like choosing your favorite kid, you can’t. I’m really happy with my choice.”

Bono has been swimming for SOFLO/AquaKids Sharks for 12 years, one of four high school seniors with that distinction. The others are Michelle Marinheiro, Nico Rossi and Lucy Smutny.

“Swimming is like a part of me, it’s something I’ve always done and I always will do,” Bono said. “I love being with my team and being able to push myself every day. It’s a good challenge and it makes me feel fulfilled.

“Why I swim is a hard question to answer because you’re not doing it for the pay or because you have more time to do things because it’s a very time-consuming and demanding sport. I think that shows who the real swimmers are. Those who are willing to put in the time, work and effort needed to become good in the sport. To invest in the sport and invest in themselves you need to put the time in.”

Bono said swimming has played a huge role in his every day life.

“It’s taught me so many good things about life and what I need to do,” Bono said. “It’s help me to stay focused and built a family for me and way of life that’s really good that I would like to continue.

“Time management and discipline are two big things that everyone always told me about and it’s been a way of life for me. It’s helped me to stay focused towards my goal and not get in with the wrong crowd.”

After his family moved from Chicago when he was two, his parents signed him up for swimming lessons at AquaKids Sharks. “They kept moving me up and moving me up and it just stuck and I never stopped,” he said.

Bono grew up doing several activities including soccer, baseball, karate and Boy Scouts all while swimming. He finally decided to focus on swimming when he got competitive at 8 years old.

“I think it was the little things that make you fall in love with the sport,” Bono said. “Your friends being there for you after a bad race or your team cheering and screaming for you during relays or mile. The bus ride back home after a long travel meet or the movie nights we would have with friends. It’s just the little things each day that would add up.

“I couldn’t imagine my life without swimming. I have done it for so long for my whole life that I don’t know where I would be. Everything I owe to swimming.”

Bono has several fond memories through the years.

His freshman year Bono was swimming the mile in his last 14-and-Under JOs when his teammates including seniors came to watch and cheer him on during finals. “I was the only one from the group swimming the final and it was really awesome they came out.”

Another time was his sophomore year when he got his Futures cut in the 400 IM. Then there was the time he went to Universal Studio with the team after sectionals in Gainesville. “That was so much fun,” Bono said.

Of course, theme parks hold a special place in his heart. After college he hopes to work in theme park concept design. He would love to work for Universal or Disney and bring his passion of immersive illustration to life as a concept artist for theme parks.

“The idea came from falling in love with theme parks as well as video games,” Bono said of his dream job. “Walt Disney was definitely ahead of his time.”

Bono will miss his teammates and coaches the most, he said.

“Definitely the people…this is where I grew up and these people are like my family,” he said. “They are irreplaceable. I know I have some lifelong friends here at SOFLO and I have made lifelong memories. I’m always going to have a soft spot in my heart for them.”

Bono graduates from Coral Reef High School on June 2. He leaves for college in mid-August.

“I’m going to work hard in college and see where it takes me and see how far I can get,” Bono said. “My biggest goal was to get a college scholarship and I got that. Now I set new goals.”

Bono is one of 23 graduating seniors who will be honored on Sunday during Seniors Night in an intimate setting at Academic Village Pool.

Sharon Robb can be reached at sha11cats@aol.com

http://www.swim4soflo.com

Elena Dinehart SOFLO Top Finisher On Final Day Of TYR 18&Under Spring Cup

By Sharon Robb
ORLANDO, May 3, 2021—Elena Dinehart saved her best for last on the fourth and final day of the TYR 18&Under Spring Cup Sunday at Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center.

Dinehart, 16, finished second in the 200-meter backstroke in a best time 2:17.97, shaving 2.32 seconds off her previous best of 2:20.29 and cracking 2 minutes in the event for the first time. She was fourth fastest qualifier in prelims in 2:22.55.

It was her fourth event of the meet and seventh swim. Dinehart finished with 23 points in high point.

Twin sister Olivia Dinehart, 16, finished eighth in high point with 62 points. On Sunday, she was sixth in the 200-meter individual medley in a best time 2:23.24, dropping 0.17. She was also 19th in the 100-meter freestyle in 59.58. She competed in six events and had 12 swims.

SOFLO’s top boys finisher was Dominic Bono, 17, eighth in the 200-meter backstroke in 2:14.97.

Juan Mora, 16, was ninth in the 100-meter freestyle in a best time 52.91, dropping 0.84 from his previous best.

SOFLO girls finished fifth in the team standings with 100 points and boys team was eighth with 87, both top finishers among Florida Gold Coast teams.

The USA Swimming long course meter competition featured four host sites across the country including California, Iowa, Virginia and Florida, all scheduled through Sunday.

The meet was created in March as an additional opportunity for in-person competition for young swimmers to earn qualifying cuts for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June in Omaha, Nebraska.

The event was the third national event for 18&Under swimmers hosted by USA Swimming since December 2020, following the 18&Under Winter Championships and the 18&Under Spring Virtual Championships.

SUNDAY RESULTS
WOMEN TEAM TOTALS: 1. Blue Dolfins 334, 2. Y-Spartaquatics 242, 3. Tampa Elite 139, 4. Sarasota Tsunami 107.50, 5. South Florida Aquatic Club 100, 6. Tampa Bay 98, 7. Flying Fish Arizona 85, 8. Indian River Aquatics 79, 9. Planet Swim 72, 10. tie, St. Andrew’s, Area Tallahassee 70, 24. Jupiter Dragons 15.

WOMEN HIGH POINT: 1. Summer Cardwell, Tampa Bay 98, 2. Paige Housman, Flying Fish Arizona 85, 3. Ella Bathurst, Tampa Elite 79; SOFLO: 8. Olivia Dinehart 62, 41. Elena Dinehart 23, 47. Maddie Smutny 15.

WOMEN
100-meter freestyle: 1. Kirsti McEnroe, YSSC 56.49, 2. Summer Cardwell, Tampa Bay 56.62, 3. Micayla Cronk, Blue Dolfins 56.72; FGC: 16. Erin Miller, St. Andrew’s 1:00.89; SOFLO: 19. Olivia Dinehart 59.58.

200-meter backstroke: 1. Hayden Penny, YSSC 2:16.27, 2. Elena Dinehart, SOFLO 2:17.97, time drop 2.32, 3. Alexandra Stein, RATS 2:21.70.

200-meter individual medley: 1. Sara Stotler, PSA 2:16.45, 2. Ella Bathurst, TEAM 2:17.14, 3. Annika McEnroe, YSSC 2:17.29; SOFLO: 6. Olivia Dinehart 2:23.24, time drop 0.17.

1500-meter freestyle: 1. Julia Brzozowski, SRQ 17:11.26, 2. Paige Housman, FAST 17:23.69, 3. Cadence Fort, GCST 17:25.18.

MEN TEAM TOTALS: 1. North Carolina Aquatic Club 274, 2. Sarasota Tsunami 177, 3. T2 Aquatics 147, 4. Tampa Bay AC 109, 5. Blue Dolfins 94, 6. tie, Carpet Capital, YMCA of the Triangle Area, 90, 8. South Florida Aquatic Club 87, 9. Flying Fish Arizona 83, 10. Ensworth Aquatics 69, 13. St. Andrew’s Aquatics 57, 14. North Palm Beach 47, 25. Flood Aquatics Swim Team 26, 27. Hurricane Aquatics 20, 32. Miami Country Day 13, 33. Sunrise Swimming 6.

MEN HIGH POINT: 1. Mason Laur, T2 Aquatics 88, 2. Samuel Hoover, North Carolina Aquatic Club 77, 3. Matthew Fallon, Unattached-SPA 73; SOFLO: 16. Miguel Sierra 42, 34. Juan Mora 29, 45. Dominic Bono 16.

MEN
100-meter freestyle: 1. John Alexy, Unattached 50.08, 2. Samuel Hoover, NCAC 50.84, 3. Varis Monroe, NPB 51.15; SOFLO: 6. Miguel Sierra 53.37, 9. Juan Mora 52.91, time drop 0.84; FGC: 7. Maximillian Zum Tobel, SAS 59.67, 13. Ryan Nordheim, SAS 58.61.

200-meter backstroke: 1. Brandon Miller, NCAC 2:02.47, 2. Evan Keough, SRQ 2:02.74, 3. Hayden Kwan, USC 2:03.23; SOFLO: 8. Dominic Bono 2:14.97; FGC: 11. Patrick Doyle, Sunrise 2:11.08.

200-meter individual medley: 1. Henry Bethel, CCAC 2:04.06, 2. Matthew Fallon, Unattached 2:04.18, 3. Peter Bretzmann, NCAC 2:05.50; FGC: 18. Patrick Doyle, Sunrise 2:14.00; SOFLO: 20. Dominic Bono 2:16.67.

800-meter freestyle: 1. Andrew Taylor, Tampa Bay 8:15.10, 2. Aidan Reagan, FAST 8:19.16, 3. Conor Cranfield, SWIM 8:31.46.

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

Michelle Morgan, Joshua Brown Win Opening Day Events At TYR 18&Under Spring Cup

By Sharon Robb
ORLANDO, April 29, 2021—The TYR 18&Under Spring Cup got under way Thursday with distance events at Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center.

Michelle Morgan, 16, of Pipeline Swimming won the women’s 800-meter freestyle in 9:00.53 ahead of Paige Housman, 16, of Flying Fish Arizona in 9:01.74.

Erin Miller, 16, of St. Andrew’s Aquatics coming off two open water events, was 13th in 9:20.03. She was the only Florida Gold Coast swimmer in the field.

Joshua Brown, 18, of Highlander Aquatics won the men’s 1500-meter freestyle in 15:48.87. Andrew Taylor of Tampa Bay Aquatics was second in 15:49.77. No Florida Gold Coast swimmers were in the men’s event.

Blue Dolfins lead the women’s team standings after Day One with 33 points. Pipeline Swimming is second with 20. St. Andrew’s is 11th with four points.

Area Tallahassee lead the men’s team standings with 31 points. Highlander Aquatic Club is second with 20 points.

South Florida Aquatic Club swimmers Elena Dinehart, 16, 200-meter freestyle and 100 butterfly; Olivia Dinehart, 16, 100-meter breaststroke and 400 IM; Maddie Smutny, 15, 200-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly; Dominic Bono, 17, 400 IM; Miguel Sierra, 18, 100 butterfly and Juan Mora, 18, 100 breaststroke begin competing on Friday.

The USA Swimming long course meter competition features four host sites across the country, all scheduled from Thursday through Sunday.

The meet was created in March as an additional opportunity for in-person competition for young swimmers to earn qualifying cuts for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June in Omaha, Nebraska.

USA Swimming was recently made aware of California Department of Health restrictions that will no longer allow out-of-state teams to compete at the Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine, Calif., location of the TYR 18&Under Spring Cup.

Affected teams have the opportunity to attend any of the other three sites at Wellmark YMCA in Des Moines, Iowa; SwimRVA in Richmond, Va. or Orlando, if they choose. It is the only geographical exemption permitted.

The event is the third national event for 18&Under swimmers hosted by USA Swimming since December 2020, following the 18&Under Winter Championships and the 18&Under Spring Virtual Championships.

Prelims and finals events are Friday through Sunday 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday’s events are: 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter breaststroke, 100-meter butterfly and 400-meter individual medley.

The meet will be live streamed on iSWIMTV and will be updated on social media @iSWIMTV.

THURSDAY RESULTS
WOMEN TEAM TOTALS: 1. Blue Dolfins 33, 2. Pipeline Swimming 20, 3. Flying Fish 17, 4. Area Tallahassee 15, 5. Gulf Coast 14, 11. St. Andrew’s Aquatics 4.

WOMEN
800-meter freestyle:

1. Michelle Morgan, PIP 9:00.53, 2. Paige Housman, FLYF 9:01.74, 3. Carlie Rose, BD 9:02.23; FGC: 13. Erin Miller, SAS 9:20.03.

MEN
MEN TEAM TOTALS: 1. Area Tallahassee 31, 2. Highlander Aquatic Club 20, 3. Tampa Bay 17, 4. Flying Fish Arizona 14, 5. T2 Aquatics 13, 6. Blue Dolfins 12.

1500-meter freestyle:

1. Joshua Brown, HIGH 15:48.87, 2. Andrew Taylor, TB 15:49.77, 3. Stuart Higdon, AT 15:56.66

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

SOFLO Super Six Will Compete In TYR 18&Under Spring Cup That Begins Thursday

By Sharon Robb
ORLANDO, April 28, 2021—South Florida Aquatic Club will be well-represented at the TYR 18&Under Spring Cup that begins Thursday at Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center.

Fifteen-year-old U.S. Olympic trials qualifier Maddie Smutny heads SOFLO’s contingent that also includes twin sisters Olivia and Elena Dinehart, 16, Dominic Bono, 17, Juan Mora, 16, and Miguel Sierra, 16. They will swim a total of 27 individual events.

The USA Swimming long course meter competition features four host sites across the country, all scheduled from Thursday through Sunday. The meet was created in March as an additional opportunity for in-person competition for young swimmers to earn qualifying cuts for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June in Omaha, Nebraska.

USA Swimming was recently made aware of California Department of Health restrictions that will no longer allow out-of-state teams to compete at the Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine, Calif. location of the TYR 18&Under Spring Cup.

Affected teams will have the opportunity to attend any of the other three sites at Wellmark YMCA in Des Moines, Iowa; SwimRVA in Richmond, Va. or Orlando, if they choose. It is the only geographical exemption permitted.

The event is the third national event for 18&Under swimmers hosted by USA Swimming since December 2020, following the 18&Under Winter Championships and the 18&Under Spring Virtual Championships.

Smutny made her first trials cut in the 200-meter butterfly in 2:14.37 at the Piranhas Senior Invitational in March. She dipped under the first wave cut of 2:14.59.

Smutny is entered in the 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly, 400-meter freestyle and 200-meter individual medley.

Bono, headed to Youngstown State University in the fall, is entered in the 200- and 400-meter individual medley, 400-meter freestyle and 200-meter backstroke.

Elena Dinehart will swim the 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, 100-meter backstroke and 200-meter backstroke.

Olivia Dinehart is entered in six events: 100- and 200-meter breaststroke, 200- and 400-meter individual medley and 100- and 400-meter freestyle. She is seeded first in the 200-meter breaststroke in 2:37.29.

Mora will swim the 100- and 200-meter breaststrokes and 100-meter freestyle.

Sierra is entered in the 100- and 200-meter butterfly events, 50- and 100-meter freestyles and 100-meter backstroke.

Thursday’s timed final events are the women’s 800-meter freestyle and 1500-meter freestyle at 5 p.m. Prelims and finals events are Friday through Sunday.

The meet will be live streamed on iSWIMTV and will be updated on social media @iSWIMTV.

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