By Sharon Robb
PEMBROKE PINES, March 18, 2023—South Florida Aquatic Club is sitting pretty going into the fourth and final day of the Florida Gold Coast Swimming Senior Championships at Academic Village Pool.
With one day to go, South Florida Aquatic Club has all but clinched its ninth combined team title in team history.
SOFLO has pulled away with 1,461 points, the only team to crack 1,000. Azura Florida Aquatics is second with 830 and Flood Aquatics Swim Team (FAST) with 728.
SOFLO women lead with 803 points followed by FAST with 579 and Pine Crest Swim Team with 490.
SOFLO men are second with 658 behind Azura with 683 and Eagle Aquatics is third with 379.5. At one point Saturday night, Azura and SOFLO were tied at 554 points.
SOFLO’s talent and depth has had the swimmers shining throughout the meet.
Among SOFLO top finishers on Saturday were:
Olivia Dinehart was second in the 200 IM in 2:03.01 and was third in the 500 freestyle in 4:59.21. Dinehart was among four swimmers in the Top 10 of the 200 IM.
Ana Villamil was fourth in the 50 freestyle in 24.11 and fifth in the 200 IM in 2:08.02.
Elena Dinehart was third in the 100 backstroke in 57.06 and fifth in the 500 freestyle in 5:02.48.
Maddie Smutny was fourth in the 500 freestyle in 5:01.67. SOFLO has five swimmers in the Top 11 in the 500.
SOFLO women were second in the 4×100-yard freestyle relay in 3:29.60 with Elena Dinehart, Olivia Dinehart, Maddie Smutny and Natalie Gembicki.
SOFLO men were also second in the 4×100-yard freestyle relay in 3:01.57 with Ricardo Roche, Aldo Zepeda, Luciano Gonzalez and Julio Horrego.
Ricardo Roche was third against a strong 100 backstroke field in 50.16.
Javier Colmenares was third in the 200 IM in 1:51.94.
Julio Horrego was second in the 50 freestyle in 20.19 and Luciano Gonzalez was third in 20.38
There were several standout swims by top Florida Gold Coast swimmers.
Kaii Winkler, 16, of Eagle Aquatics won three individual events and anchored the winning 4×100-yard freestyle relay with a 42.33 split. Winkler won the 100 backstroke in 48.95, 50-yard freestyle in 19.44 and 500-yard freestyle in 4:23.95, illustrating the U.S. junior national team swimmer’s wide range of versatility.
University of Florida-bound Julia Podkoscielny of Pine Crest Swimming was a back-to-back double winner and anchored Pine Crest’s winning 4×100-yard freestyle that won in 3:28.32 with teammates Erin Miller, Sara Lin and Riley Botting.
Podkoscielny won the 100-yard backstroke in 53.68 and 200-yard individual medley in 1:59.73.
Other individual winners were Alyssa Bozzuto of FAST in the 50 freestyle in 23.36; Botting in the 500-yard freestyle in 4:54.39; and Yeziel Morales of Azura in the 200 IM in 1:47.91.
The meet concludes Sunday with another day of full scheduled events. Prelims are 8:30 a.m. and finals 5 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.
FRIDAY RESULTS
COMBINED: 1. South Florida Aquatic Club 1,461, 2. Azura 830, 3. FAST 728, 4. TS Aquatics 595.5, 5. Pine Crest 566.5, 6. Eagle Aquatics 489, 7. Plantation 410.5, 8. Ransom Everglades 344, 9. St. Andrew’s 274, 10. Hurricane Aquatics 260.
MEN TEAM TOTALS: 1. Azura 683, 2. SOFLO 658, 3. Eagle Aquatics 379.5, 4. Ransom Everglades 278, 5. Hurricane Aquatics 260.
WOMEN TEAM TOTALS: 1. SOFLO 803, 2. FAST 579, 3. Pine Crest 490, 4. TS Aquatics 376.5, 5. Wahoos of Wellington 185.
WOMEN
100-yard backstroke: 1. Julia Podkoscielny, PC 53.68, 2. Ava Fasano, FAST 55.81, 3. Elena Dinehart, PC 57.08; SOFLO: 11. Gabriella DeLuna 59.57, 14. Maddie Smutny 1:00.95, 23. Izzy Wilson 1:02.53, 29. Tania Mantilla 1:03.35.
200-yard individual medley: 1. Julia Podkoscielny, PC 1:59.73, 2. Olivia Dinehart, SOFLO 2:03.01, 3. Emma Herrera, FAST 2:04.20; SOFLO: 5. Ana Villamil 2:08.02, 6. Natalie Gembicki 2:08.79, 10. Gabriella DeLuna 2:10.45, 18. Sophia Grubbs 2:12.37.
50-yard freestyle: 1. Alyssa Bozzuto, FAST 23.36, 2. Tawannah McLemore, TSA 23.65, 3. Ava Fasano, FAST 23.85; SOFLO: 4. Ana Villamil 24.11, 12. Natalie Gembecki 24.36, 20. Maddie Smutny 25.30.
500-yard freestyle: 1. Riley Botting, PC 4:54.39, 2. Erin Miller, PC 4:58.32, 3. Olivia Dinehart, SOFLO 4:59.21; SOFLO: 4. Maddie Smutny 5:01.67, 5. Elena Dinehart 5:02.48, 6. Izzy Wilson 5:02.66, 11. Natalie Gembicki 5:05.32, 15. Michelle Marinheiro 5:08.12, 21. Amelie Bicerne 5:17.63, 24. Tania Mantilla 5:20.98, 27. Sarah Vasquez 5:25.54.
4×100-yard freestyle relay: 1. Pine Crest 3:28.32 (Julia Podkoscielny, Erin Miller, Sara Lin, Riley Botting) 3:28.32, 2. SOFLO 3:29.60 (Elena Dinehart, Olivia Dinehart, Maddie Smutny, Natalie Gembicki), 3. TS Aquatics 3:30.40, 7. SOFLO B 3:36.42 (Ana Villamil, Michelle Marinheiro, Sophia Grubbs, Gabriella DeLuna).
MEN
100-yard backstroke: 1. Kaii Winkler, EA 48.95, 2. Noah Smith, FAST 49.90, 3. Ricardo Roche, SOFLO 50.16; SOFLO: 5. Aldo Zepeda 50.90, 12. Austin Nelson 52.25, 13. Wisthon Rendon 52.34, 16. Jaden Amores 52.88, 19. Alejandro Mateus 53.51.
200-yard individual medley: 1. Yeziel Morales, AZU 1:47.91, 2. Finn Winkler, EA 1:50.69, 3. Javier Colmenares, SOFLO 1:51.94; SOFLO: 18. Enrique Rodriguez 1:58.45, 19. Wisthon Rendon 1:58.52, 30. Jaden Amores 2:04.52.
50-yard freestyle: 1. Kaii Winkler, EA 19.44, 2. Julio Horrego, SOFLO 20.19, 3. Luciano Gonzalez, SOFLO 20.38; SOFLO: 13. Aldo Zepeda 21.43.
500-yard freestyle: 1. Kaii Winkler, EA 4:23.85, 2. Yeziel Morales, AZ 4:29.10, 3. Diego Dulieu, AZ 4:29.45; SOFLO: 8. Austin Nelson 4:38.91, 15. Enrique Rodriguez 4:45.91, 16. Felix Gonzalez 4:46.84, 17. Manny Melendez 4:47.17.
4×100-yard freestyle relay: 1. Eagle Aquatics 3:00.01 (Marcoaurelio Lopez-Casula, Finn Winkler, Peyton Selts, Kaii Winkler, 42.33 split), 2. SOFLO 3:01.57 (Ricardo Roche, Aldo Zepeda, Luciano Gonzalez, Julio Horrego), 3. Azura 3:02.18, 7. SOFLO B 3:11.29 (Javier Colmenares, Luis Salazar Del Campo, Wisthon Rendon, Manny Melendez).
IF YOU GO
What: Florida Gold Coast Swimming Senior Championships.
When: Sunday.
Where: Academic Village Pool, 17191 SW 171st Avenue, Pembroke Pines.
Timeline: 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