2022 Winter Age Group Championships Recap

Winter Age Group Championships @ San Clemente (December 9-11, 2022)
It was a wild one at WAG Champs in San Clemente last weekend, with Beach Cities Swimming and Aquazot neck and neck in the team title chase most of the way.  In the end, AZOT came out on top, but we fought hard to the end and ended up only 116.5 points short.  In spite of bone-chilling morning and evening temperatures and one heck of a storm on Sunday, our athletes put on a remarkable display of positive attitudes and gritty efforts to snag that 2nd place team finish.  Read on for full highlights below!


Beach 1
All three Beach 1 athletes were attending their first ever Championship meet and, man, did they show up for the team in a big way!

Alysha Annamalai (7-10 Girls)
On Saturday, Miss Annamalai raced as a member of the 8th place 200 Free Relay and split more than a second faster than her best individual time in the 50 Free.  On Sunday, she raced as a member of the 6th place 200 Medley Relay and posted a comparable split as the anchor.  Fantastic swims, Alysha!

Nina Haubner (7-10 Girls)
Miss Haubner had been battling illness all week, but showed no signs of weakness on Sunday when she dropped a new best time in the 50 Back as the leadoff leg on the 6th place 200 Medley Relay.  Gritty effort, Nina!

Capri Pierce (7-10 Girls)
Miss Pierce raced within tenths of her best individual 50 Free as a member of the 8th place 200 Free Relay, helping to secure valuable points for the team.  Congratulations, Capri!


Beach 2
Beach 2 had three swimmers compete at Winter Age Group: Ava Volz, Patrick Kipp, and Sellers Stough.  They all showed up in San Clemente with their game faces and it showed in their individual and relay swims. So proud of you all!

Ava Volz (7-10 Girls)

Ava’s lineup was the individual 50 Breast (2nd place in her heat!), 200 Medley Relay, and 200 Freestyle Relay. This was her first time swimming at WAG and she was nervous at first but in the end, she showed everyone how great of a competitor she is. In addition to WAG, Ava will also compete in the 50 Breast at Spring JOs so watch out for her! Let’s go Ava!

Patrick Kipp (7-10 Boys)

Patrick’s lineup was the individual 100 Free, 200 Medley Relay (4th overall!), and the 200 Freestyle Relay (5th overall!). Patrick loves to race and it shows in his effort during his races. Along with Sellers, they represented Beach 2 on the A relays and showed everyone that they can compete. Let’s go Patrick!

Sellers Stough (7-10 Boys)

Sellers’ lineup consisted of only relays: the 200 Medley (4th overall!) and the 200 Freestyle (5th overall!). He anchored the freestyle on the speedy 200 Medley Relay and swam a personal best in 33.91 on the 200 Freestyle Relay. He teamed up with Patrick on both relays and showed everyone how great teamwork results in success. Let’s go Sellers!


Beach 3
“Work ethic is important because, unlike intelligence, athleticism, charisma, or any other  natural attribute, it’s a choice.”
~Mike Rowe 

This group made a choice to work hard and make changes, thus they have had a great Fall  season getting used to Coach Monique and ultimately an amazing Winter Champs Meet. The  progress that has been made has been awesome. Thank you for following my lead…….there is  more where that came from! 

Individual Events / Relays / Sportsmanship / Team Spirit/ Volunteers, oh yeah!!!!! We came  close to the win, but we were just a little shy in the depth department. We did bring some heat  to an otherwise chilly weekend. 

David Arnold – D’Arnold had a fantastic meet. He survived a small hurricane in his 2IM, but still  managed to grab a bunch of best times. Way to go David, proud of you! 

50 Free – 31.88 -3 

200 Free – 2:29.69 

50 back – 39.83 

200 IM – 2:58.5 

100 Back – 1:22.5 

100 Free – 1:10.1 

Relay best times 

Talia Cistone – Talia and her kitty-wings swam really well and brought some added heat to all  those fast relays. She may not have had the swims she wanted, but she still scored for the  team and her relays. Well done! 

100 Breast – 1:18.84 +.47 

50 Free – 27.77 +.49 

50 Back – 32.71 +.29 

100 IM – 1:13.29 +1.8 

50 Breast – 36.09 +.8 

100 Free – 59.94 + .5 

Relays best times

Penny Chui – Penny, the group matriarch had a fantastic meet. She comes with her calm and  really charges hard each time she races. She dropped some time along the way and added  great value to the relays as well. Cheers Penny! 

100 Breast – 1:19.5 -.53 

50 Free – 28.5 +.32 

200 Free – 2:15.9 -1.02 

100 IM - 1:10.8 -.09 

50 Breast - 36.02 -.67 

100 Free - 1:01.5 +.09 

Relay best times

Patrick Wang – Patrick crushed it, just crushed it! He is such a racer and has best times &  places to prove it. Excited to see him progress through the ranks. Kudos Patrick! 100 Breast – 1;23.33 -2.89

50 Free – 30.00 -.36 

100 Fly – 1:09 56 -5.76 

50 Back – 34.85 - .44 

100 IM – 1:14.8 - 4.24 

50 Fly – 30.38 - .90 

All Relays – Best times

Koji Konishi – Koji, STRAIGHT OUTTA SUMMER SQUAD and scoring at WAG. What a quick  rise for this young man. Lots to learn still, but he did a great job at his first champs meet. Way  to go Koji! 

100 Breast – 1:23.79 +.49 

100 Fly – 1:11.42 + .1 

50 Back – 33.68 -.39 

100 IM – 1:11.28 - 1.49 

50 Fly – 32.55 32.55 + 1.2 

50 Breast – 38.41 -38.41 

All the Relays – Best times

Hana Imai – Hana came into WAG fresh off a new cut and dropped even more time. She also  contributed to the girl’s relays. Always smiling and breath of fresh air, to an otherwise chilly  meet. Yeah Hana! 

50 Breast - 

Relays – best times

Hailey Kuo – Hailey “Dad Joke” Kuo brought the laughter, speed and height to WAG. She had  many best times and great relay contributions and the biggest smile at this meet. Way to go  Hailey! 

100 Breast – 1:24.7 -5.32 

100 Fly – 1:17.1 + .2 

50 Back – 36.98 -.94 

50 Fly – 32.45 - .95 

200 Free – 2:20.3 - 3.05 

200 IM – 2:48.85 - 2.59 

50 Breast – 40.09 - 5.34 

All the Relays – best times

Barrett Poole – Barrett had his first WAG with BCS. Though we had one relay mishap, Barrett  brought his competitive “A” game to his swims and to his relay efforts. I even watched him  coach Koji on his relay exchanges. Way to be a great teammate! 

50 Free – 28.98 +.54 

50 Back – 35.22 +1 

50 Fly – 32.43 +1.1 

50 Breast – 38.65 +1.1 

Relays – Best times

Beach 3 Relay Studs (thank you for helping out ladies)

Helena Morgan – Helena came down to San Clemente to help her team and swam really well,  helping them place 13th and 14th respectively 

Adelei Mosteller – Adelei came down to San Clemente as well. Did some assistant coaching  alongside me as well as added depth to our relay squad’s. 

Both ladies did a wonderful job supporting the team all weekend!


Beach 4
Annie Coyne was the only representative in Beach 4 this meet, swimming the 100 freestyle in both the 400 Medley Relay and the 400 Free Relay. Annie dropped a second between her two swims coming in at a 1:05.59 (a 1 second drop from her previous best) after having been out of the pool for 3 weeks due to illness. An impressive performance considering the setbacks!


Beach 5
Between illnesses and injuries, Beach 5 were a somewhat battered bunch heading into the long weekend in San Clemente, but the group were still able to post almost 60 best times in their 80+ individual swims.  Between individual races and relays, the group raced well over 100 times in 3 days, which makes their collective performance that much more impressive, given their staggering workload.  There were moments of grit, teamwork, sportsmanship and character and I am certainly proud of the effort the group put forth throughout the chilly, windy, wet weekend in Orange County.  Congratulations to all athletes on your achievements!

Eryn Arnold (13-14 Girls)
Miss Arnold kept an illness at bay all weekend, racing one of the most difficult schedules of any athlete at the meet.  Though she bagged only one new personal best (a nearly 8 second improvement in the 400 IM), she was within striking distance in every other individual race, securing a podium finish in the 100 Breast (3rd) and finishing in the top 10 in each of her 6 events and swimming faster in Finals than in Prelims in every single race.  She was also a member of 5 relay teams, finishing as high as 2nd (200 Free) and no lower than 6th.  All in all, her challenging weekend turned out to be a fruitful one for herself and the team.  She looked adversity in the face and, despite a hiccup or two, she persevered.  Way to bounce back, Eryn!

Gabi Brito (11-12 Girls)
Miss Brito achieved 6 podium finishes, winning all but 1 of her 6 individual races and posting a best time in the 100 Breast.  Every single swim was in the neighborhood of her previous best time (within ~1% or less).  She is a true competitor, preparing and racing to win every single race she enters.  This energy certainly rubs off on her teammates, too.  Speaking of which, she and her teammates united to win both of the Free relays (200/400) and finished second in both Medleys.  Outstanding effort, Gabi!

Sarah Diethelm (13-14 Girls)
Miss Diethelm had a 100% success rate with 5 best times achieved in 5 individual races, including 2 top 10 finishes in the 100 Breast (10th) and 50 Free (8th).  She also made big contributions on the relay front, participating in 5 relays, finishing as high as 2nd (200 Free) and no lower than 6th.  As one of our many multi-sport athletes (soccer, swimming), she continues to excel in both sports.  Fantastic performance, Sarah!

Jake Everitt (13-14 Boys)
Mr. Everitt threw down 4 new best times over 6 individual races, including 3 top 10 performances.  His best finish came in the 200 Fly (6th).  This was a pretty solid outing for him, considering he was in the land of Oz for a week and a half, recently (though we all know he was out paddling on his surfboard almost every day).  He was also a player on 5 relays, placing as high as 2nd (200 Medley) and no lower than 6th.  Strong showing, Jake!

Meagan Gordon (13-14 Girls)
Miss Gordon raced 16 times last weekend (including relays), putting together a truly gritty performance as she blazed her way to 5 new best times in 6 individual events.  She posted 5 top 10 swims, finishing as high as 4th place (100 Breast, 50 Free) and was the only Beach 5 athlete to improve by 5% or more in multiple events (100/200 Breast).  She also raced as a member of 5 relays, finishing as high as 2nd (200 Free Relay) and no lower than 6th.  Congratulations on an amazing effort, Meagan!

Avalon Kim (13-14 Girls)
Miss Kim went 2 for 2 in her individual races, bagging a new best time in each (100/200 Back), with her top finish coming in the 200 Back (17th).  She also did some amazing work as a member of 5 relay teams, contributing to her team’s 6th place finish in the 400 Medley.  Way to go, Avalon!

Zoey Lewis (11-12 Girls)
Miss Lewis continued to demonstrate her love of race day with a strong showing.  She achieved 5 best times in her 6 individual races, snagging 3 top 10 finishes, with her highest finishes coming in the 50 Back and 500 Free (7th).  She also competed in all 4 relays in the age group, contributing to a scoring performance (9th) in the 400 Free Relay.  Race day brings out the best in her, and last weekend was no exception.  Solid showing, Zoey!

Raya Lluz (13-14 Girls)
Miss Lluz took full advantage of her 3 relay swims, bagging a new best time in the 100 Back as the leadoff athlete on the 8th place 400 Medley Relay and putting up more points as a member of the 7th place 800 Free Relay.  Congratulations, Raya!

Gabby Nicholas (13-14 Girls)
Miss Nicholas was all business all weekend, in spite of a nagging foot injury that made it painful to explode off the blocks and walls.  She went 6 for 6 over a very tough race schedule, posting new best times in each of her individual events and grabbing another best time in the 100 Free as the leadoff leg on the 11th place 400 Free Relay.  All in all, it was an extremely successful weekend for this young lady, who was racing her first individual events in a Championship meet setting.  Not only did she compete individually, but she scored in 3 events, finishing as high as 6th place in the 1000 Free and 200 Fly.  On top of that, she raced on 5 relays, finishing as high as 2nd in the 200 Free Relay.  Way to go, Gabby!

Olive Richmon (13-14 Girls)
Miss Richmon popped in on Friday night to race on the 7th place 800 Free Relay and put up a solid split of 2:13.3, which is faster than her best flat start 200.  Can’t ask for more than that.  Solid effort, Olive!

Kayla Sun (11-12 Girls)
Miss Sun had been battling some ear issues, which kept her from swimming for extended periods of time over the last few weeks.  Nevertheless, this was not going to keep her from showing up in a big way for her team.  She was a part of the victorious 200/400 Free Relays and runner-up 200/400 Medley Relays and she posted 3 best times in her 6 individual races, with 3 podium finishes and top 10 performances in all 6 races.  She embodies the group value of positivity and there is no doubt in my mind that this helped carry her to some really strong performances at this meet.  Way to go, Kayla!

Andi Taylor (13-14 Girls)
Miss Taylor was only able to attend Sunday, where she nailed her turn and breakout in the 50 Free Final (0.5 faster at night) to snag 2nd place in the event.  She also represented on 2 relays, finishing 4th in the 200 Medley and 6th in the 400 Free.  Great racing, Andi!

Max Wang (11-12 Boys)
Mr. Max Wang looked like he was being shot out of a cannon in most of his races, especially the 50 Free, in which he took home the crown with a time of 24.33.  He also earned podium finishes in each of his other 5 races, claiming runner up in the 50/100 Back, 200 Free and 200 IM.  Each of his individual swims were new best times and he also threw down 4 really good relay swims to bag big points for the team cause.  Magnificent showing, Max!

Sam Wang (11-12 Boys)
Mr. Sam Wang blasted off into another stratosphere last weekend, winning 5 of his 6 individual races and destroying his previous best in the 500 Free by almost 22 seconds (5:12.81).  Every individual race was a new best time and most were improvements of 3% or more.  It was exciting to watch him and his brother, Max, duel in several events.  They really bring out the best in each other.  He also dropped some really good relay swims, helping the team secure podium finishes (3rd) in the 200/400 Free Relays.  Superb racing, Sam!

Danny Zimmerman (13-14 Boys)
Mr. Zimmerman was Mr. Character last weekend, returning to the meet for Finals to cheer and count for his teammates, as well as standing in the storm on Sunday to count for multiple teammates in the 1000 Free.  To boot, he raced very well, achieving 5 best times in his 6 individual races and contributed to his team’s 6th place finish in the 800 Free Relay.  Outstanding weekend, Danny!


Senior 3
Senior 3 started the season off with 1 athlete that had WAG cuts in August. However, we showed up in force at the Winter Age Group Championship meet with 8 athletes in Individual events, 11 including relay only swimmers! I am super proud of the progress Senior 3 has made and I can’t wait to see how many more swimmers we bring to Summer JO’s.

Aiden Barrett 

Aiden is one of the many athletes who qualified for his first Championship meet at WAG. He had a the best time in the Mile dropping a whopping 47 seconds in the Mile going an 18:00.20. Aiden also swam the 500 Free without goggles, but that was not an issue for him as he is a long time Water Polo player. 

Aya Olszewski

Aya stepped up big for the team at WAG covering for a relay swimmer who got sick and was unable to attend the 400 Free Relay. We can’t wait for Aya to grab some of her own individual cuts. Teamwork makes the dream work!

Bennett Sootkoos

This is Bennets first Championship meet. He qualified in the 100 Free at Last Ditch, right off the back of a 2 week vacation. He had a lot of other great swims and I think he's going to be showing up to Summer JO’s with a lot more cuts this year. 

Bella Tieman 

Bella was one of our relay only swimmers at WAG and she had some incredible swims in the 200 Free, 400 Free and 200 Medley relay. Bella is now one of two girls in Senior 3 who have swam under a minute the 100 Free. Keep up the great work Bella we are all really proud of you. 

Cayden Garcia

Cayden was the first athlete in Senior 3 to grab a championship meet cut outside our 1st original championship swimmer. Cayden competed in 3 individual events at WAG, the 400 IM, 1000 Free and 200 Fly. Cayden dropped time in all of his events including a nice 12 second drop in the 1000 Free, but he was the most proud of dropping 2 seconds in the 200 Fly. 

Emma Gallagher

Emma had 1 Individual cut in the 200 Fly going right on her best time despite having been sick earlier in the week. She also swam in the 400 Free Relay. Great job at your first Championship meet. We can’t wait to see what you will do at the next one.  

Sebastiano Bystedt

Seb was also one of our first athletes to start grabbing cuts in Championship meets. His first cut was in the 400 IM, which was soon followed by the 200 Breast and the 200 Fly. Seb is also one of 2 swimmers in Senior 3 with a JAG cut or better. Great job Seb I hope you enjoyed your first Championship meet.

Joshua Truong 

Joshua is a veteran in Senior 3, he is the only original member of the group with Championship meet cuts. Joshua swam best time in the 100 Breast and 200 Breast this weekend. Way to go Josh, we can’t wait for you to clinch those Freestyle cuts!

Maddie Fu

Maddie was one of our Relay only swimmers swimming the 200 Free, 200 Medley Relay going best times in both events. Nice job Maddie, with great swims like those, its only a matter of time before you grab your own individual cuts. 

Marcus Syring

Marcus is also another first time Championship meet swimmer. He had a great swim in the 200 Back at WAG even though he got sick during the week. He still managed to go right on his best time. We are all proud of the hard work you put into swimming and can’t wait to see what you will do at Summer JO’s 

Miki D’Adamo 

Miki qualified for two individual events at WAG, the Mile and the 1000 Free. This was her first time swimming the 1000 on its own as she auto qualified for it by having a great mile swim. Mikie also had a great swim in the 400 Free relay. We can’t wait to see you at Summer JO’s!


Senior 4
Senior 4 sent 13 swimmers to WAG and overall I was very impressed with the meet overall. Everyone did a great job checking in/out, taking care of yourselves and also being great teammates. I think this is the first time there were not any relay DQs, actually no DQs across the board for the group so well done! Also happy with how well athletes handled themselves in the less than ideal weather on Sunday. Great job Senior 4!!!

Leo Antioco - Leo kicked off Friday with a drop in his 100 Free going 50.35 and also helped on the 800 Free relay with a nice leadoff split of 1:50. Saturday Leo saw a really nice drop in his 200 Fly going 2:04 and making it back to finals but super impressed with his pacing on the race. Leo also helped the 400 medley relay to a 2nd place finish. On Sunday Leo added a bit in his 100 Fly but was also a massive help across the board on relays.

Anderson Bennett - Anderson started his meet with a monster drop in the 400 IM going 4:28 and really having all his strokes come together. That swim was good enough to snag him a spot in finals. He also nabbed a second swim in the 100 Breast going 1:02 in the morning just off his best time. Saturday he dropped a bit in his 200 IM going 2:06 and also helped the 400 Medley B relay snag 5th place. On Sunday Anderson was a bit off his best time in the 200 Breast but grabbed a second swim in that. My favorite race was his 1000 Free where he very smartly swam it with fantastic walls dropping nearly 20 seconds going 10:36.

Fred Brown - Fred started off Friday with a packed schedule of 3 swims. His 200 Back was first where he had a nice time drop of 5 seconds to go 2:05. He also put together a great 100 Breast going 1:05 and dropping 2.4. His third race was the 100 free where he added a bit after his packed morning. Fred also helped his 800 relay finish 5th. On Saturday Fred had a really nice 100 Back going 57.4. That evening he was part of the winning 200 Free Relay where he split a monster 21.85. Sunday Fred had a nice drop in his 200 Free and also a small drop in the 50 Free where he grabbed a 2nd swim that evening. He also helped the 400 Free relay grab 2nd place with a 48.7 split.

Evan Brutscher - Evan started his meet on Saturday with a nice drop in 100 Back to grab a second swim and finish 8th with a 57.9. He also got a second swim in the 200 IM where he dropped 5 seconds to finish 8th with a 2:06. On Sunday Evan added a smidge on his 200 Breast and also in his 50 free but did get a second swim in the 50. He also had a nice drop in the 100 Fly where he finished 5th with a 55.5. Evan was also very helpful on the B relays.

Kevin Han - Kevin had a great first Champs meet with BCS. He had a nice 4 second time drop on his 200 Back and finished 5th with a 2:04.1. He also got a second swim in the 100 Breast going 1:04.9 and dropping a second. Kevin led off the 800 Free Relay B team with another drop in his 200 free going 1:56. Kevin competed in a math competition Saturday morning where he finished 2nd (Yay) and came back that evening to help with relays where both B relays finished 4th. Sunday Kevin had a nice drop in the 200 Breast going 2:19 and finished 5th and also grabbed a second swim in the 50 finishing 8th with a 24.0.

Franco Lee - Franco had a solid meet and is starting to put things together from practice into racing that I think is going to pay off big time very soon. Friday in the 400 IM he had a small drop with a 4:33 but swam the race well. He also had a small drop in his 100 Breast going 1:03 for the first time. Saturday he added a bit in his 200 IM but was very helpful that evening on relays. Sunday Franco had a small drop in the 200 Breast going 2:16 and getting a second swim that evening to finish 7th. Franco also helped the 200 medley relay finish 4th with a 28.9 50 breast split.

Audrey Lie - Audrey struggled a bit in her individual events but still swam a bunch of smart races starting with the 400 IM on Friday going 5:11 and a solid 200 Back going 2:23. On Saturday Audrey swam a 2:25 200 IM and a 1:05 100 back just off her best time. Sunday Audrey had a 2:09 200 Free and a nice 1:05 100 Fly to round out her individual events. Audrey was super helpful on relays putting up some really nice splits including a 27.0 50 free and a 57.7 100 free.

Heather O’Brien - Heather had a great meet and went from one event at Summer JOs to swimming ALL THE THINGS at WAG. Friday started with a nice drop in her 200 Back going 2:18 and also dropped a bit in her 100 free going 56.7. Heather also swam the 1650 that morning dropping 5.8 and finishing 4th. On Saturday Heather was right on her best time in the 500 Free going 5:28 and had a small drop in the 200 IM going 2:18. Sunday Heather swam the 50 Free with a small add going 25.99. Heather was also a huge help on all the relays, consistently putting up really good splits including a 55.8 on the 400 Free relay that finished 7th.

Justin Rash - Justin was great moral support throughout the weekend and showed some great leadership over the course of the meet. Justin started his meet Saturday evening in the 200 Free Relay where he leadoff with a 22.6 and also had a nice 56.6 100 Fly split in the 400 medley relay. On Sunday Justin dropped from his seed time in the 50 going 22.9 and was also able to put up a 56.2 in the 100 fly. Sunday evening Justin had a nice 50 Breast split going 28.9 and also leadoff the 400 Free Relay with a 51.1.

Pierce Ryan - Pierce had a great WAG dropping in all his individual events. On Friday Pierce had a fantastic 400 IM dropping 10.7 seconds going 4:39 and swimming it smartly. Pierce also dropped 5 seconds in his 200 back going 2:11. On Saturday Pierce had the 100 back where he dropped time again and went under 1:00 for the first time with a 58.6. Well done Pierce.

Ben Schlehuber - Ben had a monster lineup and handled everything really well. He started with a 5 second drop in the 200 Back going 2:09 and also had a small drop in his 100 free with a 52.7. Ben also swam the 1650 on Friday dropping nearly 30 seconds going 18:45. Saturday kicked off with a nice drop in the 500 Free going 5:05. Ben was also a huge help on relays channeling in his inner sprinter, going 51 in the 400 Free Relay and 23s in the 200s.

Ian Tumamak - Ian came down Friday evening to help the 800 Free relay finish 6th. Ian then started his Saturday with a nice drop in the 100 back, going under 1:00 for the first time and grabbing a second swim with a 58.8. Ian also found himself in a swim off for the 200 fly. Saturday Finals started with a bang as the team rallied to watch Ian’s 200 fly swim off. Both swimmers went out a little fast due to the excitement but Ian held on for a long as possible and grabbed a best time in the process with a 2:09. Sunday Ian added a bit in his 200 Free but dropped a bit in his 200 Breast going 2:28 and dropped .4 in the 100 fly going 58.3. Ian was also a massive help in all the relays.

Vincent Wang - Vincent’s first Champs meet with us did not disappoint. Friday Vincent casually dropped 10 seconds in his 200 back going 2:03 and grabbing a second swim. Vincent also grabbed a second swim in the 100 Free dropped 1.02 going 48.35 to finish 3rd, just off the Sectional cut. Saturday he dropped 1.4 in the 100 back to go 56.2 and also swam a 21.9 in the winning 200 Free Relay. Sunday Vincent had a nice drop in his 200 Free to get a second swim and go 1:48.8. He also swam a 22.06 in the 50 Free to grab his first Sectional cut! Well done.


Senior 5
WAG was taking place at the same time as Winter Jr’s and Senior 5 had 13 Swimmers competing over the weekend in San Clemente. Although I wasn’t physically there I was there in spirit and checking Meet Mobile every few seconds. I’m so proud of you all, I received nothing but glowing reports from the coaches. So I thank you, I thank you for keeping the energy up, I thank you for executing your race plans and racing hard, and I especially thank you for braving the weather on Sunday. Congratulations swimmers you ended 2022 on a very high note, now let’s see what you can do for the remainder of the short course season!

Kotaro Bell
Kotaro was 6 for 6 on making finals over the weekend, he also walked away with 5 new best times! His most notable races were his 200 Free where he broke the 1:44 barrier for the first time going 1:43.35! He was also able to get under 56 seconds in the 100 fly for the first time, more fly will be coming his way in the near future. Kotaro was also a huge part of the Boy's 13-14 A relay team where they won 4 out of 5 relays! Overall Kotaro managed to cut a total of 6.04 seconds across all of his races!

Isaac Chang
This was a breakout meet for Isaac, it was amazing to watch his results come through. Of the 6 events he competed in he went best times in all of his events! Overall Isaac dropped a grand total of 19 seconds across all of his events, now that is a huge success in my book! I am very excited to see what Isaac can do in 2023, that elusive 1st sectional cut will be followed by many more! The hard work in practice the last few months is paying off, keep the momentum going Isaac!

Alex Chun
Alex came down to San Clemente with a game plan and he executed it very well! After an up and down season, it was great to see him match his best times in his Freestyle and Fly events, but it was his backstroke events where he really excelled. In the 100 Back, Alex walked away with a 1.24 Second drop going 57.61 in the process. In the 200 Back, Alex was able to crack the 2:05 barrier for the person going 2:04.90 dropping 1.43 seconds in the process. It was a great end to the year, and I am excited to see what Alex can do in 2023 and the rest of the short course season!

James Coyne
James had one mission in San Clemente and that was to swim fast. I can proudly say he accomplished that with ease! He was 4 for 6 on best times, narrowly missing best times in his other 2 events by less than half a second. His most notable swims came in the 100 Free and the 500 Free. In the 100 Free James went 47.45 dropping a 1s off his best time. In the 500 Free James had a monster swim, going under the 4:5o barrier for the first time and dropping a huge 8.1 seconds! These weren’t James' only successes at the meet, he was a huge part of creating great energy all weekend long! James 2023 is shaping up to be a great year for your swimming!

Ethan Hott
Ethan had a tough schedule at WAG, during the two days he competed he raced the Mile, 400 IM, 200 Fly, and the 500 Fr. 4 of the arguably toughest events! His best race came in the mile where he narrowly missed his best time by 2 seconds. During that mile though we were able to request his 1000 Split where he knocked off a whopping 43 seconds from his previous best 1000 time! Ethan, I’m proud of how you performed at WAG and I’m excited to see what 2023 has in store for you, maybe another shot at the 1000!

Tiara Jackson
Tiara also had a tough schedule at WAG, Tiara was entered in 200 Fr, 500 Fr, 1000 Fr, and the 1650 Fr, she was also entered in the 100 and 200 Back. Tiara walked away with a 2nd place finish in the 1650 and a 1st place finish in the 1000, but she wasn’t done there! Tiara made finals in the 200 and 500 Free finishing 6th and 5th overall, and she also qualified for finals in the 200 back with a huge prelims swim where she dropped 1.2 seconds to go under 2:25 for the first time! Tiara, you should be very proud of your performances over the weekend, it’s no easy feat racing all the distance events!

Catalina Kahan
Catalina started off the meet with a big swim, breaking the minute barrier in the 100 Back for the first time! Catalina also walked away with a new best time in the 200 IM dropping just over half a second! Although Catalina didn’t achieve any other best times in her events she made finals in 3 out of 5 events and she helped her relay teams finish 1st in 3 of her relays! Not too bad for only swimming 2 out of the 3 days and coming off a big knee injury at the end of the Long course season. Catalina 2023 and the rest of the short course season is looking very bright, coming back from Injury is no easy feat and you are well on your way to achieving all your goal times, bring on 2023!

Peyton Kuo
Peyton was white hot in San Clemente, his hard work in the practice pool is paying off! Peyton was 5 for 6 on best times, narrowly missing his 6 best time in the 200 fly by .08! Peyton also won 5 of his 6 events, narrowly missing going 6 for 6 by less than a tenth! I was most impressed with Peyton's 100 Free where he was able to go 45.99 for the first time, but his biggest surprise came in the 200 Back where he was able to break the 2-minute barrier and finish with a time of 1:57.23! He might not like to hear this but the 200 IM and 400 IM are looking very enticing in the new year! Peyton is on his way to having an amazing short course season, he has sights set on his first Junior national cut, and I have a feeling they will be coming very soon!

Isabel Merica-Jones
Isabel didn’t have the meet that she was hoping for but that didn’t stop her from racing her best and being an amazing teammate. She had really big swims in her relays, putting up some impressive splits. Isabel was always on hand to cheer and lap count for her teammates, showing off her world class character! Isabel, you have worked hard in the practice pool and I know you will continue to push yourself, your breakout meet is on the horizon I can feel it! Let’s grab 2023 by the horns and see what you can do!

Brooke Patel
This was Brooke’s second meet of the season, she has been battling a series of injuries so it’s so exciting to see her racing again and racing at her very best! Brooke's first 2 races were the 100 Breast and the 1650. In the 100 Breast, she knocked 1.9 seconds off her previous best, and in the mile, she knocked off a huge 27.6 seconds! During that mile, we asked for her 1000 split as she was 13 seconds faster than her previous best. What a way to start the meet, I was so excited to see these results come through, it’s been a long time coming and I’m so happy Brooke is back racing with us! The fast swimming didn't stop there for Brooke, she was also able to knock 7.5 seconds off her previous 200 Breaststroke time! Congratulations Brooke WAG was a massive success and I can’t wait to watch you race more in 2023!

Andy Pham
Andy had a very successful WAG he achieved new best times in 3 of his 5 events, his biggest drop coming in the 200 Back where he dropped 1.2 seconds to finish with a 2:01.051 That 2-minute barrier is going down very soon! Andy was also instrumental in helping his relay team finish in the top 5 in 4 of the relays! Andy carry the momentum over into 2023 and let's finish the short course season on a bang, big things are to come!

Lucas Sorenson
Lucas had himself a very impressive WAG he walked away with two new best times in the 200 Fly and 50 Free, he was right on his best times in his other individuals as well. However, his biggest swim of the weekend came when he led off the 800 Free relay on the first night. Lucas came in with a 1:48.78 knocking 1.4 seconds off his previous best which helped his team to a 5th-place finish! This was Lucas’s first time going under 1:50 and I am excited to see him progress in 2023!

Adriel Sun
Adriel was another swimmer who was dominating his breaststroke events. In the 100 Breast he dropped under the minute barrier for the first time, dropping 1.49 seconds in the process to end with a 59.80. The fast Breaststroke didn't stop there, in the 200 Breast during finals Adriel posted a 2:09.80 to drop 1.23 off his previous best! It wasn’t just Breaststroke where Adriel was excelling though, he managed to drop time in his 100 Fr, 100 Bk, and 200 IM! Congratulations Adriel on a very successful WAG, 2023 is looking very bright for you!


High Performance
WAG was taking place at the same time as Winter Jr’s and High Performance had 6 Swimmers competing over the weekend in San Clemente. Although I wasn’t physically there I was there in spirit and checking Meet Mobile every few seconds. I’m so proud of you all, I received nothing but glowing reports from the coaches. So I thank you, I thank you for keeping the energy up, I thank you for executing your race plans and racing hard, and I especially thank you for braving the weather on Sunday. Congratulations swimmers you ended 2022 on a very high note, now let’s see what you can do for the remainder of the short course season!

Tyler Campbell
This was shaping up to be a phenomenal meet for Tyler, he was dropping time all over the place. Unfortunately, he had to head home early due to being sick before he could race on the last day. Before he left the meet though Tyler was able to crack 3 major Barriers in his swimming. His first in the 100 Back going under 55 seconds for the first time. His second in 100 Breast, getting under 59 seconds for the first time, and then in the 200 IM, he went well Under 2 minutes going 1:58.94!  It makes me wonder how fast he could have gone if he was firing on all cylinders! Tyler I’m very proud of how you performed at WAG, and I’m very excited to see you close out your short course season.

Mia Crisera
Mia had a busy schedule down in San Clemente, she made finals in all of her events, was part of 3 relay teams, and she also played two soccer games on Saturday! Although she didn’t walk away with any new best times, she was able to swim right around her best times and help her relay team achieve two 1st place finishes and one 2nd place finish. Mia, you should be very proud of yourself, you are an incredible teammate in the pool and the soccer field. I am very excited to see what 2023 has in store for you and I know we will end the short course season with a bang!

Sammie Hall
This was a fantastic WAG for Sammie, she made finals in all of her events, and she never finished outside the top 3! In total Sammie walked away with 3 new best times dropping over a second in all of them. Her biggest time drop came in the 400 IM where she cracked the 4:35 Barrier for the first time, ending with a 4:33.94 dropping a total of 7s! Sammie has ended 2022 on a very high note and I can see more time drops and great racing coming her way in 2023!

Delaney Herr
Delaney kicked off her meet with a huge swim in the 200 Back, narrowly breaking the 2-minute barrier for the first time, she dropped just over 3 seconds to finish with a 2:00.91. Delaney continued to excel in her backstroke, in the 100 Back she dropped just under a second to finish with a time of 56.22. Delaney is knocking on the door of Junior nationals and it won’t be long till she gets her first cut, and when that happens more will follow. 2023 is looking very bright Delaney!

Mikki Maemura
Mikki was the definition of resilient at WAG this past weekend, she made finals in all of her events but she wasn’t able to hit her goal times. That didn’t stop her though, she had some huge relay swims to help her team finish with 3 1st place finishes. It was on the last day in the rain and cold that her resilience paid off! In the 200 Fr Mikki swam right on her best time in the morning to qualify 2nd for finals. Fast forward to the 200 Fr at night Mikki walked away with a 1st place finish and a new best time of 1:52.58 dropping over 2 seconds from her previous best!
Mikki, I am very proud of you for giving it your all at WAG and not giving up! Let’s make 2023 your best year yet in the pool!

Jack O’Shaughnessy
Jack was another swimmer who had a breakout meet at WAG! Of the 6 events he competed in he made finals in 5 and walked away with 5 new best times and 2 new futures cuts! Congratulations Jack, your hard work is paying off, and now you are knocking on the door of your first Junior national cut! Jack’s two biggest swims came in the 200 Bk and the 100 Fly. In the 200 Back he hit his goal of going 1:50, he ended with a 1:50.99, dropping 3.3 seconds in the process. In the 100 Fly, Jack dropped 2 seconds from his previous best going 51.37! I’m excited for 2023 and I hope Jack embraces more Butterfly specifically the 200 Fly! Keep it up Jack!