At the Florida Age Group Winter Championships over the weekend (November 17-20th,2011) held at the Plantation Swim Complex, Swift Swimming won 10 individual medals in finishing with 325 points for a 14th place overall finish and 10th place among the men (231 points) out of some 55 teams. The team performance had 14 swimmers making finals with a majority of personal best swims. The medals were awarded to the top three finishes in each event out of a total of almost 1400 swimmers. Those making finals for Swift individually and on relays were Tremaine Allen, Alexander Encinar, Michael Hernandez, Lilly Higgs, Albury Higgs, Nikolaus Holmberg, Peter Morley, Zach Moses, Doran Reed, Simone Sturrup, Celine Thompson, Luke Kennedy Thompson, Mark Anthony Thompson, and Paul Bevans. Swift had three relays represented at the meet in the following age groups: Boys 9 & 10 , Girls 13 & 14, and Boys 13 & 14. All relays finished in the top 10 in their respective age groups. The meet was a very busy one with two 50 meter pools being used by having the swimmers race the width of the pool which provided a 25 yard course for competition. With the number of swimmers and the number of events the competition ran from 8:30 AM to about 8:30 PM with only a short break in between.
Four Swift swimmers won medals. Zach Moses led the way with 5 medals. The medal winners were Simone Sturrup with a gold in the 50 yd Free in 25.14, Zach Moses won two silvers in the 400 IM in 4:25.17, and 1650 Free in 17:18.24 respectively. Zach also won 3 bronze medals in the 50 Breast in 29.53, 100 breast in 1:04.27, and 200 IM in 2:05.01 respectively. Alexander Encinar, won a silver in the 100 Breast in 1:08.88 , and two bronzes in the 200 Breast in 2:30.28, and 50 Breast in 30.56. Luke– Kennedy Thompson won a bronze in the 50 breast in 36.58.
Other outstanding performances were turned in by Nikolaus Homberg with all personal best
swims in making 5 individual finals and 5 relay finals . Nik got a fourth in the 50 free in 24.44, 4th in the 100 IM in 1:02.24, 6th in the 50 Breast in 31.77, 7th in the 50 Back in 30.49, and a 10th in the 100 Free in 55.35 Peter Morley also made 5 individual finals and two relay finals. Peter got two fourth place finishes in the Backstrokes with a 100 Back time of 1:14.75, and a 50 back time of 34.54. He was 7th in the 100 Breast in 1:26.26, and 8th in the 200 free in 2:26.91, and 8th in the 50 breast in 40.26. Luke Thompson also made three other finals along with his bronze medal 50 Breast finals swim and they were a 5th in the 200 Free in 2:24.00, 8th in the 100 Breast in 1:26.57, and a 9th in the 100 IM in 1:16.96. Albury Higgs made finals in four events with a 5th place finish in the 200 Breast in 2:41.14, a 5th place finish in the 50 Breast in 34.56, a 8th place finish in the 100 Breast in 1:15.41, and a 9th place finish in the 200 Free in 2:07.88. Tremaine Allen made finals in Three events with a 7th place finish in the 500 Free in 5:38.23, a 10th place finish in the 200 Breast in 2:48.14, and a 10th place in the 50 Breast in 35.18. Simone Sturrup also picked up three other final swims, with a 5th in the 100 Fly in 1”02.33, a 5th in the 50 Fly in 27.99, and a 6th in the 100 Free in 55.90. Zach Moses also got a 4th in the 500 Free in 5:07.85, a 5th in the 200 Free in 1:52.43, and a 7th in the 100 IM in 58.84. Other final swims were turned in by Doran Reed with a 6th place finish in the 50 Back in 29.58, Lilly Higgs with a 9th place finish in the 50 Breast in 38.59, Michael Hernandez with a 7th place finish in the 50 Free in 25.03 and Mark Thompson with a 10th place finish in the 50 Breast in 45.53.
In the relays the 13 & 14 Boys relay made up of Nikolaus Holmberg, Michael Hernandez,
Alexander Encinar, and Zach Moses finished with a 4th in the 800 Free relay in 8:23.25, a 5th
place in the 400 Free relay in 3:39.84, a 6th place in the 200 Free relay in 1:50.09, a 6th place in the 200 Medley relay in 1:52.60 and a 8th place in the 400 Medley relay in 4:10.52.
The 13 & 14 girls relay made up of Doran Reed, Tremaine Allen, Celine Thompson, and
Simone Sturrup finished with a 5th place in the 200 Free relay in 1:44.21, a 6th in the 200
Medley relay in 1”59.39, and a 6th place in the 400 Medley relay in 4:23.87.
Other swimmers who made up the Swift Family and contributed to the teams success at the
meet, and who also swam personal bests in some races were Jemarco Armbrister, Anibal
Hernandez, Abigail Lowe, and Jourdan Bevans
The next focus will be the Carifta Games scheduled for The Bahamas in April, 2012.