December Swimmers of the Month
AG2: Anika Unay and Mason Folster
Congratulations to our December Swimmers of the Month Anika Unay and Mason Folster. Both of these swimmers have had tremendous seasons so far. They set an example in practice of focusing and listening and then executing what we are asking them to do. Anika and Mason are always asking excellent questions about their swimming and making sure they are doing things the correct way. At the Candy Cane Invitational Anika dropped almost 8 seconds in her 200 free, 2.5 in her 100 free and over 2 seconds in her 50 back. At the same meet Mason dropped 4 seconds in his 100 IM, almost 4 seconds in his 100 free and 15 seconds in his 100 fly! Tremendous performances. Best of all Anika and Mason have tremendous attitudes and always have smiles on their faces. Great job Anika and Mason!
AG1: Emily Lopez
Emily always has a smile on her face and brings a steady, positive energy to every practice. She consistently encourages her teammates, offers kind words, and helps create an uplifting environment at practices and meets. Emily listens closely and holds herself to a high standard, showing undeniable focus and accountability when performing skills and drills, adhering to race strategy, and looking for more ways to improve. Her daily effort reflects maturity beyond her age ~ she shows up ready to learn, ready to work, and ready to support those around her. Emily is also the first to assist with tarps or anything to support her team, often without being asked. I'm proud of her dedication, leadership, and the example she sets for the entire AG1 group. Great job, Emily!
Blue: John Kim
John experienced some adversity involving injury that led to time away from the pool. The moment he returned, the focus from the other swimmers in the group rose. John’s time on this team before his breif step away established him as a leader through action. One of my favorite parts about John is his willingness to try/explore something new or challenging. I’ll give him a goal on a set, whether skill or time based, and he just tries it out. Then he follows up with me! That is a great learning process that we can all find. It doesn’t have to be big or give us exactly what we are looking for, but it suggests that our ability to be flexible, learn when we are tired, and communicate will get us to where we want to be.
Great work John. Keep it up!
S3: Jayden Cheuk
Jayden Cheuk is Senior 3’s Swimmer of the Month for December! Jayden led the group in attendance this month, and his physical and mental consistency has played a major role in his growth in the water. By showing up ready to work each day, he has built strength, confidence, and a stronger understanding of how to swim fast. This progress carried into his first club meet with Gold Medal at the Candy Cane Classic 2025, where he delivered strong performances earning some final swimming opportunities!
Jayden is a pleasure to coach and brings value to any lane he practices in. He raises the overall quality, focus, and effort of the group. In early December, he had a breakthrough moment where he truly “figured out how to go fast,” and he has since been working to apply that speed and feeling into daily training. His positive attitude, adaptability, and steady work ethic make him a great teammate and an excellent representative of Senior 3. We’re excited to see where his momentum and commitment take him next — great work, Jayden!
S2: Cullen Kelly
Cullen has earned December’s Swimmer of the Month through his energy, fearlessness, and confidence in the water. He brings an unignorable level of energy to practice and competition, raising the intensity and excitement of the group every time he steps on deck!
In practice, Cullen is finding his stride, both literally and figuratively, as he builds his technique, rhythm, and consistency in his swimming. His effort level, attitude, and readiness to attack challenging sets show real growth and commitment to the sport. At Tualatin, Cullen put together outstanding performances, showing a willingness to step up, race aggressively, and trust his training. He isn’t afraid to go fast, take risks, and challenge himself. Often this is a mindset that is hard to achieve, but it is helping him unlock new levels of performance. His racing continues to trend upward as he gains confidence in his practice execution and competitive habits.
Cullen’s momentum right now is exciting to watch. He is embracing the process, stepping into his potential, and proving that confidence, energy, and courage can fuel progress. We’re proud of the direction he’s heading and can’t wait to see where this next stretch of growth takes him.
S1: Adelyn Burns
Over the course of her time on this team so far, Adelyn has found a way to connect with her new teammates on a level that rivals most collegiate programs. Sure, there is some pressure to deliver the effort your best times suggest. Maybe you want to make a good impression on the established leaders/members of this team. It’s been 5 months at this point, and she is now a leader on Gold Medal. Thank you for being so willing to initiate conversations and support new teammates.
Only missing workout for 2 short trips over the last 3 months, Adelyn has silently stacked weeks of consistent efforts and conscientious planning. The stand out moment in that time was an improvement of the process to getting a “better feeling” breaststroke glide and catch into the breath. We got the correction we were after almost immediately, but that’s not the point. From that single, 5-minute conversation on, Adelyn used those drills, skills, and focal points ANY workout we had breaststroke. That is what separates good from great here. We can all make the initial change. Sustaining that on your own, without reminder, is the work.
This reminds me of something Michael Phelps once said after he did a fast time in practice leading up to the 2016 Olympics. “If I can do that 40 more times, I know I’m ready.” Do it once, call it an accident. Do it twice, you got lucky. Do it 40 times, that is skill. Adelyn has stacked about 15 of those since that conversation. Great self-accountability. Phenomenal leadership through action. Keep it up Adelyn.
