Age Group Recap- GREAT JOB!!

This past weekend, WHAT Swimming attended the 2014 Connecticut Swimming Age Group Championship held at Wesleyan University.  The four day meet is a statewide competition in which swimmers achieve strict qualifying standards.  WHAT Swimming’s men finished 10^th and the women 15^th out of 56 competing teams.

 WHAT Swimming recorded 12 team records, 110 lifetime best swims, a Distance High Point Champion, 5 Eastern Zone All-Star Zone Team Qualifiers and 2 additional SPEEDO Champion Series qualification times.  WHAT Swimming was the highest scoring team in the Farmington Valley area.        

Swimmers helping to rewrite the team record board were: Madison Hagberg (9-10 100 backstroke); Ella Miller (11-12 50 backstroke, 100 backstroke); Amber Rocheleau (11-12 100 breaststroke);  Charles Perks (9-10 100 backstroke); Mikel Palaj (9-10 200 IM); Michael Baldini (11-12 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle; 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly, 200 IM) and Matthew Gwozdecke (15-18 100 butterfly). 

WHAT Swimmers achieving lifetime best swims were: Michael Baldini; Kate Bell; Brian Berry; John Gallant; Haley Gens; Matthew Gwozdecke; Madison Hagberg; Samantha Hagberg; Nicole King; Taylor Lemus; Ella Miller; Quinn Mitchell; Emma Nordquist; Mikel Palaj; Charles Perks; Sydney Perks; Sarah Preleski; Amber Rocheleau; Jett Rosner and Harrison Saperstein.

Head Age Group Coach Jim Santiago said, “We are very proud of the way the WHAT athletes competed and supported each other this weekend.  The very core of our program is technique and having a winning mindset.  The results show the strong foundation of the WHAT Swimmers.”

Michael Baldini was awarded the 11-12 male Distance High Point trophy which is given to male swimmer who scored the most points in the following categories: 200 Free, 500 Free and 200 IM.  Quinn Mitchell and Matthew Gwozdecke punched their tickets to attend the Eastern Zone SPEEDO Champion Series.  

“Each season we raise the expectations of the team and the WHAT Swimmers accept the challenge.  WHAT Swimming believes excellence is a journey and we give the athletes the skill sets necessary to overcome obstacles and continually evaluate their goals,” said Head Senior Coach Megan Scully.

This week WHAT Swimming’s National and National Prep teams have qualified 10 swimmers for the SPEEDO Championship Series at Ithaca College.  They will attend a four day meet competing with some of the most elite swimmers in the United States.