News
Casey Hecht Races to a Western Zone Age Group Time Standard in 50 Meter Breaststroke PALM SPRINGS, CA – July 12, 2021 – Casey Hecht became the first ELITE Otter swimmer to exceed a Western Zone Age Group (WZ AG) Championship time standard by swimming the 50 meter breast stroke in 43.87 seconds in the 2021 Last Chance Splash Invitational at Helena, Montana last Saturday. Hecht, age ten, broke the time of 44.19 seconds needed to qualify for next month’s 2021 WZ AG Championships in Lewisville, TX. The Western Zone...
PALM SPRINGS, CA – June 27, 2021 – The only thing hotter than the blistering, triple digit temperatures in the western US is the ELITE Otters Swim team. The Otters continued their recent string of sizzling performances this weekend at Riverside City College in the 2021 First Chance Eastern Committee Long Course Meet. Three EOST swimmers surpassed 2021 Junior Olympic time standards in each of the twenty events they swam collectively, including dropped times in nineteen of those. Head Coach Josh Otteson is looking forward to the results that Ava...
PALM SPRINGS, CA – June 20, 2021 – Casey Hecht won five gold medals in a spectacular performance this weekend in the 2021 SoCalSwimming Summer Invitational Short Course meet at Murrieta Mesa High School on June 19-20. Hecht, age 10, swimming for the ELITE Otters Swim Team, the Coachella Valley’s premier and fastest growing swim team, won the 200 freestyle, the 100 breast and finished fourth in the 50 free. He came back on Sunday and won the 200 IM, the 50 breast, and the 100 free. All in all,...
PALM SPRINGS, CA – May 16, 2021 – The ELITE Otter Swim Team made a remarkable return to long course swimming by claiming 14 Summer Junior Olympic Standard Times this weekend in the YWSF 2021 Long Course Summer Opener at Goodyear, Arizona on May 15-16. The Otters were led by Casey Hecht, who surpassed Junior Olympic (JO) standard times in five out of six events, Istvan Banki who was three for three in JO cuts, Shayna Hecht who qualified for three JO events in her six swims, and Ava Otteson...
PALM SPRINGS, CA – May 10, 2021 – Ava Otteson scored 42 points and dropped massive amounts of time achieving her personal best time in every event. She reached the finals in five out of seven events in the preliminary/finals format at the Red Cliffs Swim Classic held on the Dixie State University campus in St. George, Utah on April 30 - May 2, 2021. Ava, age 13, showed tremendous stamina and spirit against a highly competitive field of Senior girls ranging from ages 13-18. By reaching the finals in...
PALM SPRINGS, CA – February 7, 2020 – 22 teams competed at the Eastern Committee Championships in Perris, CA. With only 5 swimmers EOST finished in 9th place with 429 points. The swimmers had amazing performances achieving 26 medals out of 27 races. Coach Otteson commented, "Our swimmers had an incredible day! If you take away the relay points, EOST would have finished in the top 3. Relay teams score double points, so it's hard to compete with teams that are showing up with multiple relays. However, our swimmers were...
PALM SPRINGS, CA – January 10, 2020 – Every year the fastest 32 swimmers in Southern California are selected to compete in an All Star Festival. This year only 2 swimmers from the Coachella Valley were chosen to compete: Shayna Hecht and Owen Otteson. Both swimmers compete for Elite Otters Swim Team in Palm Springs, CA. SoCal Swimming Website: " The Southern California Swimming All Star Festival meet will be held on the last weekend of January. SCS All Star Festival represents the best of Southern California Swimming. Selected swimmers...
PALM SPRINGS, CA – January 7, 2020 –As an 11 year old swimming in the 11-12 age group, Ava Otteson has shown what it takes to persevere and compete on the younger side of her age group. Otteson has already achieved 5 Spring Junior Olympic Cuts. Coach Laura Otteson said, "Swimming at the bottom of your age group is often a very humbling experience. Ava has shown her competitive drive and ability to adjust to adversity this season. She shows up everyday to practice and gives 100%." The Spring Junior...
PALM SPRINGS, CA – January 7, 2020 –Two swimmers from the Coachella Valley were chosen to participate in the All-Star Festival in Los Angeles, CA on January 25, 2020. Shayna Hecht and Owen Otteson were named in the top 32 fastest swimmers (7-10 age group) in Southern California. Coach Laura Otteson commented, "It's been so much fun to watch these two swimmers grow and compete with Southern California's fastest swimmers. They have earned their spots on this All Star Team." Both Hecht and Otteson also competed in the Summer Junior...
PALM SPRINGS, CA – December 13, 2019 –EOST participated in Winter Age Group Championships (WAGS) December 13-15 in Palm Springs, CA. There were 2 EOST swimmers that finished in the top 10 and brought home multiple medals. Ava Otteson competed in 5 events at WAGS. She dropped over a second in her 200 freestyle swimming a personal best earning an 8th place medal. Otteson also dropped time in her 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke where she was out touched by less than .2 for a medal. Shayna Hecht also had...
