Piranhas Win Big in Vegas!

The Piranhas finished the weekend at Winter Age Group Championships in 26th place with 166.5 points out of over 40 teams.  A great finish for our group of 12 athletes!  Only athletes finishing in the top 16 places of their events can contribute to team scores.  Kelli Andrade scored 15 points for the team with best times100 breast (1:25.00, 9^th) and 50 breast (39.36, 11^th); Shelby Andrade contributed 25.5 points swimming best times in the 100 back (1:02.13, 9^th) and 100 fly (1:00.44, 2^nd); Christina Bruni was the contributor of 27 points scoring in the 100 back (1:01.62, 5^th) and 50 free (6^th, 25.84) as well as swimming personal best times in all of her other races; Sara Kennedy scored in both her 400 IM (4:59.47, 14^th) and 100 breast (1:13.64, 15^th); Alissah Koochaki swam best times in 5 out of her 6 races scoring in the 50 free (26.80, 11^th), 50 fly (30.01, 15^th), and 100 free (56.87, 9^th);  Nick Kopan had an outstanding meet swimming all personal best times and qualifying for Winter JO’s in the 100 breast (1:09.35) and 200 free (1:57.61) and narrowly missed qualifying in several other events; Alexandra Letellier swam personal best times in the 50 fly (31.54) and 50 back (32.26); Lindsey Letellier was a point scorer in the 1000 (11:29.61, 11^th) and 1650 freestyles (20:01.13); Desiree Lewis swam personal best times in the 100 (1:30.58) and 50 breaststrokes (41.77) achieving a new Junior Olympic time in the 50 breaststroke; Matt Nevins scored 20 points in the 100 breast (1:04.55, 9^th) and 200 breaststroke (2:21.29, 8^th) swimming lifetime bests in both distances; Kelley Ostrander scored 15 points with a 4^th place finish in the 100 fly (1:01.10); and Alexa Wasserman swam 4 lifetime best times in 3 events swimming a lifetime best and Winter JO’s in the 200 breast (2:33.09, 6^th) taking that race out in a personal best in the 100 breast (1:14.60) as well as lifetime best times and Winter JO’s in the 200 IM (2:16.25, 8^th) and 100 fly (1:05.07).

Despite the at times challenging breathing conditions at the indoor facility, our athletes had a combined 38 personal best times!  A special congratulations to Desiree Lewis, Matt Nevins, Kelli Andrade, Alexa Wasserman, and Nick Kopan who qualified for new Junior Olympic events as well as to Shelby Andrade who qualified for her very first Sectionals.  Make sure you congratulate all of our competing athletes on a job well done when you see them at the pool:  Kelli Andrade, Shelby Andrade, Christina Bruni, Sara Kennedy, Alissah Koochaki, Nick Kopan, Alexandra Letellier, Lindsey Letellier, Desiree Lewis, Matthew Nevins, Kelley Ostrander, and Alexa Wasserman.