PIRANHAS HOST FESTIVAL MEET AND WIN TEAM TITLE
UPDATE: Congratulation to Liam, Tonalli, Noah, and Brody for setting a new 8 and under 100 freestyle relay record, breaking the previous best that was almost 40 years old.
The Piranha Swim Team hosted the Eastern Committee Red Max Festival this past weekend in Palm Springs. The meet is new to the Committee schedule and was intended to give Red Swimmers a season ending meet that had greater importance. Things like standard Top 16 awarding/scoring, championship medals, and team scoring were in the format unlike our other Red/White meets. We supported the idea of the meet and learning these skills so much that we took on hosting duties.
We are proud to announce that the Piranha's won the Team Championship, our first team title at an age group meet in many years. Currently we are not one of the top 10 largest teams in the Eastern Committee. 10% of our membership was too fast to swim in the meet at all while another large portion couldn't swim a full schedule of events or relays. So without our usual list of names leading the way, who would be the Piranha's producing points?
12 year old Tenoch Sanchez from Coach Alicia's Shadow Hills Gold group was our leading point scorer. Individually he won 2 gold medals and 4 bronze medals while also earning 2 relay gold's. Just one point behind Tenoch was 13 year old Senior Blue member Christian Meyer who also won 2 golds individually while dropping 9 seconds in the 200 back and 3 in the 100 breast. 8 year old Liam Keane from the Palm Springs Silver Group lead by Coach Ashley D. was our third highest point scorer on the boys side. Liam crushed his best time in all 8 individual events, helped the 8 and under relays win two gold medals, and was just 3 points behind Sanchez for the point lead. Swimmers from 3 different groups and 2 different pools with the same result: Fast Swimming.
15 year old Ramsie Haskell was the girls high point scorer, earning 2 individual and 2 relay gold medals. What makes this unique and exciting is that she is in Coach Aaron and Alicia's combo Water Polo and Swimming group and a great example that it's working for both sports. On top of that she is in the middle of Water Polo season for Shadow Hills High School and played a game Friday before the swim meet breaking another of those unsaid walls that you swim or play water polo, but not both. Proof that our programming is working, proof that hard work pays off. Other Piranha members leading the point scoring charge: Josh Purificiaction, Richard Tomlin, Devon Richardson, Naomi Asencio, Sam Turley, and Anthony Gutierrez.
Piranha's by the numbers: 88 Piranhas registered for the meet, our largest group at a meet in many years. 93% of all Piranha swims were best times, 70 swimmers scored at least one point in an individual or relay. 65 new red/blue/JO cuts made, 8 Relay Gold medal relays, 5 Silver medal relays. Palm Springs swimmers and Shadow Hills swimmers swam at a very close rate of success while scoring virtually the same amount of points, meaning you can swim in either pool and get great coaching with the same chance to improve.
Winning a meet where the best swimmers aren't allowed to compete doesn't say much about how we compare to other teams. But it says everything about how far we've come. We could not have done this a year ago under any circumstance. Be proud that we won this team title. Be proud that we are one team with two practice group options on either end of the valley that both kick butt. Be Proud to be a Piranha no matter what group, what sport, or what level you are at. We all contributed.
Thank you volunteers for putting on another great meet. Thieves couldn't stop this meet from being great. MIssy, Geoff, Sunday, and Kimberly run the show with great support. Thank you swimmers and families, especially those of you that had swimmers too fast to be in this meet yet put in over 20 hours . Setting that example will go a long way in helping the future of the Piranhas. Up next: SCS Club Championships then Eastern Committee Red Min Champioships.
Swimmers with top 3 finishes individually or on relays: Lavin Albertson, Naomi Asencio, Ryan Bikis, Noah Boomer, Emelia Brady, Jeffrey Brooker, Noah Brown, Mari Chavez, Matt Dore, Abby Eldridge, Micahael Galvan, ALondra Garcia, Brendan Gilhuly, Angela Gonzalez, Anthony Gutierrez, Auriella Gutierrez, Conner Gutierrez, Brock Hanes, Ramsie Haskell, Cameron Hewitt, Corbin Hewitt, Kassidy Jackman, Tyler Jarrett, Emma Johansen, Liam Keane, Dylan Kotz, Desiree Lewis, Emelia Lockhart, Amber Mercado, Christain Meyer, Jordan Nadler, Brody Krall-Nejedly, Alexis Oneil, Michael Oneil, Alex Ostland, Kay PiIvonka, Josh Purificacion, Bryce Ramos, Devin Richardson, Tenoch Sanchez, Tonalli Sanchez, Ryan Sebti, Richard Tomlin, Julian Trinidad, Sam Turley, Caleb Van Buskirk, Ann Wang, Alyssa Woody
PIRANHA PRIDE PIRANHA TRADITION PIRANHA QUALITY
