US Junior National Team Finishes 8th at FINA World Junior Synchro Championships

US Junior National Team Finishes Eighth
at FINA World Junior Synchro Championships

Alvarez, Ortellado finish 11th in duet in Helsinki, Finland 

 

INDIANAPOLIS - The U.S. Junior National synchronized swimming team finished eighth in the team finals Saturday at the FINA World Junior Synchronized Swimming Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
The 2014 U.S. Junior National Synchronized Swimming Team

U.S. team members Anita Alvarez (Kenmore, N.Y./Town of Tonawanda Aquettes) and Sandra Ortellado (Walnut Creek, Calif./Walnut Creek Aquanuts) finished 11th in the duet with 155.1898 points.

 

The pair has already competed internationally twice this year, finishing seventh at the Brazil Open in May and 11th at the French Open in March against mostly senior-level swimmers. They also won gold at the U.S. Open earlier this month.

 

The U.S. team was in 10th place after the preliminary competition earlier in the week, but a fifth-place showing in figures (73.4106 points) helped improve the squad to eighth place. The U.S. scored 82.8333 points in Saturday's free routine, finishing with 156.2439 total points.

 

Russia won the team competition with 167.9395 points, followed by Japan (166.0544) and China (162.9142).

  The U.S. Junior National Team includes: Anita Alvarez (Kenmore, N.Y./Town of Tonawanda Aquettes), Claire Barton (Los Gatos, Calif./Santa Clara Aquamaids), Gillian Brassil (Moraga, Calif./Walnut Creek Aquanuts), Rachel Hyon (Cypress, Calif./La Mirada Aquabelles), Isabel Malcolmson (San Jose, Calif./Santa Clara Aquamaids), Sandra Ortellado (Walnut Creek, Calif./Walnut Creek Aquanuts), Noelle St. John (Dublin, Ohio/Indy Synchro), Karensa Tjoa (San Jose, Calif./ Santa Clara Aquamaids), Monica Velazquez-Stiak (Phoenix, Ariz./Scottsdale Synchro) and Elizabeth Wiita (Vancouver, Wash./MAC Synchro).