Race Swami Primer
2012 Utah Short Course Junior Olympic Championships
The Team
Peyton Ledbetter (age 10)
Alandra McDowell (age 14)
Blaire McDowell (age 11)
Autumn Wolfgramm (age 14)
Fanetapou Wolfgramm (age 11)
Zerin Wolfgramm (age 9)
The Coaches (and Senior Swami Assistants)
Matt Finnigan
Chelsea Peterson
Mattie Mulick
Amelia Wolfgramm
Allison Witte
Marcela Vasquez
Jason Motley!
March 14th, 2012
11-12 Girls 400 Individual Medley:
Blaire McDowell – hear the name and fear it. Although this little girl has not yet swum the 400 IM at a State Championship meet, she will be a force to be reckoned with from the dive to the finish. As an eight-year-old, Blaire swam the 400 IM and earned the 7th fastest rank in the country for the 8 and Under division. While swimming in the 10 and Under age group, Blaire earned at least one Zone time in every stroke, proving that she has no weakness. She is entered with a time of 5:43.43.
March 15th, 2012
10-UN Girls 200 yard freestyle:
With a time of 2:32.84 that she earned at the recent Park City Winter Invitational, Peyton Ledbetter is the 6th fastest 10-UN 200 yard freestyler in the state. Less than a year after she started swimming, Peyton qualified for and competed at the 2011 Utah Short Course JOs. The following summer at the Long Course Championships, she finished 10th in her age group and broke the 3:00 mark, an accomplishment that instantly made her one of the most promising young swim stars in Utah. She currently holds the Race Swami record in this event, and her goal is to qualify for the 2012 Far Western Championships. The standard in this event – with altitude adjusting – is a 2:28.59. Anyone who has even glanced over at her in practice will concur that she has trained like a bandit this season and clearly deserves to do well.
10-UN Boys 200 yard freestyle:
This year, sprinting phenomenon Zerin Wolfgramm has decided to give the top distance swimmers in his age group a run for their money. He first qualified for this event when he was seven. The next summer, Zerin swam in the championship final, and he has continued to excel ever since. At the 2011 Short Course Championships, Zerin finished in an impressive time of 2:32.77, which makes him the fastest nine-year-old in Utah and the third-fastest in the 10 and Under division. The 200 free is one of the most demanding races an age group swimmer can participate in, but with his incredible talent and spirit, Zerin is sure to do well.
11-12 Girls 200 yard freestyle:
Fanetapou Wolfgramm has a time of 2:11.78 that she earned at the 2011 Holiday Open Invitational; this puts her in the Top 10 for her age group. Fane is known to be a dangerously fast 50 and 100 yard freestyler. This talented young girl is loved by everyone, even her competitors, and the coaches, swimmers, and parents from every team will be cheering for her. The 200 is a beastly race that will bring out both her famous and undiscovered strengths.
13-14 Girls 200 yard freestyle:
The defending short course champion, Autumn Wolfgramm, is seeded first in the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 1:57.59. Autumn has finished in the Top 5 in this event four state championships in a row, and she also has experience swimming it at high-level meets such as Sectionals. Admired by all in the Utah Swimming community, Autumn is truly a crowd favorite in every event. The 200 free is an especially exciting race for her however, because she has the two traits that make a good middle-distance swimmer: stamina and speed.
10-UN Girls 50 yard butterfly:
This year, the 10-UN Girls 50-yard butterfly features standout Peyton Ledbetter, who is the 6th fastest state-wide in her age group with a time of 36.04. Last year at this meet, she made Top Ten as a nine-year-old with this time. Peyton is an extremely committed swimmer; at the beginning of the high school season, Matt Finnigan confided to his Judge team that Peyton had only missed one practice over the past year. A work ethic like that is admired by all and will open the doors of opportunity for her at this competition.
10-UN Boys 50 yard butterfly:
Zerin Wolfgramm, the number-one 10 and Under butterflier in Utah, is entered in this event with a time of 32.62 that he swam at the 2011 Holiday Open Invitational. He first qualified in the 50 yard butterfly in December of 2010, when he was only eight years old. Last year at the 2011 Championships, he swam an “AA” time of 34.10, placing 4th in a field of boys nearly two years older than he. The next summer, he also finished in 4th. Now, he is the fastest nine-year-old in Utah by nearly four seconds, and he has earned a rank of 18th in the Western Zone. Zerin has already broken 30 seconds in his 50 free. How close can he get in the fly?
11-12 Girls 50 yard butterfly:
Fanetapou Wolfgramm is 4th in the state with an outstanding time of 29.58. She is ranked less than half a second behind the favorite in this event. Fane first qualified for this event as an eight-year-old, and last year, she was the 10-Under State Champion, swimming an “AAAA” time of 31.02.
Blaire McDowell is entered with a time of 31.84. She first qualified for this event when she was eight years old, in the fall of 2008. The next summer, she made a Far Western cut. Blaire has made Top 3 in this event a countless number of times. At this meet, the “Tiny Terror” is sure to excel.
13-14 Girls 100 yard butterfly:
The feared Autumn Wolfgramm is entering the 100 yard butterfly this year with a time of 1:01.43 that she earned at the 2012 Senior State Championships. She has always been a top finisher in this event at both the state and regional level. In fact, just this summer, she placed 2nd at the State Championships, and last short course season, she competed at the 2011 Speedo Champions Series. The Swami Mystery Writer would love to see her break 1:00!
Girls 10-Under 50 yard breastrokes:
Peyton Ledbetter is entered in the 50 breastroke with a time of 42.50, making her the fourth-fastest in the state. Her best time was earned at the 2011 Holiday Open Invitational, where she placed third among a thick tide of the best local competition. Peyton is also the current Race Swami record-holder.
Girls 11-12 50 yard breastroke:
Blaire McDowell is nine one-hundredths of a second away from being a Far Westerns qualifier with her time of 35.68. She is currently the sixth fastest in the state, and she holds the Race Swami team record. As an eight-year-old, Blaire made Top 16 in this event; that summer, she finished 6th at the Long Course Championships. Since then, she placed in the Top 3 three times in a row. Her legacy shall continue at the 2012 Utah Junior Olympic Championships due to her hard work and talent.
Boys 10-UN 200 yard Individual Medley:
The fans are in for a surprise this year, as Zerin Wolfgramm is attacking the 200 IM with his time of 3:08.20. Expect the unexpected, spectators. Although the top swimmers in this event all have at least one major weak link, Zerin is strong in every stroke. The Race Swami Mystery Writer has no doubt that he will demolish his time and finish on top.
Girls 11-12 200 yard Individual Medley:
The girl who made the swimming world stand on end with her ground-breaking swim last summer is back for more. Blaire McDowell is entered with a time of 2:31.70; she is seeded 7th. However, Baconator isn’t one to let the psych sheet determine the score. At the 2011 Long Course State Championships, Blaire was seeded 2nd going into finals. By the middle of the breastrokes leg, however, her competitor was already two body-lengths ahead. That didn’t stop this meat lover, who decided to power home in the last 60 meters with seemingly inhuman speed.
Girls 11-12 200 yard backstroke:
Whether you call her “the one who always beats everyone in backstroke”, “the really nice girl with the awesome hair”, or just “Fane”, you can’t deny that she is a poised competitor who always finishes with a smile. That’s Fanetapou Wolfgramm for you, the 10th seed in the 200 yard backstroke who has an impressive time of 2:28.87. But who really cares about the entry times, anyway? We all know Fane is going to blow her personal best to pieces. Just look at her results from last summer’s state championships; she dropped 6.4 seconds in her 200 backstroke.
