Fifty-one TNT swimmers competed at the Gobbler Classic in San Luis Obispo during the weekend before Thanksgiving this year. This meet was the last chance to qualify for the Southern California Swimming Winter Age Group Invitational (AAs) to be held during the second weekend of next month in Cerritos. Twenty-three swimmers on our team had qualifying times going into the San Luis Obispo meet. Twenty-five swimmers now have qualifying times as a result of the final chance. Congratulations to:
Josh Avila 50 & 100 breast *Katherine Bristow 50, 100 & 200 free; 100 fly; 100 & 200 back, 100 & 200 breast, and 200 IM Greyson Cantebury 50 & 100 fly Jonathan Castello 50 & 100 free Wesley Coles 50, 100, 200, 500 & 1650 free; 100 fly; 100 breast; 200 & 400 IM Madison Ekizian 50 back; 50 breast Christopher Ewins 50, 100, 200 free; 50 fly; Ryan Ewins 200 back Erica Frees 100 fly Madison Gilbert 100 back Hannah Giles 50 free; 100 breast & 200 IM Jonathan Granada 50, 100 & 200 free; 50 & 100 fly; 50 & 100 back; 50 & 100 breast; 100 & 200 IM Alex Hansen 1650 free; 200 back Chris Hansen 50 & 100 breast *Sam Hansen 500, 1000 & 1650 free; 200 back; 100 & 200 breast; 200 & 400 IM Dax Korenwinder 50 breast Mallory Korenwinder 50, 100 & 200 free; 50 & 100 fly; 50 & 100 back; 50 & 100 breast; 100 & 200 IM Joshua Koster 50, 100 & 200 free; 50 & 100 fly; 50 back Khloe McCarthy 50, 100 & 200 free; 50 & 100 fly; 50 & 100 back; 50 & 100 breast; 100 & 200 IM Alexander Metzner 50 free Christopher Nolan 50, 100, 200 & 500 free; 50 & 100 fly; 50 & 100 breast and 200 IM AJ Reid 100 & 200 breast *Nathan Rhea 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 & 1650 free; 100 & 200 fly; 100 & 200 back; 100 & 200 breast; 200 & 400 IM *Joshua Tabers 50, 100 & 200 free; 100 fly; 100 & 200 back; 100 breast; 200 IM Ryan Wullschleger 100 fly
*Not expected to attend due to qualifying for Winter Invite on the following weekend
One level of success at the meet was seen by six team records either falling or being set by four different swimmers while at the meet. Both thirteen year old Alex Hansen and fourteen year old Wesley Coles swam significantly faster than the previous team record held by Micah Story in the 1650 free. Micah set the team record in the mile while competing at the College of the Canyons in 1989 with a 20:24.87. Alex Hansen swam 19:20.13 and Wesley Coles swam an 18:51.83 setting the new record.
Twelve year old Luke Gregory also broke the teams 11-12 200 yard backstroke record with his 2:42.03. This time former record holder Christopher Nolans 2:48.73. Christopher also swam faster than his pre-existing record by swimming 2:42.23, just shy of the newly established record.
Sixteen year old Sam Hansen has now set a record in the mile (1650) by swimming 17:18.88. Sam also currently holds the teams 800 meter freestyle record that he set at the Clovis Senior Q meet last summer.
Most of the team records that were broken over the weekend were established by twelve year old Christopher Nolan. Chris has now established a new team record in the 1650 free with a 19:52.44. He also broke his own team record in the 200 yard breaststroke event with a 2:48.74 and broke his own team record in the 400 IM with a 5:09.72. The 1650 free and the 400 IM are also both under the Far Western time standards.
Twenty nine of our swimmers had improved 50% or more of their times that had been previously recorded on our team. Out of events 50 yards and longer, this is over 60% of our team improved 50% or more of their times, with the bulk of them with 100% improvements. Our ten swimmers who improved 100% of their times included: Nicholas Butler, Greyson Canterbury, Wesley Coles, Jonathan Granada, Jill Jackson, Branson Kelly, Jacqui Koster, Josh Koster, Andrea Wullschleger and Phillip Wullschleger.
