Despite relatively low team improvement percentages, 12-year old Kyle Grissom training in Visalia still managed to break a team record in the 50 meter butterfly event while at the Western Zone Championships held in San Jose during the week of August 10-14. Kyles time of 30.51 was over a tenth of a second faster than the previous team record that he had set while at the Age Group Invitational in Ventura two months earlier. Kyle also became a finalist during his first Western Zone meet in that event, placing 6th among teams representing states such as Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii and Washington to name a few.
Only two additional TNT swimmers of our eight earned a second swim while at the meet. Twelve-year-old Mallory Korenwinder earned a second swim in the 100 meter breaststroke, finishing 6th with a time of 1:22.73. This is Mallorys third consecutive Western Zone appearance. Veteran Western Zone swimmer Christopher Nolan competed in the 200 meter butterfly event where he earned a second swim with a lifetime best of 2:22.54 during the preliminary heats. Fourteen-year-old Christopher finished 7th in that event.
Time improvements were led by those who improved two of their events while at the meet. This includes Kyle Grissom who improved both his 100 freestyle during a lead-off swim in the relay (1:06.43) and his 50 butterfly (30.51), Dax Korenwinder who maintained the largest improvement of over 9 seconds in his 200 IM (3:06.15) and also improved his 50 backstroke while leading off the boys medley relay (42.23), Preston Niayesh who improved both his 50 butterfly (41.62) and his 100 freestyle (1:24.37), and Christopher Nolan who improved his 200 butterfly (2:22.54) and 800 freestyle (9:42.29). Additional fastest times came from Owen Ansel (31.50 in the 50 freestyle) and Mallory Korenwinder (37.50 in the 50 backstroke).
Congratulations to all eight TNT swimmers who competed at the meet including Owen Ansel, Parker Giles, Kyle Grissom, Dax Korenwinder, Mallory Korenwinder, Khloe McCarthy, Preston Niayesh and Christopher Nolan.