Tule Nation Tritons fielded 58 athletes at the 2015 CCS Short Course Junior Olympics, the second largest team next to the 99 athletes of Clovis Swim Club, and placed a distant 2nd place accordingly. Clovis scored 3,784.5 points compared to TNT’s 2,450, the two leading the 36 teams that competed at the meet. Three Central California teams placed among the top 10 at the meet:
Thirty-five of our 58 swimmers contributed to the team total as a result of the individual event performance. These points were led by six TNT swimmers who scored in the triple digits with individual events alone. Twelve year old Danielle Albright scored 122 points, winning four of her seven events that included the 50 breast (32.50), 100 IM (1:03.76), 100 breast (1:10.60), and 200 IM (2:18.25). Danielle was also our only individual to set new team records at the meet, and she did this in the 500 free where her time of 5:19.21 went under Allyson Duffy’s 5:21.55 set four years earlier in 2011. Daniell’s time now stands as the 90th fastest nationally among all 12-year old girls. Danielle also set a new team record in the 200 free event by swimming 2:01.53, which was just over a second under Megan Eppler’s 2:02.51 set at Junior Olympics in 2004. This time ranks 195th nationally. Her final record resulted from her time of 2:18.25 in the 200 IM, and this time slid under Mallory Korenwinder’s 2:18.64 record that was set at Junior Olympics in 2011. Danielle is the 237th fastest 12-year old 200 IM swimmer in the nation.
Visalia swimmer, Skylar Ford contributed 177 points from individual events, being the event champion in both the 50 back (29.66) and 50 fly (28.01) events. Gage Price came in with the next highest point accumulation with 109, his highest finish was a 2nd place in the 200 freestyle (2:16.33) for the 11-12 boys division. Eight year old Alexa Wong was the event champion in both the 50 fly (35.26) and 100 IM (1:21.26) events, and she brought a total of 108 points to the team total. Selma swimmer Satoshi Shinkawa swam in the 13-14 boys division, and contributed 106 points, his highest finish being a 2nd place finish in the 100 fly (55.32). His training counterpart, Jackson Huckabay scored 101 points had his highest place as 3rd in the 500 free (5:17.56).
Other event champions included Selma swimmer, Olivia Garabedian who took home the gold in the 15-18 50 free (25.32), and 100 free (55.09) events, along with 14-year old Jonas Huckabay who won both the 13-14 1650 free (17:13.87) and 1000 free (10:24.01) events. Katie Sullivan was the event champion for the 11-12 girls 100 backstroke (1:04.38), while Selma swimmer Sydnee Wilson won the 8-under 50 breaststroke (43.78) event.
Twenty of our 58 swimmers maintained a 100% improvement rate at the meet, and these included Sienna Abernathy (age 8 improving 5 of 5 events), Danielle Albright (age 12 improving 9 of 9 when including relay lead-off swims), Abigail Baker (age 10 improving 6 of 6), Tristin Bennett (age 14 improving 2 of 2), Ella Bettencourt (age 9 improving 6 of 6), Dominic Colvin (age 10 improved 7 of 7), Jake Goodbar (age 14 improved 6 of 6), Xavier Gutierrez (age 11 improved 1 of 1), Jackson Huckabay (age 12 improved 7 of 7), Jonas Huckabay (age 14 improved 7 of 7), Mariah Oliveira (age 10 improved 7 of 7), Gage Price (age 10 improved 7 of 7), Katherine Sullivan (age 12 improved 7 of 7), Elizabeth Torres (age 11 improved 1 of 1), Aubrie Walker (age 12 improved 5 of 5), Wyatt Ward (age 13 improved 5 of 5), Alexa Wong (age 8 improved 6 of 6), Brett Wong (age 14 improved 2 of 2), Bryan Wong (age 10 improved 7 of 7), and Bryce Wong (age 12 improved 7 of 7).