Eighty-four TNT swimmers competed at the second long course meet hosted by TNT at the Reedley long course pool, this time in the rain and cold for day one, over the last weekend of April. Despite the weather, seven of our swimmers were still able to maintain a 100% improvement rate. These perfect performances came from Isaac Gutierrez of Porterville who improved four of four events, Emma Pena who improved six of six, Seiji Shinkawa of Selma who improved three of three, his brother Shoji Shinkawa who improved two of two, and three siblings who reside in Coalinga: Blake Wong who improved five of five, brother Brett Wong who improved two of two, and their brother Bryce Wong who improved four of four.
An additional 21 swimmers improved 50% or more of their times, and they include: Danielle Albright (88%), Ava Olson (83%), Lucas Huckabay (75%), Alexa Wong (75%), Tomas Contreras (71%), Maya Herrera (71%), Allie Benegar (67%), Noah Haworth (67%), Ashley Olson (67%), Nicholas Vassylenko (67%), Gage Price (63%), Corinne Maxfield (60%), Satoshi Shinkawa (60%), Bryan Wong (60%), Dylan Hunt (57%), Isabel Burrough (50%), Paige Coddington (50%), Jillian Gaines (50%), Diego Gutierrez (50%), Garrison Price (50%), and Maryn Vanwoudenberg (50%).
Sixteen additional swimmers competed in the Olympic length course (50 meters) for their very first time. Congratulations to the following for posting their first long course times with the team: Alondra Arroyo-Rico (age 10), Ella Bettencourt (9), Emma Bettencourt (9), John Cemo (10), Emma Jiminez (10), Drew Johnston (9), Isabella Klawitter (9), Amanda Lawrence (11), Olivia Machado (8), Adelyne Merritt (8), Ethan Merritt (11), Lawrence Noelle (13), Jacquelyn Oliveira (9), Joseph Oliveira (12), Emma Pullin (12), and Sydnee Wilson (9).
One team record was set at the meet as 12-year old Danielle Albright just returned from setting a new CCS record in the 1000 yard freestyle while competing at Far Westerns. Only two weeks later, she now sets a new team record in the 200 meter butterfly, swimming the event in a meter pool for the very first time. Her time of 2:46.62 slid under Janessa Bringe’s previous record of 2:47.14 that she had set at the Clovis Arena Grand Challenge meet in July of 2014. Danielle’s new record now stands as the 30th fastest time by any 12-year old girl in the nation.
Four of our swimmers swam undefeated at the meet in Reedley, and these included 8-year old Ella Bettencourt who won the 50 breast and 50 free events, 8-year old Adelyne Merritt who won the 50 breast, 100 back and 50 free events, 14-year old Satoshi Shinkawa swept six events that included the 100 fly, 100 back, 400 IM, 200 fly, 200 back and 200 IM, 8-year old Alexa Wong who won the 100 fly, 50 breast, 50 free, 100 free (consequently with a time that currently ranks her as the 4th fastest 8-year old girl in the country), 50 fly and 200 IM.