While 21 of our TNT swimmers competed at the June Age Group Invitational in Ventura where the temperature remained in the mid to high 70’s, twenty-four of our team members braved the blistering valley record-breaking temperatures that exceeded 110 degrees over the same third weekend of June, and our performance resulted in four event champions that were led by double winner, Preston Niayesh who was the first place finisher in both the 100 meter breaststroke (1:11.84) and 100 meter freestyle (56.91) where he posted his lifetime best by well over a second. Our remaining event champions included Danielle Albright who won the 13-over 200 IM (2:37.01), JD Koster who won the 13-over 100 backstroke (1:08.26), and Caroline Mendyk who won the 11-12 girls 50 meter breaststroke (43.63).
Despite the heat, our team still managed to maintain an improvement rate of 48% which was led by Visalia’s Daniel Haley who entered six events and improved all six. He was followed by three other swimmers who improved 100% of their times, and these included JD Koster (4 out of 4), Mackenzie Sepeda (2 of 2), and Visalia’s Luke Vanwoudenberg (2 of 2). Other swimmers who maintained an improvement percentage at or above 50% included Ethan Enquist (75%), Selma’s Chesney Watson (75%), Raquel Mecum (67%), Caroline Mendyk (63%), Lemoore’s Michelle Murphy (57%), Jillian Gaines (50%), Visalia’s Tyson Phillips (50%), Visalia’s Maryn Vanwoudenberg (50%), and Selma’s Kylie Walker (50%).