Triton Blog

Swimming her last meet in the 11-12 girls division, Danielle Albright reestablishes three team records on day two of the Clovis meet this January. Danielle was among 35 TNT swimmers at the meet, and was our only record-breaking athlete as she set her first team record with the 1:09.48 in the 100 breaststroke to go under Mallory Korenwinder’s 1:09.56 that she set as the record while competing at Far Westerns in 2011. Danielle’s time now stands as the 54^th fastest nationally among girls of age 12. Her second record came in the 200 fly where her time of 2:21.74 was well under Kyle Walkers previous record of 2:23.97 set at the Tulare meet in 2014. This time ranks 118^th nationally. Her final record came in the 100 IM where her time of 1:02.85 once again fell under Mallory Korenwinder’s 1:03.57 that she swam at the Far Western meet in 2011. Danielle’s new record stands as the 44^th fastest nationally.

Our highest improvement rate goes to Hanford’s nine-year old Tegan Hunt who improved 80% of her times, the largest drops reflecting a 16-second improvement in the 100 free, and nearly a 13-second improvement in the 100 breaststroke events. Six additional swimmers improved 50% or more of their times, and these included Danielle Albright (75%), Gabriel Jett (71%), Caroline Mendyk (63%), Isabella Klawitter (60%), Sydnee Wilson (57%), and Laren Betancourt (50%).

Selma’s Sierra Jett returned from Junior Nationals and swam undefeated at the Clovis meet, winning all eight events she entered, and improving the 200 free (2:03.11), 400 IM (4:56.95) and 200 fly (2:19.06) events. Other event champions included: Danielle Albright (200 free, 100 breast, 200 fly & 100 IM), Nathan Hunt (200 breast), and Ava Olson (100 fly). Please welcome the following swimmers for posting their first short course times with the team: Alejandro Cardenas, Andres Cardenas, Larissa Castro, Kylee Curtis, Mikenna Curtis, Katherine Forbes, Emma Garrison, Colton Hunter, Ronnie Johnson, Edward Rodriquez, Lauryn Sotelo, Alejandro Soto-Guzman, and Alonso Soto-Guzman.

Our team of 29 swimmers traveled to Coronado Island in San Diego over the December 19-21 weekend, and came away as the 9th highest scoring team at the meet resulting from fourteen of our swimmers performing to a scoring position in their individual events, and led by Danielle Albright who scored a total of 134 points, and winning the 11-12 girls 100 freestyle (56.08), and also winning the 500 freestyle with a team record-performing swim of 5:17.45. She was nearly two seconds under her previous team record that she set at JO’s about ten months earlier, and her current time now stands as the 35th fastest nationally for girls of age 12. Danielle set two additional records, finishing 2nd with a time of 2:00.81 in the 200 freestyle, and bettering her previous swim from Far Westerns by over a second. Her time ranks 99th nationally. Her final record was in the 2nd place finish of the 50 breaststroke event where her time of 32.18 slid under Mallory Korenwinder’s 32.27 that she set at Far Westerns in 2011. Danielle’s time now stands as the 48th fastest nationally. Danielle also placed 3rd in the 400 IM (4:47.47), 3rd in the 200 breast (2:33.60), 4th in the 100 breast (1:10.71), and 6th in the 100 fly (1:04.06).

The next highest scorer was JD Koster with a pair of 3rd place finishes that included the 200 IM (2:07.60), and 200 fly (2:06.45) events. He also finished 4th in three events, and they included the 200 breast (2:17.59), 100 fly (56.47), and the 100 breaststroke event where his preliminary time of 1:02.31 fell just below Preston’s Niayesh’s team record of 1:02.34 that had been set at the Merced meet only two month earlier. JD’s new record stands as the 114th fastest nationally for boys at age 14. His final scoring swim was a 14th place finish in the 50 free (24.79).

Peyton Costa had his highest finish at 6th in the 400 IM with a time, and new team record, of 4:56.39, being the first 12-under male swimmer on the team to go under the 5 minute mark. Chris Nolan held the previous record as a 5:09.72 when he swam the event at the San Luis Obispo meet back in 2008. The time stands as the 192nd ranked time for 12-year old boys. He also had a pair of 10th place finishes that included the 100 back (1:05.40), and 200 fly event where he once again set a new team record, this time swimming under his own 2:28.39 that he swam at the Tulare meet a month earlier. His current record of 2:26.51 now stands as the 260th ranked time nationally. Peyton also had a pair of 13th place finishes that included the 50 breast (34.82), and the 200 back (2:26.27) events, the 200 back again swimming under the current team record. His final scoring swim was the 16th place finish in the 100 fly (1:07.53).

Peyton’s record-breaking swim in the 200 backstroke was surpassed by Visalia’s Benjamin Wheeler whose time of 2:25.29 in the event was also under the team record that Peyton Costa had set in a time trial event at a Fresno meet in January of this year as a 2:27.79. Benjamin’s new team record currently ranks 493rd nationally for boys of age 12, and was the 11th place scoring finish at the Age Group Championships.

Visalia’s Layla Flores was another multi-event scoring swimmer, earning a 9th place finish in the 50 back (31.67), and 50 breast (35.28). She had an 11th place finish in the 100 breast (1:15.18), and a pair of 12th place finishes that included the 200 breast (2:45.29), and 100 back (1:08.46) events. Swimming her first Winter Age Group Championship meet, Katherine Mendyk scored in two events that included an 8th place finish in the 200 breaststroke (2:35.89), while also scoring with a 14th place finish in the 100 breaststroke (1:12.72). Swimmers age 10 and under only score in the top eight places, and nine year old Alexa Wong did just that by finishing 6th in the 100 back (1:15.64), and was one of only three TNT swimmers to improve 100% of their times. Selma’s Jackson Huckabay, also competing on the bottom of the age group at 13, had a pair of scoring swims that included an 11th place finish in the 500 free (5:21.65), and a 16th place finish in the 400 IM (4:46.95). Porterville’s Diego Gutierrez earned a pair of scoring swims, his highest finish being 14th in the 50 breast (35.13), followed by a 16th place finish in the 50 free (26.70). Hanford’s Rylee Lord also paired up scoring swims, her highest finish being 15th in the 50 free (27.97), and also finishing 16th in the 200 free (2:15.33). Our only other swimmer to double up scoring swims was Selma’s Wyatt Ward who finished 16th in both the 100 breast (1:11.44), and 200 breast (2:40.01) events. Making his first appearance at an Age Group Championship meet, and finishing 16th in the 50 breaststroke (35.71) was Hanford’s Dylan Hunt, who was one of only three swimmers to improve 100% of their times. Gage Price was another 100% improvement swimmer, and he scored by placing 16th in the 500 free (5:51.42) while competing at the bottom of the 11-12 age division. Our final scoring swimmer also achieved the feat while on the bottom of the age division. Thirteen year old Katherine Sullivan finished 16th in the 200 fly with a time of 2:23.09.
Also competing at the meet, along with their strongest place, included: Libby Adriaansen (30th in the 100 breast – 1:18.68), Ella Bettencourt (23rd in the 50 breast – 44.59), Ciara Clarke (20th in the 50 back – 37.54), Tristan Gaines (21st in the 1650 free – 18:28.57), Isaac Gutierrez (34th in the 100 breast – 1:18.70), Xavier Guterrez (21st in the 200 breast – 2:57.28), Daniel Haley (29th in the 200 back – 2:47.30), Jacqui Koster (24th in the 500 free – 5:36.05), Genoveve Mcilwaine (41st in the 50 breast – 40.25), Caroline Mendyk (12th in the 100 breast – 1:32.61), Ava Olson (9th in the 100 breast – 1:29.06), Emma Pena (17th in the 50 free – 26.22), Micah Ruiz (21st in the 100 back – 59.73), Bryan Wong (18th in the 100 breast – 1:19.39), and Bryce Wong (18th in the 100 breast – 1:12.18).

Should a meet be measured by milestones achieved, Selma’s Sierra Jett made sure there’s no question that her meet was a success. Attending her first USA Swimming Junior National competition, Sierra maintained a 100% time improvement, her largest drop being nearly a full second in the 100 yard butterfly. In fact, Sierra swam the 50 freestyle three times at the meet, and swam under her pre-existing time during all three swims. Her swim-off time of 23.22 was enough to earn a second swim at the meet where she placed 20^th. Her time is one of three new team records she set, swimming under the 23.59 that she had previously set as a team record while competing at the NASA Junior National meet back in March, and with a time that now stands as the 19^thfastest nationally for female swimmers at age 17. Sierra also broke her own 100 freestyle team record where her time of 51.27 was a quarter second under her previous record of 51.52 that she set at the Clovis meet in February. This time stands as the 66^th fastest nationally. Her final team record was in the 100 butterfly where her nearly one second drop to a 56.31 was a half second under Mallory Korenwinder’s 56.80 that she swam at Sectionals in January of 2014. Sierra’s new record 90^th nationally.

Mallory Korenwinder returned to short course Junior Nationals after competing at Nationals the previous week, and improved her 100 fly time to a 56.67. Her highest place was 26^th in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.39).

Collegiate “Early signing” takes place during the month of November for the sport of swimming, and Tule Nation Tritons has three athletes who had participated in this annual event. Two swimmers have signed their National Letter of Intent (NLI) to schools outside of the state, with Selma’s Sierra Jett contracted now to compete for the Auburn War Eagles this upcoming spring. Sierra is a USA Swimming Junior National qualifier, achieving the standard this past summer while competing at the Futures meet in Oregon. She will travel with Coach Gary Ota, and teammate Mallory Korenwinder, this next month to compete at the Winter Junior National meet in Austin, Texas.

Mallory Korenwinder has now officially singed to the University of Arizona where she will become a Wildcat this upcoming spring. Mallory had qualified for, and competed at her first USA Swimming National meet this past summer, and will be traveling next month to both Federal Way, Washington, and Austin, Texas where she will be competing at both the Winter Nationals and Winter Junior National meets respectively. Mallory is two-one hundredths of a second off of next summer’s Olympic Trial cut.

Our third signee is Tulare Western senior, Khloe McCarthy, who has chosen to stay in state, and signed on to compete for the University of Pepperdine, and will become one of the Waves this coming spring. Khloe is a Futures qualifier from this past summer, and has competed at the Sectional level throughout her high school swimming career, and will be traveling to East LA to compete at Sectionals this next month. Khloe is also a high school State qualifier.

Of 93 TNT swimmers who attended the Tulare meet over the first weekend of November, only one swimmer set new team records, and did so in two events. Peyton Costa left the 10-under short course team record board by setting eight of the twelve records – leaving only four untouched, and is now making his mark in the 11-12 division, and starts by setting a new team record in the 1000 freestyle with a time of 11:41.41 which falls under Jackson Huckabay’s 11:54.34 record that was set at the Selma meet last year. Peyton’s time currently stands as the 74^th fastest in the nation for boys at age 12. His second record resulted from the 2:28.39 in the 200 butterfly event, and this time slid under the 2:28.94 that Chris Nolan had set at the very same pool in October of 2008 – a notable feat considering that Chris Nolan went on the qualify for the 2016 Olympic Trials in this very event. Peyton’s time stands as the 149^th fastest nationally.

Peyton was also one of fifteen TNT swimmers to improve 100% of their times at the meet. Congratulations to: Abigail Baker, Tomas Contreras, Toby Jones, Rylee Lord, Corinne Maxfield, Sofia Mora, Joseph Oliveira, Jade Perez, Seiji Shinkawa, Katie Tikkanen, Luke Vanwoudenberg, Maryn Vanwoudenberg, Bryan Wong, and Jenna Yeates for their perfect performance. Congratulations also goes to the following swimmers for competing in one or more events for the very first time: Libby Adriaansen (200 free), Allie Benegar (200 free), Bridget Benegar (200 free), Ella Betancourt (50 free & 100 IM), Lauren Betancourt (50 free & 100 breast), Jacob Chambers (50 back, 50 free, 100 IM & 50 breast), Aidan Champagne (200 free), Duncan Champagne (200 IM & 100 back), Gabriella Cox (50 free & 100 free), Laney Cox (50 fly, 50 back & 50 free), Shannell Flores (50 free & 50 back), Gabriel Jett (100 breast), Drew Johnston (200 IM), Sydney King (200 free), Jakob Koorey (1000 free), Corinne Maxfield (200 free), Jeffrey Mcphetridge (50 free), Tara Oliveira (50 free), Gage Price (200 back), Ceca Quintero-Munoz (100 IM & 50 breast), Alex Roberts (200 breast), Seiji Shinkawa (100 fly), Shoji Shinkawa (200 free), Daniel Thompson (100 breast), Katie Tikkanen (100 back & 50 breast), Maryn Vanwoudenberg (50 back & 100 breast), Davis Ward (200 IM), Sydnee Wilson (200 IM), and Alexa Wong (500 free).

At a meet with over 300 competitors, two of our swimmers remained undefeated, winning all events they had entered. Nine year old Sienna Abernathy took home the gold in the 7-8 200 free (2:51.37), 50 free (33.90), 100 IM(1:30.95),  50 breast (48.12), 50 back (41.94), 50 fly (37.72) and 100 free (1:17.62) events, while five year old Logan Huckabay won both the 6-under 50 free (59.09) and 6-under 25 back (37.42) events. Our other event champions included: 11-12 Danielle Albright (400 IM, 200 breast, 1000 free, 100 IM, 50 breast & 500 free), 13-14 Janessa Bringe (1000 free), 6-under Ciena Clarke (25 back), 15-over Morgan Coddington (200 free, 400 IM, 200 breast & 200 IM), 11-12 Peyton Costa (400 IM, 50 back, 1000 free, 200 fly & 50 breast), 11-12 Layla Flores (200 back), 15-over Jonas Huckabay (500 free), 7-8 Lucas Huckabay (50 free, 25 fly, 100 IM, 25 back, 50 fly & 25 free), 11-12 Toby Jones (200 IM & 100 IM), 7-8 Tanner Kelm (50 breast), 15-over Jakob Koorey (400 IM & 1000 free), 11-12 Rylee Lord (100 fly & 50 free), 13-14 Katherine Mendyk (200 free, 200 breast & 50 free), 9-10 Ava Olson (100 fly), 11-12 Gage Price (100 fly), 13-14 Alex Roberts (100 back & 200 back), 15-over Micah Ruiz (100 back & 200 back), 15-over Satoshi Shinkawa (200 IM), 13-14 Katherine Sullivan (200 IM), and 11-12 Benjamin Wheeler (200 back).