Channeling home-pool advantage, the Morgan Hill Makos turned a
second consecutive solid weekend in the Spring Long Course C/B/A
Meet held April 30-May 2 at the Aquatics Center
MORGAN HILL — Channeling home-pool advantage, the Morgan Hill Makos turned a second consecutive solid weekend in the Spring Long Course C/B/A Meet held April 30-May 2 at the Aquatics Center.
Times were fast, and the event ran smoothly as 48 Makos competed among roughly 600 swimmers from Pacific Swimming teams.
The Morgan Hill group continued its trend of clocking more new ‘A’ times than ‘B’ times. The final tally was 16-10, not counting Junior Olympic or Far Western standards — and there were plenty of those as well. The Makos’ results are very promising for this early in the season.
Alyssa Greymont enjoyed a perfect meet with nine personal-record times in as many events. The 12-year-old dropped more than a minute in the 400-meter individual medley, breaking six minutes in the event, shaved off 29 seconds in the 200-meter breaststroke, tore away seven seconds in the 100-meter backstroke, improved by more than three minutes in the 800-meter freestyle, took off 10 seconds in the 100-meter freestyle and removed about a minute in the 400-meter freestyle.
Greymont earned Junior Olympic or ‘A’ times in each of those events. She also dropped close to seven minutes in the 1,500-meter freestyle, meeting ‘A’, Junior Olympic and Far Western standards.
Teammate Abbey Pfefferlen, 12, also enjoyed a near-perfect meet with nine PRs in 10 swims. She improved by almost seven seconds in the 200- and 100-meter breaststroke to qualify for her first trip to the Junior Olympics.
Pfefferlen has swum for the Makos for a little more than a year now, and her hard work is starting to pay off.
Lauren Akin, also 12-years-old, swam to Junior Olympic times in the 100 backstroke and 800 freestyle.
Tanner Fry, 11, dropped more than two minutes in the 1,500 freestyle in a solid swim that also met a Junior Olympic standard. Fry added a new ‘A’ time in the 50-meter freestyle.
Kaitlin Rooney, 10, earned large drops in the 200-meter individual medley and 400 freestyle, clocking Junior Olympic times in both, to go with a new ‘A’ time in the 50-meter breaststroke.
Kenisha Johnson, 12, improved in each of her swims. Along the way, she set new ‘A’ times in the 1,500 free and 200 breast.
Hannah Pfefferlen, 8, also scored new ‘A’ standards in the 50 and 100 free, and 9-year-old Brandon Pride did the same in the 200 IM, 100 back and 50 free. Pride added a new ‘B’ time in the 50 breast. Omar Insignares, 9, continued to improve with new ‘A’ marks in the 100 free and 50-meter backstroke. Bailey Chan, 8, also earned a new ‘A’ time in the 50 back.
Ricki Cruz, 11, shaved off more than four minutes in the 1,500 free to snag a new ‘A’ time. Anna Deacon raced to a new ‘A’ standard in the 200 IM, and Zach Greymont, 14, met a new ‘A’ time in the 200 free, plus a new ‘B’ time in the 200-meter butterfly.
Michelle Pham, 14, took off almost nine seconds in the 100 free, posting an ‘A’ time in the event. Connor Tran, 10, upgraded his ‘C’ time to an ‘A’ in the 800 free.
Nicole Critzer, 8, clocked a new ‘B’ time in her first long course 50-meter butterfly. Owen Fry, 9, broke two minutes and earned a new ‘B’ time in the 100 back. Tim Ponomarenko, 12, swam well in the 50 back, earning a new ‘B’ time, and Bryn Rasmussen, 8, garnered a ‘B’ standard in the 100 free.
Felix Sjolund, 12, recorded a new ‘B’ time in the 50 breast, Cassie Tran, 13, did the same in the 800 free, and Jenna Stockman reeled off ‘B’ times in the 50 fly and 100 free.
The Makos set PRs in 90 percent of their swims, placed in the top three in nine disciplines and won several close exciting races. There is plenty more to come, and they look forward to it.
