Ten athletes from the Morgan Hill Swim Club helped the team to a
Top 20 placing at the Pacific Swimming Junior Olympics championship
meet held in Pacifica Dec. 3-5. More than 650 swimmers from 66
teams throughout Northern California competed, with AA-ranked times
or better required to qualify. The Morgan Hill swimmers recorded
78-percent lifetime-best swims and broke eight team records in the
process.
Ten athletes from the Morgan Hill Swim Club helped the team to a Top 20 placing at the Pacific Swimming Junior Olympics championship meet held in Pacifica Dec. 3-5.
More than 650 swimmers from 66 teams throughout Northern California competed, with AA-ranked times or better required to qualify.
The Morgan Hill swimmers recorded 78-percent lifetime-best swims and broke eight team records in the process.
Kortney Kay led the 9/10-year-old girls, placing in the Top 20 in four events, including three “Q” times. She placed fourth in the 500 yard free with a new team record time of 6:26.86.
The 11/12 boys were represented by Danny Thompson, who had three Top 20 placings, including a 15th-place finish in the 50-yard backstroke, clocking in at 32.53.
Estelle Richardson and Katie Rick led the charge for the 11/12 girls.
Richardson placed 8th in the 1,000-yard free with a time of 12:12.15, and finished in the Top 30 in both the 200 and 500-yard freestyle events.
Rick had six Top 16 finishes, including five “Q” times. She set two new team records with a second-place finish in the 1,000-yard free at 11:37.56, and an 11th-place final of 5:16.08 in the 400-yard individual medley.
Four Morgan Hill swimmers qualified in the highly competitive 13/14 girls bracket.
Alisa Pinarbasi (27.42), Annemieke Kerstens (27.43), and Allie Finley (28.13) placed 55th, 56th, and 61st, respectively, in the 50 yard free.
Kerstens added a 29th place in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:15.81) and Pinarbasi raced to a 32nd in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 58.56.
They were joined by teammate Jessica Poon, who placed 40th in the 500-yard free (6:02.80) and 49th in the 200-yard individual medley (2:27.62).
Bringing it home for the Morgan Hill team was the 1-2 punch of Mike Wu and Steven Rick in the boys 13/14 division.
Wu was on fire all weekend, with five Top 8 finishes, including first place with a new team record and Pacific Reportable Time of 4:57.51 in the 500-yard freestyle.
Wu finished the weekend breaking three additional team records, including the 100-yard free (52.07), the 200-yard free (1:50.26), and the 1,000-yard free (10:23.57).
Not to be outdone, Rick broke a long-standing team record of his own with a seventh-place finals finish in the 200-yard breaststroke in a Pacific Reportable Time of 2:22.95.
He finished with four Top 20 places overall, including 9th in the 500-yard free with a “Q” Time of 5:07.73.
The Makos, the second oldest swim team in Santa Clara County, are in their 41st straight year of representing Morgan Hill in USA Swimming.
Coached by Edward Toatley, a nationally ranked level 5 ASCA coach, they are a two time repeat USA Swimming bronze medal team.
Swimmers of all abilities from ages 6 and up are encouraged to sign up and join the team Mondays through Fridays at 5:30pm at the Morgan Hill Aquatic Center.
For further information, call the team hotline at 782-0088.
