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Daniel Garcia. Photo courtesy Apuron Photography
The Sea Lions Swim Team competed against the Coolidge Dolphins at the Coolidge Pool on Saturday June 24. The best way to describe the meet was sizzling. Both teams swam very fast and contested every point. Even the weather was sizzling. And even though Coolidge had approximately 30 more swimmers, the Sea Lions won the meet 828-810. The score represented the closest finish between the teams in over a decade. Loud cheering accompanied every close race as both teams understood the importance of every single point. The Sea Lions win over their toughest opponent sets the team up to finish the 2017 dual meet season undefeated for the 11th consecutive year.
Coaches were very proud of the total team effort. Sea Lions swimmers gave it everything they had, and it took every Sea Lion at the meet swimming every event they could to secure the win. Anything less would have not been enough.
It was the two youngest Sea Lions Girls at the meet that came up with the some of the most improbable wins. Six year old Annie Nemons and seven year old Jocelyn Hudson were the only two Sea Lions swimmers on the Girls 8 and Under relay teams. They would each have to swim two legs of the relay against older, faster girls. In the Medley Relay, Jocelyn swam the Backstroke and Butterfly legs, while Annie swam the Breaststroke and Freestyle legs. They managed to swim 21 seconds faster than ever before and edged out Coolidge’s best relay team. Near the end of the meet, they stepped up and won the Freestyle Relay. As close as the final score was, if the Sea Lions did not win those two relays, Coolidge would have won the meet.
The Sea Lions were swimming so fast, that 9 team records fell at the meet. The 13-14 Girls Freestyle Relay team of Tabitha Kellam, Rianna Estrada and Star Chavez swam a time of 1:57.06 shattering the previous record (2:05.19, Gianna Sweeney, Darien Apuron, Jessi Rice set in 2015). The 13-14 Boys Medley Relay team of Riley Stewart, Evan Apuron, AJ Lopez, and Hunter Hill shaved more than a second off the previous record (held by the same 4 swimmers). Darien Apuron swam Butterfly in a time of 1:09.63 replacing Meghan Cook (1:10.6, 2011) as the team record holder in that 15-18 year old Girls event. Darien also improved her own Backstroke record to a time of 1:11.94. In a rare occurrence, two swimmers swam faster than the 13-14 Boys 100 Breaststroke (1:14.60), both Riley Stewart (1:13.50) and Evan Apuron (1:12.81) bettered the time. Evan also broke the 100 Freestyle record with a time 54.07 (previously held by Will Newman 57.21, 2014). Tabitha Kellam improved her 50 Freestyle record with a time of 26.85 and 200 Individual Medley (IM) record with a time of 2:28.56. Tabitha also became the first female in Sea Lions history to break 1 minute in the 100 Freestyle, swimming a time of 58.37 (previously held by Gianna Sweeney 1:00.98, 2015).
Hannah Smallhouse. Photo courtesy Apuron Photography
While a majority of Sea Lions swam best times in many events, only three Sea Lions swam all the events in their age group and achieved best times in every event. Hannah Smallhouse (13), Andres Valenzuela (15), and Daniel Garcia (16) achieved personal best times in every event.
Five Sea Lion Swimmers won all the events in their age group. Annie Nemons (6), Mason Stewart (11), Tabitha Kellam (13), Evan Apuron (14), and Darien Apuron (16) each won all of the events in their age group the meet.
The following swimmers had first place finishes on Saturday:
Annie Nemons, 6, (Fly, Back, Breast, Free, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Jocelyn Hudson, 7, (IM, 50 Free, Free, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Julie Ramirez, 10, (IM, Fly, Back, 100 Free, Free);
Martin Madrid, 10, (Free Relay);
Johnny Smallhouse, 10, (IM, Fly, 100 Free, Breast, Free, Free Relay);
Neveah Derrick. Photo courtesy Apuron Photography
Nevaeh Derrick, 11, (Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Joey Castellanos, 11, (Medley Relay);
Mason Stewart, 11, (IM, Fly, Back, 100 Free, Breast, Free, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Emerik Zovko, 11, (Free Relay);
Briana Castellanos, 12, (IM, Fly, Back, 100 Free, Free, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Robert Sanz-Anton, 12, (Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Rianna Estrada, 13, (Free Relay);
Hannah Smallhouse, 13, (Medley Relay);
Tabitha Kellam, 13, (IM, Fly, Back, 100 Free, Breast, Free, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Faith Ann Tippetts, 13, (Medley Relay);
AJ Lopez, 13, (Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Riley Stewart, 13, (Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Hunter Hill, 13, (Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Star Chavez, 14, (Free Relay);
Evan Apuron, 14, (IM, Fly, Back, 100 Free, Breast, Free, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Andres Valenzuela, 15, (IM, Fly, Back, 100 Free, Breast, Free);
Darien Apuron. Photo courtesy Apuron Photography
Darien Apuron, 16, (IM, Fly, Back, 100 Free, Breast, Free, Medley Relay, Free Relay);
Jessi Rice, 16, (Medley Relay, Free Relay).
D’Andre Silva (12) competed in his first meet as Sea Lions. D’Andre completed the Butterfly, Backstroke and Freestyle events. His strength and quick learning of the strokes make him a good addition to the 11-12 Boys age group.
Annie Nemons (6) was named Sea Lions Beast of the Week. She learned the racing start this week and used it in the meet. She won every race in her age group against some tough competition. She also swam the 100 IM and 50 Freestyle (against 7 and 8 year old girls) and did very well in them. She was part of both winning 8 and Under Girls Relays that helped the team win the meet.
The Sea Lions will host a meet in Mammoth against the Florence Sharks on Saturday, July 8.
There is still time to join the team – contact Alex or Wendy Gort 896-2190 or stop by the Mammoth Pool between 4 and 6 p.m. (Monday-Friday) for more information.
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