 | | | Girls 13-14 50 yard butterfly
| | | | | | If you heard splashing and team chants in Lafayette this weekend, chances are you heard the second annual Lafayette Swim Conference. This year, the event hosted 1080 swimmers age 4-18 and over 300 volunteers at the Heaston Aquatic Center at Acalanes High School.
Rancho Colorados, Sun Valley, Oakwood, LMYA, Springbrook and the newest member, Pleasant Hill Dolfins, gathered to enjoy some friendly competition.
"This event focuses on participation more than competition, including kids of all abilities to discourage the 'cut-throat' mentality of sports," said Anders Thornson, who serves on the Meet Committee. "A lot of these kids go to school together so they all root for each other even if they're not on the same team."
The LSC Championship is at the end of the recreational swim season, which began in May. It serves as a qualifier for the Contra Costa County Championship Aug. 11-12.
Emily Gebhardt (12) of Springbrook, who has been swimming since she was 5 years old, began this season with the goal of qualifying for the County meet in all four strokes (or, five events, if you count her role in the 200 Freestyle relay, where she swam a 26:02).
She broke the fifth record of the weekend with her 28.55 time in the girls' 50-yard fly. She made the swim look fluid and effortless. "It was really close. I had to be really fast on the turn. But my dive was good, I had a fast break-out and I finished really fast," said Gephardt.
She achieved all her goals, today. Now, she hopes to come in first place in the 50-fly event at County. Gephardt's drive-- and her incredible achievements-- are what this swim conference is all about.
Jewel Roemer (11) of Sun Valley, the high-point winner of her age group, also astounded the crowd in the 50 backstroke with a time of 31:00.
Several relay teams broke records, too, including Springbrook's 9-10 girls' medley relay team and Springbrook's 6 & under boys' medley relay team, which finished in 2:13:23 and 1:17:87, respectively.
Over the course of the weekend, five individual records were broken and seven relay teams claimed record-worthy times.
Even with all the broken records, Springbrook's head coach Joe Natina said his biggest reward is "....seeing kids accomplish things they didn't think they could in an age of instant feedback. To see them realize they could do more than they thought they could is incredible."
"I swim because I love the water," said Grace Androinco (12) of Rancho Colorados who swam in the consolation final of the 50-yard breast stroke.
Lafayette Swim Conference Results
High Point Winners:
F 6 & under: Erin Alfaro, Rancho 62 pts
M 6 & under: Jon Mendelssohn, Rancho 72 pts
F 7-8 Elle Forscheler, Springbrook 69 pts
M 7-8 Jake Davis Springbrook 64 pts
F 9-10 Sophie Lurie, SVST, 72 pts
M 9-10 Owen Wardy Oakwood AC, 72 pts
F 11-12 Jewel Rowmer SVST, 69 pts
M 11-12 Jack Larsen Springbrook, 69 pts
F 13-14 Lucy Fellner, RC 72 pts
M 13-14 Sean McKenna SVST, 72 pts
F 15-18 Molly Quinn Springbrook 72 pts
M 15-18 Drew Pitcher Pleasant Hill, 69 pts
Teams:
1. Springbrook: 5,1330.5
2. Sun Valley: 3,397
3. Rancho Colorados: 3,301
4. LYMA 2878.5
5. Pleasant Hill Dolfins: 2241
6. Oakwood: 440
Individual Records broken:
1. Lucy Fellner RC (14): 50 Free OLD: 25;14, NEW: 24.99 (1990)
2. Lurie, Allie SVST (8) : 25 Breast: OLD 19.04, NEW: 18.84 (2005)
3. Wardy, Owen OAK (10): 50 Breast OLD: 37.57 NEW: 36.03 (1992)
4. Roemer, Jewel SVST (11) 100 IM OLD: 1;06:58 NEW: 106:55
5. Gebhardt, Emily SPBRK (12) 50 Fly OLD 28.56 NEW: 28.55
Relay Records Broken:
1. Springbrook Girls 9-10 200 Medley OLD record: 2:15:29 NEW: 2:13:23
Jessica Davis (10), Shelby Suppiger (10), Anna McCarthy (10) Caroline Schirmer (10)
2. Springbrook Girls 11-12 200 Medley OLD 2:02:80, NEW: 2:01:25
Kaitlyn Alli (11), Jackie Geannacopulos (12) Emily Gephardt (12), Stella Sowarby (12)
3. Pleasant Hill Girls 13-14 200 Medley OLD 1:58:17, NEW: 1:58:11
Kendelle Sullivan (14), Emiliy Farrell (13), Emily Adamson (14), Annie Farrell (13)
4. Springbrook Boys 6 & under 100 Freestyle Medley OLD 1:21:91 NEW 1:17:87
Gaetan Avicolli (6), Jace Carter (6), Tanner Gates (6), Brendan Miles (6)
5. Springbrook Girls 9-10 Freestyle Relay OLD: 1:59:97 NEW:1:59:20
Jessica Davis (10), Caroline Schirmer (10), Anna McCarthy (10), Shelby Suppiger (10)
6. Springbrook Girls 11-12 200 Freestyle Relay OLD: 1:50:75, NEW: 1:50:38
Emily Gephardt (12), Jackie Geannacopulos (12), Stella Sowarby (12), Kaitlyn Allio (11)
7. Springbrook Girls 13-14 200 Freestyle Relay OLD: 1:45:11, NEW 1:44:80
Veronica Marrone (14), Lauren Etnyre (14), Madison Stewart (14), Zoe Del Rosario (13)
Outstanding Relays:
1. Springbrook: 9-10 Girls: (Jessica Davis (10), Shelby Suppiger (10) , Anna McCarthy (10) and
Caroline Schimer (10) OLD 2:15:29, NEW: 2:13:23
2. Springbrook: 6 & Under Boys: (Gaetan Avicolli, (6), Jace Carter (6), Tanner Gates (6), Brendan
Miles (6) OLD 1:2191 NEW: 1:17:87
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA