Brought to you by Spectrum Aquatics, a SwimSwam partner, our Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming series celebrates swimmers of every age and experience level with age group profiles of some recent results.
Juli Cavalcanti, 14, Planet Swim Aquatics (FL): Cavalcanti set four lifetime bests at the Southern Zone South Sectionals (LCM) in Plantation, Florida, highlighted by her swim in the 200 back. The Planet Swim Aquatics swimmer knocked three seconds off her best time in 2:20.92, ranking her 4th this season in the girls’ 13-14 age group. Cavalcanti also set bests in the 200 fly (2:23.34), 100 back (1:07.12) and 200 free (2:11.56), ranking her 4th, 12th and 14th in the age group this season, respectively.
Jayden Tsai, 13, Laker Swim (FL): Tsai was a standout at the Southern Zone South Sectionals (LCM), posting notable best times in six events. The 13-year-old won the ‘B’ final of the 200 fly in 2:08.12, more than five seconds under his best time coming into the meet (2:13.87), to rank 1st this season in the boys’ 13-14 age group despite being on the younger half of the age group. Tsai also set best times to rank 2nd this season for 13-14 boys in the 400 free (4:12.81), 50 fly (26.97) and 400 IM (4:40.20), while he also ranks 3rd in the 200 IM (2:11.41) and 4th in the 200 free (1:59.72).
Penelope Chao, 11, North Carolina Aquatic Club (NC): Chao was on fire at the North Carolina (NCS) Age Group Championships (SCY), winning six events and setting nine personal best times. Highlighting Chao’s performance was the 200 breast (2:26.05), 200 fly (2:11.70) and 400 IM (4:38.63), where she now ranks 1st this season among 11-year-old girls and in the top 10 in the 11-12 age group. She also moves to #2 for 11-year-olds in the 100 breast (1:08.82) and 200 IM (2:13.11), #3 in the 200 back (2:12.39) and 4th in the 50 breast (32.01).
Cullen Kelly, 12, Gold Medal Swim Club (AZ): Kelly set new best times in the 100 free and 100 fly at the GM Senior Dual Meet (SCY) two weeks ago in Scottsdale, moving up the age group rankings this season for 11-12 boys. The Gold Medal Swim Club product dropped from 51.90 to 51.31 in the 100 free to rank 15th in the age group this season, while he chipped 19 one-hundredths off his PB in the 100 fly, clocking 57.90 to rank 29th in the age group in 2024-25.
Reina Liu, 14, TAC Titans (NC): Liu was a force at the NCS Age Group Championships (SCY), winning seven events and setting four blistering personal best times. In the 50 free, Liu put up a time of 22.17 to launch herself into #4 all-time in the girls’ 13-14 age group. In the 200 free, she clocked 1:47.13 to move into a tie for 29th all-time. Her other best times came in the 100 IM (54.45) and 400 IM (4:12.14), with the 400 IM time ranking her 11th all-time in the 13-14 age group, with SwimMAC’s Karina Plaza having won the event at the meet in 4:12.12 to rank 10th all-time. Read more on Plaza’s meet here.
Charlie Russell, 14, Bolles School Sharks (FL): Russell set six best times at the Southern Zone South Sectionals (LCM), notably ripping a pair of blistering times in the breaststroke events. In the 100 breast, Russell lowered his best time from 1:07.52 to 1:06.33, ranking him 53rd all-time in the boys’ 13-14 age group and 3rd this season. In the 200 breast, he dropped nearly three seconds in 2:24.91, ranking 98th all-time and 1st this season in the age group. The 14-year-old Bolles School Shark also set bests to rank 5th in the 13-14 age group this season in the 200 IM (2:12.52) and 6th in both the 400 free (4:14.45) and 400 IM (4:44.09).
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