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Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Area 3/5 Championships
This past weekend, the Sarasota YMCA Sharks hosted the Area 3/5 Championships, a meet for swimmers with below JO cuts. Natalie swam in the senior girls division, as she has all her cuts except for the 500 free. Karl swam in the 6 events he did not have JO qualifying times.
Both had a good meet, with Karl taking off nearly 19 seconds in the 500 free (not his fav event), and Natalie clocking a 6:31.38 in the same event, garnering another JO cut, giving her 11 in total! On Saturday, Karl dropped nearly 13 seconds in the 200 free, swimming a 2:26.02 and finishing 7th. He also placed 2nd in the 200IM and 100 backstroke, the latter in 1:15.53, a new personal best. He ended the day with the 100 fly, placing 3rd with a time of 1:16.11, off his best but it came after a long day in the water!
Natalie had the unenviable task of swimming with girls 5-8 years older than her, but she more than held her own, placing 6th in the 100 breaststroke (1:24.88), and 6th in the 200IM, with a time of 2:36.80, an astounding drop of nearly 10 seconds! She then blasted across the pool in 30.27 to take 10th in the 50 free.
On Sunday, Karl finally broke 30 seconds in his 50 free, swimming a 29.74, good for 8th place. He followed that effort with a 34.09 in the 50 back (3rd place), and a 1:05.26 in the 100 free, nabbing 6th. Natalie swam a new personal best in the 100 back, going 1:15.65 and taking 5th place. She ended the day with a 1:06.69 in the 100 free. Yours truly worked all but 1 session, either as a Stroke & Turn official or manning the timing console. Cindy worked 3 sessions as a timer, getting up-close and personal with many Sharks swimmers! All in all, it was a fun meet to end the Short Course season!