In our Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming series, we celebrate swimmers of every age and experience level with age group profiles of some recent results.
Aya Gillis-Pade, 13, Santa Clara Swim Club (PC): Gillis-Pade, who appears to have aged out of the 11-12 age group in recent days, went five-for-five in best times at the OAPB LC Senior Open last weekend, highlighted by her swim in the 1500 free. The Santa Clara Swim Club product put up a time of 17:53.20 to rank 43rd all-time in the girls’ 11-12 age group, knocking five seconds off her old PB set in March. She remains the only 11-12 female to have broken 18:00 this season. The now 13-year-old also swam a best of 2:25.43 in the 200 back, good for 98th all-time for 11-12s, and earlier in the month, went 1:06.66 in the 100 back for t-49th all-time. Her new PB of 1:00.83 in the 100 free also ranks 4th this season for 11-12s.
Keyon Usita, 12, La Mirada Armada (CA): Usita established a personal best of 2:41.26 in the 200 breast at the SCS/RMDA June Age Group Championships, moving him to #1 in the country this season for 11-12 boys and within two seconds of cracking the all-time top 100. Usita set lifetime bests in five other events at the competition, including wins in the 100 free (1:00.84), 50 breast (35.24) and 100 breast (1:16.46). In the 100 breast, he ranks 10th for 11-12s this season.
Rachel Ritter, 14, Sioux Falls Swim Team (SD): Ritter set lifetime bests in six events at the Aquajets’ Summer Spectacular last weekend at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center, notching Futures cuts in the 100 and 200 back. The 14-year-old jumped to 85th all-time in the 13-14 age group in the 200 back (and 8th this season), lowering her best time by two seconds in 2:16.30, and in the 100 back, she broke 1:04 for the first time in 1:03.95, good for 11th in the age group this season. In the 200 IM, her clocking of 2:22.19 ranks her 13th this season for 13-14 girls, improving on her previous PB by more than four seconds.
Christian Guettler, 14, Saint Petersburg Aquatics (FL): Guettler has been on fire over the last month, setting numerous best times across the Speedo Sectionals in Ocala and SYS Shark Open. The headlining performance came at Sectionals, when Guettler put up a time of 52.37 in the 100 free to move into a tie for 16th all-time in the boys’ 13-14 age group and #2 this season. He also made an impact in the historical rankings in the 100 breast, clocking 1:06.76 for t-76 all-time and 6th this season, and he also moved to the top 10 in 2023-24 in the 50 free (24.33), 200 free (1:56.80) and 200 breast (2:25.63)—and 11th in the 100 fly (57.61).
Iman Avdic, 16, Bosnia and Herzegovina: Avdic, a 16-year-old girl, won a staggering 16 gold medals at the Bosnian National Championships (LCM) in early June, notably hitting personal bests in the 50 fly (28.70), 100 fly (1:02.69) and 100 back (1:06.77). She was back in action a few weeks later at the European Championships in Belgrade, racing six events and making the final in the 400 free (8th) and the semis in the 200 fly (13th) and 200 IM (2:19.73).
Robert Legg, 8, Crow Canyon Sharks (PC): Legg broke Luka Mijatovic‘s Pacific Swimming LSC Record in the boys’ 8 & under 50 fly at the PC TIGR Long Course meet, posting a time of 34.36 to edge out Mijatovic’s mark of 34.54 set in 2108. Legg, a member of the Crow Canyon Sharks, ranks #1 in the country this season in the 50 fly for 8 & under boys, and he also holds the top spot in the 100 free (1:11.08). He also earned top-three national rankings in the 50 free, 100 back, 100 fly and 200 IM.
Wow!