Even though it is early in the season, many swimmers earned a time improvement in one or more event: Anna Pfeuffer, five, dropped more than 22 seconds in the 25 backstroke to swim a personal best. Sarah Proffitt and Jaya Debruhl each dropped about five seconds in the 9 – 10 girls 50 meter backstroke. Earlier in the night Debruhl also dropped more than 28 seconds in the freestyle to round out her improvements. Six-year-old Cole Owen dropped almost four seconds in the 25 breaststroke and scored points for his team in the eight and under event. For one six-year-old, dropping 4.22 seconds was more than just a time improvement: Jackson Hopkins swam a personal best in his 25 backstroke and achieved a gold time standard. A gold time standard is established by the Jefferson Swim League and represents a special milestone for swimmers in the JSL.
There were many more memorable moments besides all of the time improvements. Swimmers Addy McKnight and Rudy Garrett, both five, participated in three events each as the newest Makos to make a splash. Arianna Tosi and Zoe Dixon were several lanes apart in the 25 meter breaststroke but that did not deter them from displaying good sportsmanship by “air shaking hands” across the lanes. Finally, Coach Laurie Collins loved the fight of swimmers Jonah Solga and Ben Nalle in the 15 – 18 boys 100 meter freestyle. The swimmers finished first and second respectively to try and give the Makos the edge in the final events. Despite the effort, the Makos were unable to overcome the powerhouse team from Crozet. This gives FAST an 0 – 1 record in Division I. The team hopes to bounce back this week against Boar’s Head Swim Club (BHSC) at the Estes Aquatic Center on Wednesday night.
