Fort Lauderdale, FL—One year ago, Fort Lauderdale Aquatics celebrated its highest ranking in team history at the Speedo Champions Series meet with its first top-5 finish. This year, the team did one better. With the fourth Place overall team trophy this past weekend, FLA swimmers are getting closer to the coveted “podium” spots of first, second, and third. Last year, while securing the team’s 5th place finish, they were still a very distant 490 points out of the top 3. This year, that margin was cut more than half, to a respectable 218 points.

“We are getting closer,” said Head Coach Duffy Dillon after the time trials on Sunday night. “Our women have improved dramatically in a year, and our men are stepping up and making some finals that they didn’t make last year. I think Junior Olympics will go even better for us, because we weren’t fully tapered for sectionals. We will be for JO’s.”

The improvement on the women’s side that Coach Dillon was speaking of, may be largest reason why the team was better this year. The women were 8th place last year to the men’s fourth place. This year, however, the men were 5th and the women were 4th. That jump in placing, according to the coaching staff, was a key factor in the team’s final outcome. “Last year the men carried us, no question”, said Coach Ian Cross. “But this year, it was very even across the board. The men were great, and so were our women. It was an overall team accomplishment.” The women’s team scored 100 more points than a year ago.

Fort Lauderdale also had multiple event winners for the second Sectionals in a row, something that they had previously never done. The women’s relay team of Dawn Jason, Lauren Driscoll, Damaris Iriondo and Lorna Smith combined to upset favorites Bluefish and Pine Crest in the 800 Freestyle relay. Driscoll also won the 400 meter freestyle, and was the only woman under 4:20 in that event.

The Men’s relay teams combine for 5 out of 5 top 7 finishes, showing range across the board not only in sprint races, but distance freestyle and medley relays as well. Coach Dillon is optimistic about the boy’s team. “We were without two of our best sprinters, and teams can either step up in the absence of a couple of their leaders, or quit. We stepped up. We also get our guys back this weekend, which will help out too.” Coach Dillon is talking about Adam Hosko and Sam James, the team’s two Aussie imports who could not be attached to the team until this coming week because of competing at Australian Olympic Trials for their respective home clubs 4 months ago.

It was a true team victory last weekend. A total of 9 women helped score points for the team, either in individual events, or on relays. Lauren Driscoll, Damaris Iriondo, Dawn Jason, Lauren Cuervo, and Lorna Smith all scored in individual AND relay events. Kelley Schwantes, Diedre Milano, Meaghan Bresnahan and Caylin Drews all had relay points scored for FLA.

On the men’s side, Hibai Iriondo, Leo Rodriguez, Ross Johnston, Kyle Goodfellow, Dameon Nicholas, Luis Galvan-Sarabia and Dan Pilbrow scored individual event points. Hunter Cwalinski, Craig Purnell, Jordan Taylor and Roger Powell all scored on relays, to bring the tally to 12 men who scored for FLA. The total combined swimmers who scored points for the team was 21.

Other Notables: Meagan Bresnahan, the Cardinal Gibbons class of 2008 valedictorian, made her first ever Sectional Final in the 200 Breast…..Hibai Iriondo dropped over 50 seconds in the 1500 free……Eric Frey and Hunter Cwalinski dropped 2 full seconds in the 100 Fly….Lance Rutkin was the youngest male competitor in the meet at just a shade over 13 yrs…..Ryan Rosenbaum and Tex Widmer had 100% best times……Molly Bresnahan, Kelley Yakymiw and Sam Basch all made a JO cut on Saturday night in Time trials.