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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.
Arianna Wertheim, 17, Southwest Stars Swim Club (FL): Wertheim was a dominant force at the LBHS Patriot Invitational last weekend, sweeping her individual events and putting up several blistering relay legs for Boone High School. Wertheim set lifetime bests en route to winning the 100 fly (54.91) and 200 IM (2:02.18), and added PBs leading off the 200 free (23.67) and 400 free (51.53) relays. The Southwest Stars Swim Club product now ranks 1st this season for 17-year-old girls in the 100 fly and 200 IM, 2nd in the 50 free and 5th in the 100 free, with all but the 100 free under the Futures cut.
Ian Heysen, 17, Blue Dolfins (FL): Also racing at the Patriot Invitational, Heysen was on fire for Winter Park High School, establishing massive best times in the 200 free (1:38.84) and 100 breast (54.21). The 17-year-old broke 1:40 for the first time in the 200 free, with his previous best sitting at 1:40.32, and in the 100 breast he lopped off a full second, having previously been 55.20. He ranks #1 in the nation this season among 17-year-old boys in the 100 breast and #3 in the 200 free.
Blakely Hammel, 15, Episcopal AmberJax (FL): Hammel won the girls’ 50 free (23.35) and 500 free (4:55.94) at the Patriot Invitational, both in personal best fashion. Representing Jacksonville Episcopal High School, she had a pair of notable lead-offs on the 200 free relay (23.49/23.58), and was 30.81 for the top breast leg on the 200 medley relay. Hammel is the fastest 15-year-old so far this season in the 50 free and 2nd in the 500 free, and her 100 free performance from the Plapp Memorial Invite also her at #1.
Hanz Palattao, 12, Pleasanton Seahawks (PC): Palattao soared to best times in the 100 free (50.85), 100 breast (1:01.93) and 400 IM (4:18.60) at the WCAB Senior Open in Walnut Creek, Calif., to climb up the historical rankings in the boys’ 11-12 age group. Palattao now ranks 32nd all-time for 11-12 boys in the 100 breast and 33rd in the 400 IM, and in the 100 free, he’s #1 this season.
Makayla Hill, 12, Swim Florida (FL): Hill set personal best times in the 50 back (28.70) and the 100 breast (1:06.86) at the GCST Fall Invite in Fort Myers, Flor., and also put up a time of 25.01 in the 50 free—just shy of her personal best of 24.78. Early in the 2024-25 campaign, Hill takes over the #1 spot in the girls’ 11-12 age group in the 100 breast, 2nd in the 50 back and 4th in the 50 free.
Major Monroe, 11, Boulder City Henderson Heatwave (CA): Monroe put up lifetime bests in six events at the Team Rebel September Invite in Las Vegas, including noteworthy performances in the back and fly events. Monroe went 28.09 in the 50 back, ranking 2nd in the boys’ 11-12 age group this season, and although it was just shy of his best, went 1:01.42 in the 100 back to sit 2nd among 11-year-olds this season. He also ranks 1st in the 50 fly (27.08) and 3rd in the 100 fly (1:00.59) this season after his performances on the weekend.
