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Aspen Speedos make history in Wisconsin

Dale Strode
The Aspen Times

The Aspen Speedos put the finishing touches on the club swimming season with an unprecedented team finish in the U.S. Swimming Sectionals in Wisconsin last weekend.

Bolstered by the scoring of Emma Cain, who lives in London and trains part of the year with the Speedos, the Aspen women swimmers finished tied for 12th – their best finish ever.

“This meet (one of 10 U.S. sectionals) is getting to the higher levels of swimming,” Aspen Speedos coach Gordon Gerson said of the open competition – no age divisions.



“All in all, this was a good meet for our team,” Gerson said. “I couldn’t be prouder of how the team is doing.”

Charlie Mechling started the sectional meet in style for the Speedos.




“She started the meet with a really nice swim in the 100 breast stroke,” Gerson said. “And she came in ninth.”

That’s a podium finish at the elite swim meet.

“Emma’s victory in the 200 breast stroke was a highlight for sure,” Gerson said of the sectional title won by Cain.

“She’s been coming here since she was 10 and swimming with us,” Gerson said.

She also finished second in the 100 breast with both right on Colorado-state record times.

Cain won the dazzling 200 in 2:14.93.

Her 100 time was 1:06.62.

Cain also was fourth in the 200 individual medley at Pleasant Prairie, Wis., in 2:05.44.

“She also took part in our 800 free relay along with Kennidy Quist, Charlie Mechling and Kelli Callahan,” Gerson said. “They came in ninth.”

Mechling, Callahan, Cain and Kelci Gerson teamed up for the Speedos to finish 13th in the 400 medley relay.

Mechling, in addition to the podium finish in the 100 breast, finished 15th in the 200 IM, 22nd in the 400 IM and 21st in the 200 backstroke.

“Kelli Callahan had a real nice meet,” Gerson said. “In the middle distance freestyle events, she improved dramatically.”

Callahan was 15th in the 200 free and 21st in 200 IM.

“Kelli’s best swim of the meet was in the time trial. She went 54:13.14 in the 500 free which is anew team record for us,” Gerson said.

Callahan, Mechling, Gerson and Quist also managed a 14th-place finish in the 400 free relay in Wisconsin.

“Kennidy (Quist) has gotten faster and faster at each meet,” Gerson said, adding that she is still recovering from illness. “She was a valuable contributor to those relays.”

Quist also finished 29th in the 500 free in 5:15.83.

She also was 29th in the 100 free.

“She had some really nice splits in the relays,” Gerson said.

“For me, the times (at sectionals) are incredibly impressive,” he said.

The Aspen Speedos will take a spring break and then start the new season.

Information is available at aspenspeedos.org.

dstrode@aspentimes.com

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