The Terra Linda Orcas visited the Sleepy Hollow Sea Lions pool this past weekend in San Anselmo and received their annual drubbing at the feet and flippers of the defending Marin Swim League champions.
Despite a lopsided final score of 408 to 144, there were plenty of reasons to be happy with the performance, including another record breaking swim by an Orca in another team's pool. This week Alex Farbman broke the Sea Lion’s pool record in the 15 to 18 boys butterfly that had previously been set in 2005. There’s nothing like beating a host pool record, especially when the majority of the team is getting overwhelmed.
The 15 to 18 swimmers have really had a great year, and Farbman’s new record is only part of it. When not breaking records, the high school swimmers have consistently beat the best the other teams have had to offer. A lot of this can be attributed to the jobs Tim Baker has been doing as the Orca and Terra Linda High School head coach. Baker has now been working with these swimmers for several years and they have certainly blossomed under his direction.
Among the younger swimmers one who has really come on fast and strong is 7-year-old Thalia Yamini. She recently became the fastest Orca 8 and Under Girl for the breaststroke, taking the place of my own daughter Sabrina. This past meet she missed an All Star time in the breaststroke by a microscopic, practically immeasurable .01. Yamini is only .21 off an All Star time in the freestyle and is less than two seconds from making it in the butterfly. At age 7, she’s already making an impact in the program and she still has a year to swim in her current age category, so next year look for her to rule the pool.
Emma Keith Brown is also an 8 and Under Girl who has done consistently well this season. Against Sleepy Hollow she swam away with two first places and a third. Brown is following in the footsteps of her older sister Sophie who managed two third places against the typically dominant 9 and 10 Girl Sea Lions in the only two heats she swam.
My own daughters had a tough time in Sleepy Hollow. Sabrina’s highlight was a best time in the IM by two seconds, which was good enough to place her a third place. With one weekend left to qualify for the All Stars it looks like unfortunately Sabrina’s not going to make it to the All Stars in any of her strokes as she has been close in her times but she’ll only be able to practice a little if at all this week. All Star performances are nice, but not getting them is not a problem. The kids are getting exercise, they’re having fun practicing and competing, so All Star times are simply a bonus.
My older daughter Skylee got two fourth places in both IM and breaststroke. The Sea Lions are a great team and their 9 and 10 Girls are very fast. I know both my daughters gave it their best shots so I’m very proud of them, regardless of where they finished their heats. There’s still a month left in the season, and anything can still happen, including a great Orca finish!
