Twelve-year-old Anya Littlefield earned her first state qualifying time at Swim Kaua‘i Aquatics’ first-ever meet Saturday. Littlefield, who got a taste of big competition by being part of the SKA traveling team competing in the recent Bill Smith Invitational, blazed
Twelve-year-old Anya Littlefield earned her first state qualifying time at Swim Kaua‘i Aquatics’ first-ever meet Saturday.
Littlefield, who got a taste of big competition by being part of the SKA traveling team competing in the recent Bill Smith Invitational, blazed through the 500 Free event at a 6:15.52 pace.
“Anya has come a very long way in a very short period of time,” said SKA co-head coach Greg Davis. “Her 500 Free time was a breakout swim for her. She now has A-plus times in all events.”
Davis said throughout the 500 yards, Littlefield’s teammates Ryann Linthicum and Alanna Reynolds pushed her on with cheers.
“Anya probably would not have made this cut without the help of them,” Davis said. “It was really great to see the girls pushing each other like that.”
Makalii Pratt, 11, was one of 11 SKA swimmers who finished by bettering four out of five of their times at the event.
Pratt was joined by Sophie Britzmann, Nina Albano, Nick Krueger, Jenny Lyon, Kate Machorek, Aaron Pigott, Hunter Rogers, Devin Williams, Kalena Wong and Littlefield.
Pratt’s strongest event was in the Male 12 Under 50 Breast, where he shaved off 3.33 seconds with his 49.12Y finish.
Five SKA swimmers also qualified for the Hawai‘i State Championships in Kona Dec. 15-18.
Littlefield, who shaved times off her 100 Free (1:05.66Y, -.73), 50 Free (30.02Y, -.28) and 100 Back (1:16.60Y, -.50), Ryann Linthicum, who earned a state qualifying time in the 50 Fly (32.41Y) at this event, and Mathew Ross, who blazed the way by earning two state qualifying times, will join Kiki Abrams and Jennifer Lyon as part of the SKA state-bound team.
At the O‘ahu meet, Mathew achieved state qualifying times for the first time, Davis said.
Additionally, Mathews shaved almost nine seconds off his previous time in the 200 Breast there and is only tenths of a second from a state time in that event, Davis said.
Mathew did not try for this event at the SKA meet, but instead, earned a qualifying time in the 100 Breast with a 1:11.35Y finish, a 1.69 improvement over his previous time. He also bettered his time in the 200 IM with a 2:16.07Y finish for a 1.18 improvement.
According to SKA Club Administrator Ro Davis, the meet featured a new, donated automatic timing system that interfaces with a computer meet-management system to produce official times and results quickly.
“We are really excited to bring this timing system online here. It is a great addition and it really expedited tabulation of results,” Ro Davis said. “The most exciting thing about using it was the reaction of all the kids. They really felt like the meet was especially important.”
The first SKA meet fielded 46 swimmers from 6 to 17 years old and was sanctioned by Hawai‘i Swimming and USA Swimming, states a press release from SKA.
Ro Davis attributes the overall success of the meet to many of the parents who were helping to set up with three weeks’ notice.
“This is a parent-run club, for the benefit of the kids, and it really showed,” Ro Davis said.
SKA will host its next sanctioned meet on Kaua‘i in February. Meanwhile, swimmers will be on O‘ahu Nov. 24 to 26, and at the state championships in Kona.
Davis said SKA membership enrollment is open and ongoing for both adults and children.
For more information, visit www.swimkauai.com, or call Davis at 742-8948.
