There’s something special about twins that seems to run deeper than just looks and personality.  GPAC’s Renee and William Henderson, 10, have a shared talent for breaststroke that helped each swimmer to capture a Southeastern Swimming title in the 50-yard race at the 2013 Southeastern Swimming Short Course Championships held in Nashville, TN February 21-24.  Their combined 180 points helped GPAC take tenth place overall with a team of 29.

Renee and William swam their races only minutes apart, each dominating the field and posting new GPAC team records, best times and ‘AAAA’ times!  Renee, already the team record holder, improved her time and reset the record.  William smashed the 22-year old record, setting his first team mark.  Later in the meet, both twins would finish second in the 100-yard breaststroke race as well.

“We are very proud of the way the team swam this weekend,” said Head Coach Philip Kraus.  “We brought a very talented team to the meet, and I think our placement shows this.  Congratulations to Renee and William on their victories.”

William went on to claim a title in the 100-yd individual medley, and placed second in the
200-yd IM, and finished seventh in the 50-yd freestyle.  Renee placed third in the 200-yd IM, and fourth in the 50-yd free and 100-yd IM.

Talent runs deep in the Hendersons, as big brother James Henderson, 12, had a phenomenal championship, making finals in five out of seven events.  James set new best times in six of his races, placing second in the 50-yd backstroke, third in the 100-yd IM, fourth in the 100-yd backstroke and 50-yd freestyle, and sixth in the 200-yd freestyle. He also posted new ‘AAA’ times in four events.

GPAC boasted several top-8 performances from across all age groups.  Braden Barkley, 10, placed sixth in the 200-yd free and eighth in the 100-yd backstroke.  Brooke Ferrara, 15, took fifth in the 100-yd free in a life-best time of 51.88, and placed eighth in the 100-yd backstroke, each a ‘AAAA’ time!  Jacquie Kinman, 16, placed eight in the 100-yd breaststroke.  Tatiana Oberley, 15, made her first final at Southeasterns in the 200-breaststroke, placing sixth.  Senior Caroline Page, in her final short course meet took fourth in the 100-yd backstroke and sixth in the 100-yd butterfly.  Walker Parra, 11, provided GPAC with points in the distance events, taking sixth in his 1000-yd freestyle debut.  Olivia Weekley rounded out the finalists, placing fourth in the 100-yd butterfly and eighth in the 200-yd butterfly, setting new Sectional cuts in the 200-yd fly and 100-yd freestyle.

GPAC also had several relays that placed and added to the point totals.  Ten-and-under boys free relay of Barkley, Henderson, Ethan Beaver and Noah Scoggins placed fifth, as did the medley relay of Barkley, Henderson, Beaver and Alex Atherton.  Boys relay of James Henderson, Cameron Jones, Walker Parra and Thomas Young placed fourth in the free relay and sixth in the medley.  Senior girls’ free relay of Ferrara, Kinman, Page and Brianna Mount took fourth, and medley relay of Ferrara, Kinman, Page and Weekley placed fifth.

Newly minted 13-year old Coulson Barfield, having just qualified at the “Last Chance” meet, posted best times in all three events (100 Bk, 50 Fr, 100 Fly) and made a new Age Group Sectional cut in the butterfly.  Anna Jordan Luth, 12, posted best times in all three of her events (50, 100 Br, 200 IM), as did Thomas Young, 12, in his five events (200 Fr, 50, 100 Br, 100, 200 IM).   Steffen Mount, 15, swam all life-best times in his five events (50, 100, 200 Fr, 100 Fly, 100 Bk) and posted new Senior Sectional cuts in the fly and back.

Several other swimmers posted new Sectional meet qualifying times: Ethan Beaver, 10 (50, 100 Br, 100 IM), Sophia Diagne, 14 (100 Fr), Cameron Jones, 11 (50, 100 Br, 100 Fr), Tatiana Oberley (100 Fr), Peyton Parra, 14 (100 Fly), Walker Parra (100, 200 IM), and Heidi Schellin (400 IM).