Perhaps it was because it was his first event of the meet. Or perhaps it was the excitement of being selected to his first-ever Zone team representing Southeastern Swimming and GPAC. Either way, Walker Parra finished what was left over from his tremendous Southeastern Championships two weeks earlier to put his name in the GPAC record books for a fourth time in a season.

Parra, 12, established a new team record in the 400-meter freestyle (4:39.26) at the Southern Zone Age Group Championship in San Antonio, TX July 29-August 2, smashing the mark set in 2008 by GPAC alum Jack Tona. His time was an impressive five second drop from his previous best time set two weeks prior, and three seconds under the old record. He placed 10^th in the event at the meet.

“I knew I could go faster,” said Parra. “My split in the 800 free at Southeasterns was faster than I went in my individual race [at the meet]. This is more of where I wanted to be.”

Walker now owns the 400-meter free, 800-meter free, 100 and 200-meter backstroke team records for his age group.

Aside from his individual events at Zones, Parra was the backstroker for the 11-12 boys’ 200 medley relay that won the silver medal, and the 400 medley relay that took the bronze. The Southeastern Zone team finished third at the meet, which is comprised of “all-star” teams from across the Southeast from Texas to West Virginia. The Southeastern Swimming Zone team placed third overall at the meet.

Parra was one of eight 11-12-year old swimmers selected for the team from the Southeastern Swimming Championships held in Knoxville, TN the third weekend in July. His selection to the Zones team marks GPAC’s fourth consecutive summer of having a swimmer on the Southeastern Zone team.