GREATER PENSACOLA AQUATIC CLUB

Drawing teams from as far as Memphis, TN and Athens, GA, GPAC’s annual Tom Lalor Invitational continued to be the big summer event for many of the swimmers on GPAC. Swimmers from GPAC posted an impressive 63% best times, and the team gathered four new Southeastern qualifiers bringing the team total to 38. Junior group member Walker Parra, 12, emerged as the sole high point winner for GPAC, though several other swimmers were in the running for the award. Parra swam eight out of 11 individual best times, and nabbed...

In their second meet in as many weeks, GPAC swimmers opened the long course season at home at UWF with tremendous participation, numerous best times and five high-point winners. Although not heavily attended by other teams, GPAC swimmers set a new home meet participation record by having 107 swimmers compete in the meet. This number beats all other GPAC home meets since September, with the previous mark set at the District Championships in February at 103 swimmers. “The coaches are all excited by the number of swimmers at all levels...

Forty eight GPAC swimmers opened the 2014 long course season with sensational early-season times and earned top spot among visiting teams at the “Spirit of Mobile Invitational” swim meet held in Mobile May 2-3.  Among the 77% best times swam in the meet, GPAC boasted 2 individual high-point winners, 13 different individual event winners, and numerous new Southeastern cuts and new motivational times. Makayla Ludwick and Walker Parra were the high-point winners for the 11-12 age group for GPAC. Ludwick, 12, won six out her eight individual events, setting five...

Fourteen GPAC swimmers from the Junior and Green groups took their Spring Break in Atlanta, GA to attend the Eastern Section of the Southern Zone Age Group Championship. The swimmers made up the largest group that GPAC has taken to the meet in five years. This meet is attended by over 100 different teams from across the Southeast. “The Age Group Sectional meet has been the focus of many of the swimmers all season,” said Head Age Group coach Greg Johnson. “The fact that we had twenty swimmers qualify for...

Sophomores Brooke Ferrara and Tatiana Oberley went to Orlando for their spring break. But it was not to visit Disney. Rather the two GPAC Senior team members competed at NCSA Junior Nationals and gained great top-level experience. Ferrara, 16, swam six events at the meet, including sprint freestyle, backstroke and butterfly. Brooke finished 77th in the 50-yd butterfly and posted a best time in the event. She also finished 83rd in the 50-yd freestyle. Tatiana, also 16, in her very first national meet appearance, finished 79th in the 100-yd breaststroke....

Bringing the largest team from the South District, and perhaps the deepest and most talented squad in years, GPAC capped off the 2013-14 short course season with an 11th place finish at the Southeastern Swimming Short Course Championships held in Nashville, TN February 27-March 1. Senior Olivia Weekley, 17, captured her first-ever Southeastern title in the 100-yd butterfly on the last evening of competition. Posting a lifetime best time in the event (:55.23), a strong final 25 yards a quick finish sealed GPAC sole event win. “It couldn’t happen to...

You could not squeeze another name on the GPAC “best times” poster by the end of the first day, much less by the end of the meet. Hosting over 600 swimmers from south Alabama to Panama City, including 100 of their own, GPAC swimmers produced perhaps the biggest and best South District Championships in over eight years at UWF February 22-23. GPAC swimmers combined for a whopping 71 percent life-best times overall and 96 swimmers posted at least one best time. “We have had over 100 GPAC swimmers in all...

A group of twenty one GPAC swimmers of all ages traveled to Columbus, GA for one more chance to improve their times and make some last-minute cuts before the championship season at the Groundhog Invitational hosted by Columbus Aquatic Club. The meet was unique in that it awarded trophies for the top 10 places in the high point standings. Eight GPAC swimmers came home with a trophy. Sophia Diagne, 15, finished second in the high points for the 15-and-over girls. Sophia won six out her eight individual events, and swam...

The GPAC Winter Invitational showcased more of GPAC’s tremendous depth and the hard work that the swimmers have put in over the past month and over the holiday. GPAC swimmers accounted for 64% life-best times and a slew of new motivational and qualifying times among all age groups. GPAC won the meet by a slight 41 points over visiting Crawfish Aquatics from Louisiana, and boasted four high point winners. The Henderson trifecta of James, 13, and Renee and William, 11, claimed the high point award for the respective age groups....

Three members of the GPAC Senior Team represented our club at the USA Swimming Junior National Championships in Greensboro, NC, December 12-14.  This was the first short course Junior Nationals for all three swimmers.  Brooke Ferrara qualified for juniors for the first time this past summer; however, she once again achieved qualifying times weeks before the meet during Florida’s High School State Championship Series held in November.  Olivia Weekley and Nate Thomas both qualified for the first time during that same state series. Senior Olivia Weekley, 17, posted a best...