GREATER PENSACOLA AQUATIC CLUB

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...

In their last meet of 2013, twenty eight GPAC swimmers from the White, Blue, Senior Blue and Green groups dropped more time at the PNY Holiday Invitational held in Gulf Shores, AL December 7-8. Seven-year-old Braedan Jacobs was the most outstanding swimmer for GPAC. He swam life-best times in all eight of his individual events, and grabbed first place in six of the events. He also posted a new ‘B’ time is his 50-yd backstroke.  Korbin Menser, 8, posted four out of five individual wins as well, and Justin Durham,...

Once again, GPAC swimmers turned back-to-back meets in their favor by swimming more best times and new cuts at the Christmas Invitational hosted by Tiger Aquatics in Baton Rouge, LA.  With a successful Gravy Bowl just finished, GPAC swimmers posted an impressive 63% best times, and showed that they had more to give at the last meet of 2012. “I’m very impressed by how much faster we were able to go just two weeks after the Gravy Bowl,” said Head Age Group coach Greg Johnson. “I think the swimmers like...

GPAC’s Third Annual Gravy Bowl Invitational swim meet was a tremendous success for the team, as GPAC hosted over 600 swimmers from around the South, including 129 of its own. GPAC claimed the team title by 700 points over nearby Coast Aquatics, and posted an impressive 77% best times, and 3 individual high point winners. Brooke Ferrara, 16, claimed the senior girls’ high point award, winning six of her seven events, and set four new meet records (50 Fr, 500 Fr, 100 Bk, 200 Bk). Brooke was also a member...

The GPAC team food drive concluded this weekend at the Gravy Bowl meet, and including the donations collected at the meet, GPAC swimmers donated 500 pounds of food to Manna Food Banks of Northwest Florida! The White, Blue and Green groups at Pensacola State College were the winning groups again for the third consecutive year, with their tallies coming in at over 300 items (3.2 items per swimmer) of food donated. Milestone and UWF were tied, at about 2 food items per swimmer collected, which were the largest tallies for...

GPAC senior Nate Thomas captured the Florida High School Athletic Association title in the 100-yd freestyle at the 2013 3A State Championships held in Stuart, FL November 15. His win marks the first individual state champion for GPAC since Morgan Farrell posted back-to-back wins in the 100-yd backstroke in 2006. Representing Pace High School, Thomas was the top seed in both the 50 and 100-yd freestyle going into the championship finals on Friday evening. He posted an Automatic All-American qualifying time in the preliminaries of the 50 with a personal best...

If they were to win a state crown, this would be the year to do it. Washington High School, led by GPAC seniors Jacquie Kinman and Brianna Mount, had big performances from the upperclassmen, as well as its relays to win the 2A Florida High School Athletic Association State Championship held in Stuart, Fl November 9. Washington girls started the meet with a win in the 200-yd medley relay, and went on to win all three relays of the meet. The final 400-yd freestyle relay was the clincher. Washington closed...

The next stop on the road to the Florida high school championships for the 29 GPAC swimmers was their respective regional championships. GPAC had tremendous success at these meets, with very noteworthy performances from all classes. 1A In a class that includes most private schools, including the state and national champions Bolles School, our GPAC swimmers swam very well. Sophomore Heidi Schellin was the local standout, placing seventh in the 200-yd IM and fifth in the 100-yd breaststroke for Pensacola Catholic. Heidi dropped her times from the district meet in...