Write-up submitted to Tracy Press. 

Jesse Russell-Cheung and Vincent Tejidor were Ellis Aquatics top finalists at the prestigious Far Westerns International Swim Meet held last weekend in San Jose, California.

The Far Westerns Championship is one of the largest youth swim meets in the US, annually bringing out swim teams from across the USA, Mexico, and Canada to compete. 160 teams came out to race at the 50 meter Olympic format meet.

"It's an accomplishment just to qualify for this meet." Said Coach Erin Mann. "It's great to see we are bringing not just qualifiers, but finalists after so quickly just forming as a team"

Russell-Cheung won the 11-12 boys 200 meter Breaststroke with a time of 2:48.55, was 3rd in the 100 meter Breaststroke with a 1:18.43, and 6th in the 50 meter with a 36.67. He is the first Ellis Aquatics athlete to ever win a far Western event.

Tejidor, who was one of the top 11-12 finishers at the recent Junior Olympic Championships, was joined Russell-Cheung in finals for the 200 meter breaststroke, finishing 6th with a 2:53.55. He also placed 12th in the 100m, and 16th in the 50m. Tejidor also went personal bests in the 50 & 100 meter Butterfly races.

Russell-Cheungs times in the 100m and 200m rank him as the fastest 11-12 long course meter breaststroke swimmer in the history of all the San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties year round swim teams. Tejidor's time places him as 2nd in the 200m and 3rd in the 100m. The boys times in the breaststroke event also placed them for consideration for the Western Zone team.

“The boys have been doing phenomenally this season.” Said Coach Pat Windschitl. They helped earn us a 16th place finish at the Summer Pacific Region Junior Olympics and I can't wait to see what they do in the following years”.

The team brought out 7 female qualifiers and 7 male qualifiers to the event and was the largest team representing the Central Valley.

This was the first Far Westerns meet for 10 year olds Jenika Tanjuakio and Jilliyn Lucero. Tanjuakio went new best times in the Freestyle events, with 33.98 in the 50 meter and 1:16.08 in 100. Lucero was right off her personal best in the 50 meter backstroke with a 40.

In the 11-12 age bracket 11 year old Malia Fernandez finished 18th in 50m free with a 29.70, which converts to 25 seconds in yards. Her time is also a record for all 11-12 girls Stanislaus/San Joaquin year round swim teams.

“Malia has been doing incredibly well this long course season” said Windschitl. “It's great to see her pickup an all area record at the meet, especially with another full year and a half in the age group. She's been working incredibly hard and we've made it our goal for this next season to have her become the first 11-12 girl to go 25 seconds in the 50 yard freestyle from the Central Valley.”

Teammates Brianna Carino also went personal bests in the 100m Butterfly with a 1:14.35. and a 2:48.38 in the 200 meter. 11 year old Caitlin O'Neill finished 16th in 100m Breaststroke with a new best of 1:24.63, and went a personal best in the 50m breaststroke as well.

12 year old Riley Gilmore finished 16th in Backstroke, 35.08, 16th in 50m Free with 29.27, 12th in 100m Free with a 1:01.97, a personal best by over 5 seconds and a new team record.

“Gilmore's 100m Free time converts to a 54.38 in SCY. That's a time that would be very impressive for a high school freshman, let alone a 12 year old.” Said Coach Erin Mann.

14 year old Nathan Hu competed in 6 different events over the weekend. He finished 25th in the 200m Freestyle and 18Th in the 200m Butterfly. Hu will be swimming at Tracy High in the spring as Sophmore.

In the 15-18 age group, 15 year old Bridgette Houser won her heats in both the 100m and 200m Breaststroke events, with personal bests of 1:22.47 and 3:00.06. 16 year old Seth Suzuki went 27.1 in the 50m free, a personal best. Suzuki will be swimming at Kimball high in the spring. 

17 year old Danny Russell-Cheung went a personal best in the 200m Breaststroke with a 2:45, finishing 17th in the event. Teammate Ian Cox also competed in the event. 17 year old Cassidy Waters went a new team record in the 50 meter freestyle at 30.49.

NEW TEAM RECORDS!

13 BRAND NEW 11-12 LCM RECORDS! 

100 Breast   O'NEILL, CAITLIN I 11.5        1:24.63 PRT

100 Fly          CARINO, BRIANNA J 12.5        1:14.35 FARW

 200 Fly         CARINO, BRIANNA J 12.5        2:48.38 PRT

50 Free         GILMORE, RILEY R 12.7 29.27 PRT

100 Free       GILMORE, RILEY R 12.7 1:01.97 PRT

200 Free       GILMORE, RILEY R 12.7 2:22.92 FARW

50 Back         GILMORE, RILEY R 12.7 35.06 PRT

100 Back       GILMORE, RILEY R 12.7 1:15.03 PRT

50 Breast      RUSSELL-CHEUNG, JESSE K 12.9 36.67 PRT

100 Breast    RUSSELL-CHEUNG, JESSE K 12.9 1:18.43 PRT

200 Breast    RUSSELL-CHEUNG, JESSE K 12.9 2:49.55 PRT

50 Fly             TEJIDOR, MARCO V 12.5 32.51 FARW

400 IM          GILMORE, RILEY R 12.7 5:37.69 PRT

NEW 13-14, 15-16. & 17-18 RECORDS!

200 Free        HU, NATHAN M 14.7 2:08.40 FARW

400 Free        HU, NATHAN M 14.7 4:35.67 FARW

200 Breast    HU, NATHAN M 14.7 2:50.70 FARW

100 Fly            HU, NATHAN M 14.7 1:04.53 PRT

200 Fly            HU, NATHAN M 14.7 2:25.63 PRT

200 IM            HU, NATHAN M 14.7 2:30.53 JO

100 Breast     HOUSER, BRIDGETTE E 15.3 1:22.47 JO

200 Breast     HOUSER, BRIDGETTE E 15.3 3:00.06 FARW

100 Fly            SUZUKI, SETH K 16.0 1:05.41 JO

200 Breast     RUSSELL-CHEUNG, DANIEL S 17.5 2:45.96 JO