The CCY Dragons Swim for Gold at 20th Annual Dragon Invitational Meet

The CCY Dragon boys and girls lived up to expectations at the 20th annual Dragon Invitational Meet, held Nov. 3/4 at the Commerce Aquatorium.

Jason Kim swam for two YMCA National qualifying times in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes, setting new meet records along the way and going for gold in the 50 and 200 freestyles, 100 and 200 backstrokes, and 200 individual medleys.

Nam Hee Kim, won all of her events in the girls’ 15 and older division (100 and 500 freestyles, 100 backstroke, 200 individual medley ) as did Tricia Dobson in girls’ 13-14 (50, 100, and 200 freestyles, 100 and 200 backstrokes) with a senior qualifying time in the 100 backstroke.

Harrison Thai rounded out the solid gold Dragon swimmers with wins in the boys’ 9-10-year-old 50, 100 and 200 freestyles, 50 breaststroke and 50 butterfly.

In the girls’ 15 and older division, Jungah Choi swam for fourth in the 100 breaststroke and Adele Ghssoub took fourths in the 200 and 500 freestyles. Michelle Du grabbed a gold in the girls’ 13-14 butterfly and then went on to win silvers in the 200 freestyle, 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke and a bronze in the 50 freestyle.

Ashley Kang silvered in the 100 freestyle and also took bronze in the 200 freestyle as she, Dobson and Du swept the first three places in that event. Nichole Kimbell took a sixth in the 100 butterfly. Rachel Ku won the girls 11-12-year-old 100 backstroke and followed up with a third in the 100 individual medley.

Justine Lee went home with fourths in the 50 and 100 backstrokes and the 100 butterfly. Raya Choi swam for fifth in the 200 freestyle, sixth in the 50 backstroke, then dropped 10 seconds in the 500 freestyle. In girls’ 9-10 events, Robin Yi was solid silver in the 200 individual medley, 100 freestyle, 50 breaststroke, 200 freestyle, 50 butterfly and 50 freestyle.

Madeline Corpuz took a fifth in the girls’ 9-10-year-old 200 freestyle, along with a trio of sixths in the 200 individual medley, 100 freestyle and 50 butterfly. Megan Go swam for a bronze in the girls’ 7-year-old 25 backstroke, and Elizabeth Mednikov picked up a silver in the 50 freestyle with a fourth in the 25 breaststroke. Celine Bolton-Ford scored silver in the 6 and younger 25 freestyle.

Dragon boys also made a strong showing with Alex Park taking gold in the boys’ 15 and older 100 freestyle and backstroke and 200 butterfly with silver in the 200 freestyle, 100 butterfly and 200 backstroke. Chris Kang swam for triple gold in the 100 butterfly, 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle and a bronze in the 200 freestyle.

Matthew Riek picked up a silver in the boys’ 13-14-year-old 100 butterfly and a fifth in the 200 individual medley. Seth Biagini led the boys’ 11-12-year-old group with gold in the 20, 100 and 200 freestyles, 50 breaststroke and butterfly, followed by silver in the 100 backstroke and 200 individual medley.

Chris Park scored silver in the 50 butterfly with Andrew Park, Jr. taking silver in the 100 freestyle and sixths in the 200 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke. Alexander Najarian racked up more points for the Dragons with silvers in the 50 backstroke and sixth in the 50 butterfly and freestyle and Ho Jean Yoon went home with a silver in the 100 breaststroke, bronze in the 100 butterfly and fourth in the 50 breaststroke and 200 freestyle.

A strong group of 9-10 boys dominated their division, led by Harrison Thai’s all gold effort and helped along by Christopher Najarian, who silvered in the 50 backstroke and grabbed a fourth in the 25 butterfly, while Jake Ksendov made his mark with a gold in the 200 individual medley, silvers in the 100 freestyle, 50 backstroke and 50 freestyle, bronze in the 50 butterfly and 200 freestyle and fourth in the 50 breaststroke.

Joshua Lo swam for silver in the 50 breaststroke and sixth in the 50 butterfly, with Kyle Otazu taking the silver in the 200 individual medley, fourth in the 50 backstroke, fifth in the 50 butterfly and sixth in the 100 freestyle.

Stephen Woo won quadruple bronze in the 200 individual medley, 100 freestyle, 50 backstroke and 50 freestyle and Nicholas Park grabbed a gold in the 50 backstroke and a pair of sixths in the 50 breaststroke and butterfly. Lawrence Ku took silver in the boys’ 7-8-year-old 25 butterfly and a fifth in the 50 freestyle while Edward Yi swam for silver in the 50 freestyle.

Dragon relay teams were extremely strong beginning with a solid gold performance by 10 and younger boys Harrison Thai, Nicholas Park, Jake Ksendov and Stephen Woo who took gold in the freestyle with Thai, Ksendov, Woo and Kyle Otazu going for gold in the medley.

Boys’ 11-12 Seth Biagini, Gabriel Perez, Symeon Stefan and Ho Jean Yoon took gold in the freestyle relay, with Biagini, Yoon, Stefan and Alexander Najarian picking up gold in the medley. Boys’ 13 and older gold went to Matthew Riek, Jason Kim, Alexander Park and Christopher Park in the medley, with Park, Kim Chris Kang and Seong Hoon Moon taking the gold in the freestyle.

Tricia Dobson, Michelle Du, Emily Thai and Christine Ku were golden in the girls’ 13 and older medley as were Allison Kimbell, Robin Yi, Madeline Corpuz and Caitlyn Seto in girls’ 10 and under medley.

Dragon swimmers are back in the pool preparing with Head Coach Sean Kang and Assistants Joy Lim and Richard Hamilton for the upcoming Westchester meet at Loyola Marymount University and well as the SCS Winter AA Championships at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach, both to be held in December.