Club swim team ‘on the rise’

Erin Nicholson, 11, was a top ten finisher in the Zone 3 Championships swim meet, helping propel the Sonoma Sea Dragons team to a seventh-place finish. Jane Hansen’s “small but mighty contingent,” ages 8-15, competed against 24 teams in the January 17 meet at Santa Rosa Junior College.

Three Sea Dragons won races: Ethan Obbagy (8 & under boys, 25 yard Breaststroke, 20.68 seconds; 25 yard Backstroke,19.73; 100 yard Individual Medley, 1:33.34); Sierra Pine (9-10 girls, 100 yard Freestyle, 1:06.23; 50 yard Backstroke, 34.81), and Greyson McCaw (100 yard Backstroke, 1:16.32).

There were 33 races in which a Sea Dragon placed in the top ten, inlcuding: Shelby Padgett (8), Hailey Padgett (8), Nicholson, Sophia Obbagy (11), Maya Grajczyk (13), Ethan Smith (13), Lizzie Hansen (15),  and Hannah Ladouceur (15). Hansen said a standout performance came for Ethan Smith, 13, who improved his personal best in the 100 yard Freestyle by more than three seconds.

Other noteworthy performances from the team, which is based at the Sonoma Aquatic Club, came from Kathryn Ajax (12), Meghan Hansen (12), Charlotte Hunter (12), Atticus Cohen (12) and Olivia Boles (13).

By competing on such a high level, Hansen said, “the Sea Dragons continue to show that aquatic culture in Sonoma is on the rise.”