The New Trier Aquatics Sharks were in full force this weekend at the 2025 NASA Winter Blast-Off! From the first splash to the final relay, our swimmers showcased the #BetterEveryDay spirit with technical improvements, gritty racing, and a flood of best times. Whether it was conquering a "Tough Stuff" event for the first time or shaving seconds off a sprint, the Sharks proved they are setting the gold standard. #FinsUp #GoSharks
Here are the standout performers from the weekend:
The 100% Club
These swimmers achieved a perfect meet, swimming best times in every single one of their events:
Jiho Chang, Andrew Diep, Nathan Faynshteyn, Ryder Guloy, Lucy Lahey, Evan Li, Thomas Newell, Aadhya Poddar, Lorelei Pope, Dilan Rao, Calvin Reese, Yana Weber.
High Performance Highlights
Consistency is key! The following swimmers racked up best time after best time over the course of the meet:
Sebastian Ashuev, Eleanor Augustine, Nora Caskey, Leo Chen, Andrew Diep, Ashton Donin, Maksim Goldberg, Fabricio Gonzalez Pulido, Ryder Guloy, James Harlin, Lea Haugen, Conor Kennedy, Lucy Lahey, Emma Malalis, Addison McNeal, Vivien Nowak, Mark Pop, Lorelei Pope, Beatrice Schaeffer, Jordana Segel, Sophie Sime, Yana Weber.
Tough Stuff
These Sharks stepped up to the blocks to tackle challenging distance and fly events for the very first time:
Emily Brandel (200 Back) , Scarlett Cagadas (100 IM) , Brooks Cain (100 IM) , Elliot Carlton (200 Back) , Caroline Cho (200 Back, 200 Breast, 200 Fly) , Caden Cook (200 Back, 200 Breast, 200 Fly) , Elle Frank (200 Back) , Lucas Freitas (200 Free) , Eleanor Gaetano (200 Back, 200 Breast, 200 Fly) , Fabricio Gonzalez Pulido (200 Back, 200 Fly) , Emma Gornik (200 Fly) , Conor Kennedy (100 IM) , Lucy Lahey (100 IM) , Michael LaRocco (200 Free) , Araad Maher (200 Back, 200 Breast, 200 Fly) , Claire Marchevsky (200 Back, 200 Breast, 200 Fly) , Aadhya Poddar (100 IM) , Mark Pop (200 Back, 200 Breast, 200 Fly) , Calvin Reese (100 IM) , Max SooHoo (200 Back, 200 Breast) , Harper Warye (200 Back) , Yana Weber (200 Free).
Exceptional Swims
We saw some absolutely massive time drops this weekend. A special shoutout to these swimmers for their breakthrough performances:
- John Slade dropped a stunning
25% in his 50 Free.
- Vrinda Sarangan cut
26% off her 50 Free time.
- Furkan Akbas slashed
11% off his 100 Free.
- Jiho Chang improved his 50 Back time by
10%.
Great racing, Sharks! Let's carry this momentum into the next block of training.
