The New Canaan YMCA Aquianas Artistic Swimming Team earned a variety of placements at the Junior Olympic Championship, taking place at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado from June 26-July 3.

The Aquianas had a successful finish for both the 12 and under and 13-15 age groups for their team performances. Out of 12 teams, the 12 and under group earned fifth place, including Cora Huang, Isabella Juarez, Alex Lanning, Maya Nerendula, Tea Raday, Lux Roscoe, Nila Thirumbalai, Dylan Thomas, and Gwen Thomas. The 13-15 group competed against 11 other teams earning third place, including Alaina Argiriou, Carina Carpi, Angelina Gao, Alessandra Gavriliou, Viola Li, Isabella Sarracino, Aubrey Shen, and Sophia Shen.

The 13-15 combination team competed against 13 other teams to earn fourth place for their performance, including Sophie Cai, Carina Carpi, Angelia Gao, Rhea Jha, Dusya Kotereva, Viola Li, Xindi Liu, Isabella Sarracino, Sophia Shen, and Cameron Stewart.

The Aquianas age group teams also earned admirable placements for their duet performances, including a fifth place finish out of 13 duets for 12 and under swimmers Cora Huang and Gwen Thomas. Out of 13 performances, the 13-15 group’s duet groups earned fourth, eighth, and tenth place finishes, including Viola Li and Aubrey Shen, Angelina Gao and Isabella Sarracino, and Alaina Argiriou and Alessandra Gavriliou.

Swimmers on the 12 and under and 13-15 age group teams also performed solo routines, including 12 and under team members Cora Huang and Gwen Thomas, who earned sixth and ninth placements out of 32 soloists. Aquianas 13-15 swimmers Aubrey Shen and Sophia Shen earned fifth place and eleventh place out of 31 soloists. Additionally, Aubrey Shen triumphed as she earned sixth place out of 310 athletes in the top figure performance category.

The Aquianas concluded the Junior Olympics with placements in the solo freestyle and solo technical competitions in the 16-17 age group. Aquianas Isabelle Shen and Alexandra Mathews earned fourth and fifteenth place out of 24 swimmers in their solo freestyle routines, in addition to fifth and twenty-fourth place out of 26 swimmers in the solo technical category.

“I’m extremely proud of our team’s passion, hard work, and dedication at this year’s Junior Olympics,” shared Jen Muzyk, Director of Artistic Swimming and Aquianas Head Coach. “The Air Force Academy’s elevation level is 7,258 feet, which was a challenge for all of the swimmers at the Junior Olympics. We put a lot of thought into our training leading up to this competition, which was exemplified in our results,” added Muzyk.

For additional information about the New Canaan YMCA Aquianas Artistic Swimming Team, contact Jen Muzyk at [email protected] or visit www.newcanaanymca.org/aquianas.