Aya Gillis-Pade Breaks Pacific Swimming Record in the 1650 Free by 6+ Seconds

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

2024 Orinda Aquatics Senior Open Meet

• January 27, 2024-January 28, 2024
• Moraga, California
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Full Meet Results

12-year-old Aya Gillis-Pade from the Santa Clara Swim Club has qualified for Sectionals and broken a Pacific Swimming LSC Record in the girls’ 11-12 1650 yard freestyle.

Gillis-Pade won the mile against a field of swimmers aged 11-17, swimming a 17:27.28. That breaks the old LSC Record of 17:33.88 that was set in 2015 by another Santa Clara Swim Club team member, Bianca Yongyuth. She now ranks 47th all-time in USA Swimming age group history.

Gillis-Pade split 5:12.49 at the 500 and 10:32.51 at the 1000, both of which were also best times in those races.

Other Standout Swims:

• Stella Canoles from the host Orinda Aquatics won the 50 free in 23.89. That’s about a second short of the lifetime best she swam at Winter Juniors that ranks her among the top 40 all-time in the 13-14 age group. She also won the 100 free (52.17), the 100 fly (56.63), and the 400 IM (4:37.30).
• Budding age group superstar Luka Mijatovic won the 200 back in 1:52.20, won the 200 fly in 1:51.14, finished 2nd in the 100 back in 52.87, placed 2nd in the 50 free in 21.74, placed 2nd in the 200 breast in 2:10.74, placed 3rd in the 100 free in 47.43, placed 3rd in the 100 fly in 51.81, and was 7th in the 100 breast in 1:02.11. Among those times for the 14-year-old, the 50 free was the only best time – though it just shaved .09 seconds from his previous best, which was actually a 50 yard split en route to a 100.
• Former US National Teamer Brandon Fischer won the 100 breast in 54.78, the 200 breast in 2:01.69, and the 200 IM in 1:53.42.

SwimSwam: Aya Gillis-Pade Breaks Pacific Swimming Record in the 1650 Free by 6+ Seconds