Y swimmers jam at Swim Florida competition

Photo by ROGER LALONDE

The Greater Marco Island swim team cashed in on medals at the Swim Florida Jamboree on Saturday. From left, are Madison Bonfitto, Madeline Burt, Lauren Faremouth, Susan Faremouoth, Lisa Ramnick, Emily Holten, Erika Jacobsen and Liam Hollowsky.

Photo by ROGER LALONDE

Y swimmers checking out their medals they won at the Swim Florida Jamboree, from left, are Lisa Ramnick, Susan Faremouth and Madeline Burt.

Photo by ROGER LALONDE

YMCA CEO Cindy Love congratulates Liam Hollowsky for winning three events at the Swim Florida Jamboree.

The Greater Marco Island YMCA’s young swim team made off with a cache of medals and ribbons at the Swim Florida Jamboree at Cape Coral last weekend.

Liam Holllowsky and Emily Holten swam away with three gold medals each.

All eight YMCA competitors had their best times in various races.

Hollowsky, 11, won the Boys 11-12 50-yard butterfly, 50-yard backstroke and 50-yard freestyle.

Holten, 12, won the Girls 11-12 50-yard backstroke, 50-yard breaststroke and 50-yard freestyle.

Lisa Ramnick, 9, swam to first place in the Girls 9-10 50-yard breaststroke.

Ericka Jacobsen, 11, raced to second in the Girls 11-12 50-yard butterfly, fifth in the 50-yard breaststroke and third in the 50-yard freestyle.

Madeline Burt, 8, in the 7-8 Girls, swam to second in the 25-yard breaststroke and 50-yard freestyle and third in the 25-yard butterfly.

Madison Bonfitto, 9, had her best race in placing second in the 9-10 Girls 50-yard freestyle, then third in the 9-10 50-yard butterfly and eighth in the 50-yard backstroke.

Susan Faremouth, 8, raced to third in the Girls 7-8 50-yard backstroke, ninth in the 25-yard butterfly and eighth in the 25-yard freestyle.

Her sister Lauren, 7, swam to sixth in the Girls 7-8 25-yard breaststroke, eighth in the 25-yard butterfly and 15th in the 25-yard freestyle.

YMCA CEO Cindy Love presented the medals and ribbons to the swimmers at the YMCA on Monday.

“We are seeing a new wave of swimmers coming into our program that has produced such standouts as Wesley Blassneck and Mercedes and Louisa Farhat,” she said. “The sport also has our core value attributes, honesty, respect, responsibility. Swimming is a good sport to have in their lives.”

Swim coach Kamal Farhat is pleased with the young swimmers progress.

“They all had their best times and they are getting better every day,” he said.

The team has swim practice eight times a week.

“They each have goals to achieve,” Farhat said. “When they achieve a goal a new one is set. That is very important for continued improvement.”