Zoe Porteous, 14, joined her 10-year-old sister Renae on Oct. 2 as Verde Valley High Performance swimmers who have qualified this fall for Age Group State.
Zoe Porteous won her division of the 400-yard individual medley and swam personal bests in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke and the mile freestyle to qualify at the Neptune Invite in Moon Valley.
“She’s pretty close in the 500-yard freestyle,” said her VVHP coach, Sean Emery, who supervises the sisters in afternoon practices as well as Monday and Tuesday morning weight sessions at the Sedona Hilton. “She’s starting to develop, get a little taller, a little more muscular.”
In July, Renae Porteous had made the big splash by swimming a qualifying time for Western Nationals in the 50-yard breaststroke and also qualifying for State in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard breaststroke.
“They race each other in practice, and Zoe does not want Renae to beat her in anything,” Emery said. “In shorter [events], she’s right up there with her. She knows how to use her body in different ways than Renae, like a better dolphin kick.”
Zoe Porteous swam personal bests in two other events Oct. 2 but has seen the most dramatic results in the 200-yard breaststroke, in which she has dropped nearly 30 seconds of time this fall alone.
“When she saw that she went from 3:12 to 3:02, her jaw dropped,” said Emery, who saw Porteous drop another 15 seconds off that time Oct. 2. “She’s really learning how to swim fast correctly.
“Renae’s ranked top in the state in some events, but I’ve been little more concerned with her technique.”
The Porteouses join Kasey Ingram, who just turned 11, and 12-year-old Josie Williams as VVHP swimmers Emery expects to swim at Age Group State on Sunday, March 6.
“Zoe will rest for State, Renae will rest for Nationals and Kasey and Josie will be resting for Regionals in March, depending on whether Josie makes State or not,” Emery said. “For Josie to make the 11- to 12-[year-old] cut in the 200[-yard] breaststroke would be a real boost.”
That stroke and the butterfly are the ones Emery has been most impressed with this fall out of Williams and Renae Porteous, as well as the sisters’ 200 and 400 IMs.
“Renae is really developing into an all-around swimmer,” he said. “Kasey’s started to develop, and she’s larger for someone her age. She’s got to learn to use her body well.”
For the full story, please see the Friday, Oct. 30, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.
