South Florida HEAT’s Erika Pelaez and Kaii Winkler are Broward Swimmers of the Year
It was a strong season for the South Florida HEAT swimming program, and the performances of two sophomores helped paved the way.
On the girls side, Erika Pelaez won two state titles, breaking one state record and coming within milliseconds of owning another.
On the boys side, Kaii Winkler was part of four state runner-up performances — two individual events and two relays.
Both worthy candidates to be named the Miami Herald’s Broward Swimmers of the Year.
“It’s been a lot of hard work,” Pelaez said, “so it’s definitely something I’m proud of.”
Winkler added: “It’s a great accomplishment. I’ve been working hard all year and it truly just paid off.”
Pelaez was the only South Florida swimmer to win multiple individual titles at the state meet this season.
And she did more than just win. She dominated the competition in her respective events.
Her time of 52.34 seconds in the 100-yard backstroke broke the state record set in 2013 by South Florida HEAT alumna Clara Smiddy (52.46) and was nearly a full second faster than runner-up finisher Julia Podkoscielny of Pine Crest.
Earlier in the meet, Pelaez also took home first place in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 22.29 seconds, just seven one-hundredths of a second off the state record. She was also the leadoff swimmer for South Florida HEAT’s 400-yard freestyle relay team that finished third in Class 1A.
“I’ve been swimming competitively since I was 4,” Pelaez said. “I just love the sport. It’s something I always see as an escape. It’s one of the best things I have in my life.”
As for Winkler, he finished as the Class 1A state runner-up in both the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle, finishing behind Jacksonville Bolles senior Andres Dupont Cabrera, who is set to compete collegiately at Stanford, in both races.
Add in Winkler’s performance as the anchor for South Florida HEAT’s 200-yard medley relay and the leadoff swimmer for their 200-yard freestyle relay, both of which finished second at the state meet, and he played a vital role in South Florida HEAT’s fourth-place team finish on the boys’ side.
“It was overall just good vibes,” said Winkler, who noted his individual 200 freestyle performance was the one he was most proud of this season. “I was proud of the team. We all tried our best to get into the relays and individual events. It was just a good experience.”
And this is just the start for them. Both Pelaez and Winkler have two more years.
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