White, Mojdeh lead junior stars in national swim tryouts

Experience prevailed as familiar faces emerged victorious at the start of the Philippine Aquatics-organized national tryouts NCR leg on Friday at the Teofilo Yldefonso swimming pool inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.

Vietnam-based Filipino-British Heather White and Micaela Jasmine ‘The Water Beast’ Mojdeh, both two-time World Junior Championship campaigners, led the top-tier junior swimmers as they reigned supreme in their respective classes to secure ‘provisionary’ status for the 44-man Philippine Team set to compete in the 11th Asian Age Group Championships slated Dec. 3 to 6 at the New Clark Aquatics Center in Capas, Tarlac.

The 16-year-old White, swimming under the Behrouz Elite Team, topped the girls’ 15-17 400m freestyle in a dominating fashion, clocking 4:35.57, almost four seconds ahead of second placer Fei Dolliente of San Beda (4:48.92), while the 17-year-old Mojdeh, a national junior record holder and semifinalist in 2022 World tilt, secured her place for another call of duty in the national team by winning the 200m Individual Medley with a time of 2:25.37.

Promising Kacie Tiongco, 14, from Mindanao, placed second (2:32.00).

“I’m very happy with my performance. I just arrived the other day so don’t have a chance to practice more. Just lucky got the chance to train abroad before our stint in the World Junior meet last month,” said White, who along with Mojdeh, trained for months in the US before the World Junior Championship in Israel.

“Mas magaan ang loob ko ‘pag local tournaments dahil masaya akong nakikita ‘yung mga teammates ko at mga kapwa ko swimmers. Sa US talagang training hard kami, halos tatlong beses sa isang araw,” added Mojdeh, who is set to return to the US to continue her training and pursue a college degree.

Aside from the two prominent junior tankers, also making their presence felt were SEA Games gold medalist Chloe Isleta, who claimed the girls’ 18-over 200 M freestyle at 2:04.57 and the 200mIM (2:17.62), SEA Age group veteran Jamesray Ajido in the boys’ 12-14 200m freestyle (2:01.21), Miguel Barreto in the boys’ 18-over 200m free (1:53.11) and 200m IM (2:13.24); Arabella Taguinota in the girls’ 15-17 100m