Brothers set more standards

Joshua and Thomas Smith were at the top of their game again. The Huntington Beach brothers turned in dominating performances at the Southern California Junior Olympics Championships held at Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach earlier this month.

Joshua, a 12-year-old seventh-grader at Grace Elementary School in Huntington Beach, broke two southland swimming records at the event. He set the new mark in the 50-yard freestyle (22.66 seconds), surpassing the previous record-setting time set in 1989. He also set the new 50-yard backstroke (previous record set in 1997) with a time of 26.25. Both times are the fastest times recorded by a 12-year old in the state.

In the 12-and-Under state rankings for 2007, Joshua Smith ranks first in the 50-yard freestyle (22.66), 100-yard freestyle (49.88), 200-yard freestyle (1:51.9), 50-yard backstroke (26.25), 100-yard backstroke (56.37) and 100-yard individual medley (56.22). He also ranks third in the 200-yard individual medley (n/a), 50-yard breaststroke (31.16) and 100-yard breaststroke (1:10.2).

In the top five national rankings for 2007, Joshua Smith is ranked first in the 50-yard freestyle, 50-yard backstroke and 100-yard backstroke, second in both the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard individual medley and fifth in the 200-yard freestyle. Smith, along with Gray Umbach from Texas, are the two most dominant swimmers in the nation in their age group.

Thomas Smith, 9, a fourth-grader at Grace, won the 100-yard individual medley (1:06.59) and 100-yard backstroke (1:05.43). He was second in the 50-yard backstroke (30.77), third in both the 100-yard freestyle (1:00.00) and 200-yard individual medley (2:24.84) and fourth in the 50-yard freestyle (30.77) in his age group.