Joseph Natina had an impressive 1997-98 season as a 10-year-old, capped off by the high- point trophy at the Western Zone Championships last March in Walnut Creek, CA.
At last summer’s Western Zone meet in Roseville, CA, Joseph’s times landed him in the 1997 NAG long course rankings – second in the 100-200m free (1:04.66-2:22.37), third in the 50 free (29.75), and 200 IM (2:41.26), fifth in the 100 fly (1:12.93) and 12th in the 100 back (1:18.20).
Joseph won 3 more high-point awards during the season and won every event he entered. His streak began in December at the Sierra Nevada Short Course Championships in Sacramento, CA. He then traveled to Tempe, AZ to compete at the Long Dutchman Invitational, where he broke 5 pool records.
But Joseph’s most exciting meet was the Far Westerns. He posted NRT’s in winning all his events: 50-100-200 yard free (25.92-58.38-2:08.88), 100 back (1:07.14), 50 breast (35.35), 50-100 fly (30.03-1:07.37) and 100-200 IM (1:07.90-2:25.26), enabling Joseph to come home with yet another high-point award.