Soares also closing in on university spot

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“This is our home meet and the first meet of the season for me so I’m just kind of getting the kinks out, still building up endurance and just gauging where I’m at so I know what I need to work on,” said Esopenko. “I know that Avery’s freestyle is a lot quicker than mine, she has that 800, 1,500 endurance and that’s something I need to work on in practice, my endurance, and the little things like underwater kicking and turning.”

Movold figured her training partner would use her advantage as a breaststroker to get a healthy lead heading into the final 100 metres but she kept pace and caught Esopenko on the first leg of the freestyle.

Esopenko joined the Barracudas at age 7 and has known Movold since they were 12.

“That’s the first time I’ve beaten her in the 400 IM, I was just trying to swim every race as fast as I can,” said Movold.

“That was like 15 seconds off my best time,” said Esopenko.

Esopenko joined the Barracudas at age 7 and has known Movold since they were 12. They share the same ambitions to become college athletes, spend hours in the pool training six days a week, and have became good friends.

“We can definitely relate to each other a lot better than most people can because we have the same goals and we’re the same age so it’s great to have someone to lean on when you’re having a rough time or celebrate the good times with,” said Esopenko.

Movold felt like celebrating when she swam 1:03.6 in the 100 butterfly at the sprint meet, close to a personal best time for that event. Esopenko was most satisfied with her 200 fly race. She added time to her PB but said she felt in fine form with her stroke and her kick.

One other Barracuda, Olivia Soares, 17, is close to a scholarship agreement with the University of Victoria.