Joshua Charnin-Aker, a sixth-grader at Syosset's South Woods Middle School, swam his way into the record books with his performance at USA Swimming's 2000 Eastern Zone Long Course Meet, held Aug. 9-12 in Buffalo. Charnin-Aker, who swims for Team Suffolk-Half Hollow Hills, took four gold and two silver medals in winning the 10-and-under boys high point trophy at the meet, which is the culmination of the USA Swimming long course season and brings together the top swimmers from the 12 Eastern states from Maine to Virginia. (USA Swimming is the national governing body for amateur competitive swimming in the US).

Charnin-Aker's times in five events broke all-time 10-and-under New York Metropolitan swimming records - some dating back to the early 1970s. His time of 1:13.55 in the 100-meter backstroke was an Eastern Zone record and the 10th fastest achieved by a 10-and-under male swimmer in US history. His 200-meter individual medley time of 2:39.64 also broke the Eastern Zone record and placed him among the top 25 all-time in the US. His other record-breaking times, in the 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, and 50-meter backstroke, will also put him atop the annual Top-16 rankings of US 10-and-under swimmers.

Earlier in the year, Charnin-Aker set NY Metropolitan records in two new 10-and-under events, the 500-yard and 400-meter freestyle. While his time of 5:38.34 in the 500 ranked him third in the nation, his time of 4.54.59 in the 400, when times are compiled later this year, will likely be the new national standard. Many of Charnin-Aker's record-breaking times are also the fastest ever swum by 10-and-under USA swimmers from New York state. In April, he was the anchor on the Metropolitan 200-yard freestyle relay team that broke the National Age Group All-Star 10-and-under record, with a time of 1:48.09. In August, he won nine of his 10 events at the NY Metropolitan Junior Olympics, finishing second only in the 50-meter breaststroke.

Charnin-Aker, who was born in Manhasset, but spent most of his first eight years living in Arizona, began swimming every day at 18 months in his family's backyard pool in Tucson, AZ. His passion for the water was evident early and he started swimming competitively at the age of 4. He benefited from training at a very small Tucson club where he received virtually individual attention from Coach John Fordney. By age 8, when his family moved to Syosset, he had already won more than 200 USA Swimming-sanctioned races and 100 Southern Arizona Aquatics Association events. Over the past two years he has earned several hundred first-place medals, swimming at meets in eight states. He trains six days a week from two to three-and-a-half hours a day, with Team Suffolk-Half Hollow Hills. Although he has also played soccer, basketball and tennis, he has had to trim his sports down to baseball and swimming. Last year he received top academic honors and became only the second student ever from Berry Hill elementary to win a gold medal in the National Math Olympiad.

In March, Charnin-Aker's younger brother Adam, who also swims for Team Suffolk-HHH, won high point honors (first-place overall) in the 6-and-under division at the Metropolitan Swimming 8-and-under Short Course Champs The brothers swam together on the Syosset 12-and-under freestyle relay team that took first place at the Nassau County Swim Conference Divisional Champs held in August.