The freshman broke a school record at the Pirate Invitational in Port Charlotte. Persechino set a new mark to beat for the Sharks and finished first in the pool, swimming a 56.55 in the girls 100-meter freestyle, a record that has stood since 2010.

“When I broke the record I felt really good about it and very proud of myself,” she said during her nomination week. “I love my teammates and everyone has been cheering and supporting me as well as each other on the team. I also want to thank my parents for the support.”

Voting for October’s Athlete of the Month will open toward the end of the month. Stay up to date on this website.