Zoe Porteous and Andrew Tate are proving age is nothing but a number in swimming.

The respective members of Verde Valley High Performance and the Sedona Swim Team each celebrated a recent birthday by winning heats in their final long course meets Friday through Sunday, June 3 through 5, at the Beat the Heat meet in Flagstaff.

Porteous, 14, christened Northern Arizona University’s new Wall Aquatic Center with victories in the 50- and 200-meter backstroke events.

“Zoe won high point[s] for 13- [and] 14-[year-old] girls,” said her VVHP head coach, Sean Emery, whose next goals are “to get State times as much as possible” and “to have some top three finishers.”

Porteous’ next objective will be to qualify for the Far Western National meet in California after her little sister, Renae, did so last season.

While Renae Porteous’ highest finish was fourth out of eight swimmers in the 500-meter individual medley, fellow 11-year-old teammate Kasey Ingram “had a breakthrough,” Emery said, equaling Porteous’ time in the 100-meter freestyle at 1:19.84.

After finishing less than three seconds from victory in the boys 13- to 14-year-old breaststroke, Tate, 13, captured the 200-meter breaststroke by just over a second.

After also celebrating a recent birthday by winning long course heats May 28 and 29 at the Scottsdale Aquatic Club, Swordfish teammate Carlos Lattanzi was not so fortunate against the 11- and 12-year-old boys on the short course in Flagstaff.

His highest finish was less than five-and-a-half minutes in the 400-meter freestyle — his first attempt at the event, but just third place.

In Scottsdale, Lattanzi set four new personal best times and qualified in his new age group for State in the 200-meter freestyle with a 2:35.99 finish.

“Swimming against the fastest competitors makes me faster,” said Lattanzi, who is also training in Paradise Valley with private coach Misty Hyman, a former Olympic gold medalist. “I’m trying to apply all the speed tips that [she] has been teaching me this past spring … and it seems to really be paying off.”

Lattanzi’s goals continue to be qualifying for at least 10 state championship events and two Far Western Nationals events, as well as to remain in the top five in the state in at least five events by March.