Three 14-Year Olds Qualify for the A-Final in the Girls’ 200 Breast at Jr Nats

2022 SPEEDO JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

• August 1 to 5, 2022
• William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center, Irvine, California
• Long Course Meters (50m)
• Meet Central
• Event Page
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream (USA Swimming)
• Live Results (OMEGA) (also can be found on MeetMobile)

GIRLS 200 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

• World Junior Record: 2:19.64, Viktoria Gunes (RUS) – 2015
• Meet Record: 2:26.35, Allie Szekely (2012)
• 13-14 NAG: 2:25.75, Amanda Beard (1996)
• 15-16 NAG: 2:25.35, Anita Richesson (1992)
• 17-18 NAG: 2:24.47, Lilly King (2015)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Raya Mellott – 2:30.23
2. Katie Christopherson – 2:32.18
3. Ainsley Jones – 2:32.19
4. Abigail Herscu – 2:32.51
5. Avery Klamfoth – 2:33.12
6. Katherine Adams – 2:33.17
7. Eliza Brown – 2:33.30
8. Molly Sweeney – 2:33.37

Young talent shown through in prelims of the girls 200 breast at the 2022 Junior National Championships in Irvine this morning. 3 of the ‘A’ finalists who will be racing tonight are just 14 years old, including top seed Raya Mellott. Competing for Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks, Mellott blasted a new personal best of 2:30.23 this morning, taking 2.01 seconds off her previous best time. She led the field by nearly 2 seconds, setting herself up well for a run at the Junior National title tonight.

The performance brings Mellott up to #10 all-time in the U.S. 13-14 girls age group. It comes after Mellott’s stunning performance in the 100 breast earlier in the meet, where she swam a 1:08.77 to rise to #2 all-time in the 13-14 age group, behind only American breaststroke legend Amanda Beard.

Here is the list of all-time top 10 performers among Americans in the 13-14 girls LCM 200 breast:

If Mellott were to break 2:30 tonight in finals, she would become just the 10th 14-and-under American girl to do so in history. As for how she swam the race this morning, Mellott was out fast, splitting 1:11.42 on the first 100. She held up well on the 3rd 50, splitting 38.56, but faded on the final length of the race, splitting 40.25 on the last 50.

Behind Mellot, 14-year-old Avery Klamfoth out of SwimMAC Carolina took 5th this morning, swimming a 2:33.12. The time was off Klamfoth’s personal best of 2:30.96, putting her in position to potentially move up some places tonight. She swam a much different race than Mellott, taking it out in 1:14.40 on the first 100, then splitting 39.25 and 39.47 on the last pair of 50s, for a 1:18.72 on the final 100. Klamfoth’s personal best currently puts her at #15 all-time in the 13-14 girls age group.

Carmel Swim Club’s Molly Sweeney was the 3rd 14-year-old to qualify for tonight’s final, finishing 8th this morning with a 2:33.37. Her personal best of 2:32.32 was set at the Indiana Age Group State meet, just 11 days ago. Although she was a second off her best time this morning, Sweeney moved up from her 10th-place seed, taking 8th, and with it, the last spot for tonight’s ‘A’ final.