15-Year-Old Keaton Jones Posts Fastest 100m Back Time in Country Since March

SWIM NEPTUNE INVITATIONAL

• September 25-27, 2020
• Centennial Pool, Kingman, Arizona
• Long course meters (LCM)
• Results on Meet Mobile: “Swim Neptune Invitational”

Swim Neptune’s Keaton Jones scorched the 100 back field on day two of the Swim Neptune Invitational, hitting the wall at 56.42 for a 1.1-second drop.

That’s an Olympic Trials cut for Jones, just over a tenth under the standard, and his second OT cut following his 13-14 NAG record last fall in the 200 back (2:00.28). According to USA Swimming’s database, his 56.42 is the top time in the country since the pandemic shutdown began in the United States in mid-March.

The 15-year-old has gone lifetime bests in the 50/100/200/500 yard freestyle events this summer. Last night, he posted a lifetime best 8:16.27 in the 800 free, dropping over 13 seconds.

In what appears to be her first race since early March, incoming Stanford freshman Samantha Pearson hit a lifetime best in the 50 free yesterday, clocking a 25.69 to win the event over Team Elite teammate Andi Murez (26.14) and 15-year-old Macky Hodges (27.07) of Mission Viejo Nadadores.

It’s Pearson’s first time under 26 seconds, ever, coming down from an old best of 26.04 done in 2018. Hodges also posted a new best, slicing seven-hundredths off of her old one.

Earlier in the session, Murez took the 100 free (55.68) ahead of Mission Viejo’s Justina Kozan (55.69) and Hodges (57.86). That marked another lifetime best for Hodges, this time her first sub-58-second performance. Kozan also won the 100 back (1:04.69).

OTHER NOTABLE SWIMS

• Mission Viejo’s Katie Crom won her second event this weekend, going 2:17.25 in the 200 fly to follow-up on her 1:01.75 100 fly win last night. Pearson was second there in 2:21.16, followed by 14-year-old Asia Kozan of Mission Viejo (2:21.92). Crom was also fourth in the 100 free (57.94).
• Will Gallant of Mission Viejo posted a 4:03.68 to take the men’s 400 free ahead of 16-year-old teammate Anders Aistars (4:03.74). Olympic medalist Ous Mellouli, now 36, was third in 4:05.26.