2017 Winter Juniors West: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2017 SPEEDO WINTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – WEST

• December 6 – 9
• University of Iowa Recreation Center
• Iowa City, IA
• Live results
• Live stream
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet

The 2017 Speedo Winter Junior Championships – West continue tonight with finals of the 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, and 4×100 medley relay. Jack LeVant is one to watch tonight after a big swim in the 500 free prelims. Levant is now just a second shy of the Meet Record. Top seed Jack Dolan may also make waves as he races for gold in the 50 free tonight. The women’s 200 IM battle between Coleen Gillilan, Vanessa Pearl, and Zoe Bartel could be one of the best races of the day.

GIRLS’ 500 FREE – FINALS

• Short Course Juniors meet (combined) record – Hannah Cox, Upper Valley Aquatic Club, 4:37.82 – 2015

1. GOLD: Kaitlynn Sims, Magnolia Aquatic Club, 4:42.38
2. SILVER: Sarah Dimeco, Issaquah Swim Team, 4:44.26
3. BRONZE: Ashley Strouse, Scottsdale Aquatic Club, 4:44.89

Kaitlynn Sims set the pace early on and continued to build her lead throughout the race, taking over a second off her best time to win gold in 4:42.38. Sarah Dimeco and Ashley Strouse battled for the silver, with Dimeco overtaking Strouse on the 4th 100 and holding the slight lead to earn sivler in 4:44.36 to Strouse’s 4:44.89. Not far behind in 4th place was Cypress Fairbank’s Zoe Gawronska. At the half, Gawronska and Austin Swim Club’s Dakota Luther were tied, but Gawronska managed to pull away in the back half with a 4:45.34 while Luther held on for 5th in 4:47.26.

BOYS’ 500 FREE – FINALS

• Short Course Juniors meet (combined) record – Drew Kibler, Carmel Swim Club, 4:14.42 – 2017

1. GOLD: Jack LeVant, North Texas Nadadores, 4:14.40
2. SILVER: Kevin Callan, Trident Aquatics, 4:15.39
3. BRONZE: Alexander Zettle, Lakeside Aquatic Club, 4:18.65

After Drew Kibler took down he juniors Meet Record at the east meet just an hour ago, Jack LeVant cleared Kibler’s record by 2 hundredth’s at the west meet. LeVant battled closely with Kevin Callan through the front half, but really pushed ahead with his 24.95 closing split as he won in a record-breaking 4:14.40. Alexander Zettle joined them under the 4:20-mark, touching in 4:18.65 for 3rd place. LeVant took almost 4 seconds off his best today, while Zettle dropped over a second.

GIRLS’ 200 IM – FINALS

• Short Course Juniors meet (combined) record – Alex Walsh, Nashville Aquatic Club, 1:54.02 – 2017

1. GOLD: Vanessa Pearl, Metroplex Aquatic, 1:55.67
2. SILVER: Zoe Bartel, Fort Collins, 1:56.23
3. BRONZE: Coleen Gillilan, Fort Collins, 1:57.56

Coleen Gillilan got out to the early lead by a full second, but the field started to catch up to her on the back half. Teammate Zoe Bartel overtook the lead on the breast leg, followed by Vanessa Pearl just a nail behind. Pearl took off on the free leg, outpacing Bartel to win in a new Juniors West Record of 1:55.67, while Bartel held on for 2nd in 1:56.23. Pearl dropped nearly 2 seconds from her best time today.

Gillilan wound up battling for 3rd with Samantha Shelton. On the final 50, Shelton outsplit Gillilan by a large margin, 27.1 to 29.1, but she came up just short as Gillilan took bronze in 1:57.56. Shelton was just hundredths behind in 1:57.59. Zoie Hartman was also sub-1:58 with a 1:57.71 for 5th place.

BOYS’ 200 IM – FINALS

• Short Course Juniors meet (combined) record – Michael Andrew, Indie Swimming, 1:42.77 – 2015

1. GOLD: Shane Blinkman, St Croix Swim Club, 1:46.39
2. SILVER: Hsing-hao Wang, Mesa Aquatic Club, 1:46.90
3. BRONZE: Van Mathias, Multnomah Athletics, 1:46.97

Shane Blinkman clipped down his best time to take the gold, using his speed on the middle legs to push ahead of the field and win it in 1:46.39. The battle for silver was extremely close and saw 3 swimmers separated by 9 hundredths or less. Fort Collins’ William Kovac tried to run down Multnomah Athletics’ Van Mathias and Mesa’s Hsing-hao Wang down the final stretch, but ran out of room as Kovac was just a fingernail shy of the podium in 1:46.99.

GIRLS’ 50 FREE – FINALS

• Short Course Juniors meet (combined) record – Abbie Weitzeil, Canyons Aquatics, 21.49 – 2014

1. GOLD: Julia Cook, Aggie Swim Club, 22.30
2. SILVER: Amalie Fackenthal, Davis Aquadarts, 22.35
3. BRONZE: Lucie Nordmann, Magnolia Aquatic Club, 22.40

Julia Cook clipped her best time to get her hand to the wall first in 22.30 for gold, just 5 hundredths ahead of Amelie Fackenthal and a tenth ahead of Lucie Nordmann. Beach Cities’ Alexandra Crisera was just 3 hundredths shy of making the podium with a 22.43 for 4th place. 15-year-old Maxine Parker was just 3 hundredths behind her to round out the top 5 in 22.46, while fellow 15-year-old Grace Cooper of Delta Aqautics was 6th in 22.48.

BOYS’ 50 FREE – FINALS

• Short Course Juniors meet (combined) record – Ryan Hoffer, Scottsdale Aquatic Club, 18.71 – 2016
• GOLD: Daniel Krueger, Macfarland Spartans, 19.48
• SILVER: Jack Dolan, Rockwood Swim Club, 19.62
• BRONZE: Kaloyan Bratanov, Katy Aquatic Team, 20.11

Daniel Krueger and Jack Dolan battled for the gold, with Kreuger out-touching Dolan, 19.48 to 19.62, as they each went best times. Cooper De Ryk picked up 4th in 20.28, clipping Palo Alto’s Nathan Yates (20.30) as they rounded out the top 5.  Dads Club’s Clayton Bobo was just outside the top 5 by hundredths in 20.32

GIRLS’ 4×100 MEDLEY RELAY – FINALS

• Short Course Juniors meet (combined) record – Fort Collins Area Swim Team, 3:35.12 – 2016
• GOLD: Fort Collins, 3:33.93
• SILVER: Magnolia, 3:37.97
• BRONZE: Irvine Novaquatics, 3:39.71

The Fort Collins girls took down the combined juniors Meet Record to win it in 3:33.93. Bayley Stewart led off with a 53.60 back split, followed by teammates Zoe Bartel (breast- 58.95), Coleen Gillilan (fly- 52.24), and Kylee Alons (free- 49.14). Magnolia came in for the silver with a 52.26 back split by Lucie Nordmann and a 52.61 fly split by sister Lillie Nordmann. Irvine Novaquatics rounded out the top 3, highlighted by a 53.66 back splot by Ayla Spitz and a 49.48 free split from Ella Ristic.

BOYS’ 4×100 MEDLEY RELAY – FINALS

• Short Course Juniors meet (combined) record – Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics, 3:13.37 – 2015
• GOLD: Academy Bullets, 3:18.00
• SILVER: King Aquatic Club, 3:18.99
• BRONZE: Nitro Swimming, 3:20.40

Spencer Walker put up a 47.91 back split to help the Academy Bullets (3:18.00) to victory, teaming up with Caleb Carlson (breast- 55.99), Horace Qiao (fly- 48.61), and William Kamps (free- 45.49) to take the win. Within a second of them were the King Aquatic Club boys, highlighted by a 53.91 breast split from Daniel Roy and a 45.16 anchor split from Ethan Dang.