2018 Winter Juniors – East: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2018 SPEEDO WINTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – EAST

• December 5-8, 2018
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
• SCY (25 yards)
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Saturday Finals Heat Sheet

Day four finals are kicking off an hour early tonight due to inclement weather this weekend in Greensboro. Additionally, the 4×100 free relays were held this morning at the conclusion of prelims.

GIRLS 1650 FREE – TIMED FINAL

• Meet record: 15:56.39 12/13/2014 Gabrielle Kopenski, Texas Ford Aquatics

Top 3

1. Lola Mull (Mid-Michigan Aquatics) – 16:12.26
2. Abigail McCullough (SwimAtlanta) – 16:25.45
3. Elizabeth Boeckman (Chelsea Piers) – 16:30.63

Two girls were under the 16:30 barrier, led by champion Lola Mull of Mid-Michigan Aquatics. Mull, who went 16:12.26, set a new personal best, slicing three seconds off of her old best from this meet last year.

SwimAtlanta’s Abigail McCullough, 15 years old, was 2nd in 16:25.45, with Chelsea Piers’ Elizabeth Boeckman taking bronze at 16:30.63. Both McCullough and Boeckman landed on the podium swimming in the morning heats. McCullough dropped a huge 20 seconds from her old best, while Boeckman had a big drop of 12 seconds of her own.

The fastest swimmer tonight behind Mull, in the final heat, was Kaylee Williams of Club Wolverine, who went 16:32.21.

BOYS 1650 FREE – TIMED FINAL

• Meet record:14:37.71 12/9/2017 Michael Brinegar, Mission Viejo

Top 3

1. Jake Magahey (SwimAtlanta) – 14:51.54
2. Arik Katz (Sarasota Tsunamis) – 15:01.92
3. Jake Mitchell (Carmel Swim Club) – 15:09.39

SwimAtlanta’s Jake Magahey, the 500 free champion, dominated this race. Taking a second off of his old best. Magahey, 17, was the only finisher under 15:00.

Sarasota YMCA’s Arik Katz was 15:01.92 to take 2nd, with Jake Mitchell of Carmel Swim Club going 15:09.39 for 3rd. Mitchell was just able to edge out Dynamo’s Ian Grum, who was 15:09.95 to take 4th.

GIRLS 200 BACK – FINALS

• Meet record: 1:50.59 12/14/2013 Clara Smiddy, AquaKids Sharks

Top 3

1. Claire Curzan (TAC Titans) – 1:53.09
2. Caitlin Brooks (Gator Swim Club) – 1:53.89
3. Kathryn Ackerman (Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics) – 1:54.37

Claire Curzan, the 100 fly champion last night, swam to a huge new personal best with a 1:53.09. That was a 2.5 second drop from her old best, and she now ranks #4 all-time in the 13-14 age group with that swim. Curzan was out in 54.65, then went 28.77 and 29.67 to seal up the win.

Caitlin Brooks of Gator Swim Club posted a 1:53.89, almost two seconds off of her PR, to take 2nd, while MLA’s Kathryn Ackerman had a nice swim to take 3rd in 1:54.37. 14-year-old Natalie Mannion went a PR 1:55.48 to take 4th.

Lakeside Swim Team’s Annabel Crush swam to the B final win with a 1:55.50, nearly two seconds ahead of her old lifetime best.

BOYS 200 BACK – FINALS

• Meet record: 1:40.79 12/10/2011 Jacob Pebley, Corvallis Aquatics

Top 3

1. Carson Foster (Mason Manta Rays) – 1:41.20
2. Wyatt Davis (Carmel Swim Club) – 1:43.84
3. Noah Young (Mason Manta Rays) – 1:44.34

Carson Foster went a lifetime best by four tenths tonight, going 1:41.20 to win the title easily by over two full seconds. His Mason Manta Rays teammate Noah Young clocked a 1:44.34 to get onto the podium with a 3rd place finish.

In between them was Carmel’s Wyatt Davis, who was 1:43.84. That was his first time under 1:44, while Young’s 1:44.14 this morning was his first time under 1:47.

In the C final, Flood Aquatics 14-year-old Josh Zuchowski won in 1:46.77, which is the #6 time in 13-14 history and just .10 off of Ryan Murphy’s 13-14 best time.

GIRLS 100 FREE – FINALS

• Meet record: 46.29 12/13/2014 Abbigail Weitzeil, Canyons Aquatic Club

Top 3

1. Gretchen Walsh (Nashville Aquatic Club) – 47.79
2. Isabel Ivey (Laker Swim) – 48.32
3. Kate Douglass (Chelsea Piers) – 48.81

Gretchen Walsh rattled the 15-16 NAG of 47.73, set by Simone Manuel, but ultimately came up just short by six hundredths. SHe was 47.79, still a new best time, and jumps ahead of Dagny Knutson’s 47.80 to now hold the 2nd-fastest 15-16 time in history. Walsh still has over a year in the 15-16 age group.

Laker Swim’s Isabel Ivey swam to a 2nd place finsih at 48.32, off of her 47.88 PR, while Chelsea Piers’ Kate Douglass clocked a 48.81 to 3rd.

The whole field broke 50 seconds, with Carmel Swim Club’s Kelly Pash claiming 4th at 49.12. Pash is the defending champion in this event, going 48.55 to beat G. Walsh last year, but the 15-year-old was untouchable tonight.

BOYS 100 FREE – FINALS

• Meet record: 41.23 12/12/2015 Ryan Hoffer, Scottsdale Aquatic Club

Top 3

1. Jack Alexy (Somerset Hills YMCA) – 43.44
2. Adam Chaney (Mason Manta Rays) – 43.67
3. Kimani Gregory (Racer X Aquatics) – 43.95

15-year-old Jack Alexy had a huge swim to win the title tonight, holding off a strong field with a winning time of 43.44. That’s his 2nd time ever under 44, and he now ranks #4 all-time in 15-16 history. Only Ryan Hoffer has been faster in U.S. 15-year-old history (43.13), and Caeleb Dressel is #3 all-time in 15-16 history at 43.29.

Adam Chaney of Mason Manta Rays broke 44 for the first time ever, going 43.67 to take 2nd. He’s now 10th all-time in this event in 15-16 history. Kimani Gregory was 43.95 to snag third, while Lakeside’s Hunter Tapp was 43.98 to also break 44 for 4th. Both Gregory and Tapp were honorable mentions on the SwimSwam Top 20 for the class of 2019 — both are headed to NC State in the fall.

GIRLS 200 BREAST – FINALS

• Meet record: 2:07.44 12/9/2017 Zoe Bartel, Fort Collins

Top 3

1. Alex Walsh (Nashville Aquatic Club) – 2:06.02
2. Abby Arens (Marlins of Raleigh) – 2:08.46
3. Ella Nelson (Nashville Aquatic Club) – 2:09.30

Alex Walsh of Nashville Aquatic Club went out hard in 1:00.73, and held strong the rest of the way to grab the win at 2:06.02, four tenths quicker than her old best. That was painfully close to the 17-18 NAG record, a 2:05.99 from Annie Zhu. Walsh now ranks #2 all-time in 17-18 history, touching ahead of Breeja Larson’s previous #2 time of 2:06.18.

Walsh, nonetheless, set a new PR and broke the meet record by over a full second.

Abby Arens posted a 2:08.46 for 2nd, and Ella Nelson, Walsh’s club teammate, was 2:09.30 for 3rd. Arens now ranks #4 all-time in the 15-16 historical rankings.

BOYS 200 BREAST – FINALS

• Meet record: 1:52.37 12/10/2016 Reece Whitley, Penn Charter AC

Top 3

1. Josh Matheny (Pittsburgh Elite) – 1:55.27
2. Jake Foster (Mason Manta Rays) – 1:56.01
3. Paul Degrado (Episcopal AmberJax) – 1:57.55

Josh Matheny of Pittsburgh Elite followed up his 100 breast victory with a huge swim tonight in the 200 breast. Going 1:55.27, he was the only finisher under 1:56, and went a huge new PR. Matheny’s best coming into this meet was a 1:58.26 from this spring; he went 1:57.54 this morning, then annihilated that tonight by two seconds.

Matheny now sits #3 all-time in 15-16 history. Only Reece Whitley (1:52.37) and Andrew Seliskar (1:54.87) have been faster, and Matheny moves ahead of Carsten Vissering (1:55.44) and Maxwell McHugh (1:55.46).

Jake Foster was the runner-up with a 1:56.01, as he sits just outside of the 17-18 top 30. Meanwhile,Episcopal AmberJax’s Paul Degrado was 1:57.55 for the bronze. Both Foster and Degrado will be joining the Texas swimming and diving team next fall.

GIRLS 200 FLY – FINALS

• Meet record: 1:53.49 12/9/2017 Olivia Carter, Enfinity Aquatics

Top 3

1. Charlotte Hook (TAC Titans) – 1:55.67
2. Grace Sheble (NOVA of Virginia) – 1:56.25
3. Mary Smutny (South Florida Aquatic Club) – 1:56.69

14-year-old Charlotte Hook, who already swam in the 200 back A final earlier tonight, was out in a 55.02 in the 200 fly. She pushed on, going 29.62 on the 3rd 50, and held on (31.03) enough for the win at 1:55.67. That’s a NAG record for the 13-14 age group, a best by over nine tenths, and it makes Hook the youngest girl to break 1:56 in American history.

Grace Sheble of NOVA of Virginia Aquatics, 15 years old, was 1:56.25 to take 2nd, with South Florida Aquatic Club’s Mary Smutny clocking a 1:56.69 for 3rd.

Megan Deuel of Victor Swim Club managed to break 1:58, going 1:57.96 for 4th.

BOYS 200 FLY – FINALS

• Meet record: 1:43.64 12/14/2013 Robert McHugh, Baylor Swim Club

Top 3

1. Jean-pierre Khouzam (Dayton Raiders) – 1:44.41
2. Sterling Crane (Episcopal AmberJax) – 1:45.62
3. Noah Henderson (Star Aquatics) – 1:46.10

It was Jean-pierre Khouzam of Dayton Raiders with the win here, going 1:44.41. That’s a big swim– it’s a PR by a tenth, and he retains his #6 standing in 15-16 age group history. He’s also not far from the #4 time, a 1:44.10 by Brendan Burns at this meet last year.

Sterling Crane, the 100 fly winner, was 1:45.62 to take 2nd, just ahead of Star Aquatics’ Noah Henderson at 1:46.10.

GIRLS 400 FREE RELAY – FINALS

• Meet record: 3:16.62 12/12/2015 SwimMAC Carolina

Top 3

1. Nashville Aquatic Club – 3:18.63
2. SwimMAC – 3:19.56
3. Chelsea Piers – 3:20.59

The same three teams to podium last night in the 200 free relay were again in the top three, but it was Nashville who snagged the win and Chelsea Piers who settled for bronze with SwimMAC sandwiched in the middle.

Gretchen Walsh was 47.95 on the anchor leg, and sister Alex Walsh was 48.91 leading off. SwimMAC had 49 splits from Olwyn Bartis, Maddy Flickinger, and Elizabeth Sowards, while Maxine Parker and Kate Douglass split 49’s for CPAC.

BOYS 400 FREE RELAY– FINALS

• Meet record: 2:55.89 12/8/2012 Bolles School Sharks

Top 3

1. Dynamo Swim Club – 2:59.08
2. Mason Manta Rays – 2:59.21
3. SwimMAC – 3:01.23

In a very tight race with a thrilling finish, Mason Manta Rays’ Adam Chaney came up just short of Dynamo anchor Cam Auerbach, as the latter outsplit the former, 44.19 to 44.48.

Carson Foster was 44.35 leading off for Mason, as he was the fastest lead-off and the only lead-off under 45 seconds.