2014 U.S. Winter Junior Nationals Day Two Prelims- Ryan Hoffer Downs Age Group Record

Thursday marks the start of individual events at the 2014 Winter Junior Nationals. Competing today will be the 500 frees, 200 IMs and 50 frees.

Watch for Scottsdale’s Ryan Hoffer, the top seed in the boys 50, to go after his own National Age Group record in the 15-16 division.

Also coming in with top seeds: Y-Spartaquatics’ Katrina Konopka (girls 50 free), Santa Clara’s Aidan Burns (boys 500 free), So Cal’s Ella Eastin (girls 200 IM), Indie Swimming’s Michael Andrew (boys 200 IM) and Aquazot’s Daniela Georges (girls 500 free).

Keep refreshing this page for event-by-event recaps from prelims.

2014 Winter Junior Nationals

• Federal Way, Washington
• Prelims 9am Pacific / Finals 5 pm Pacific (Thursday relays 6 pm Pacific)
• Psych sheets
• Live results
• Live stream

Girls 500 free

• Meet Record: 4:38.89 – Amber McDermott, 2008
• 11-12 NAG: 4:49.51 – Sippy Woodhead, 1977
• 13-14 NAG: 4:35.14 – Katie Ledecky, 2011
• 15-16 NAG: 4:28.71 – Katie Ledecky, 2014
• 17-18 NAG: 4:29.54 – Katie Ledecky, 2014

Lauren Pitzer swam the fastest 500 freestyle this morning with a time of 4:45.81 to drop over five second from her seed time to take the top spot heading into tonight’s final.

Scottsdale’s Taylor Ruck was the second fastest in 4:46.29 followed by Nitro’s Karl Hemstreet in 4:46.44.

Sandra Soe, Katie Duggan, Vicky Navarro, Eryn Eddy, and Hayley Yelle are the remaining finalists.

Boys 500 free

• Meet Record: 4:17.45 – Townley Haas, 2013
• 11-12 NAG: 4:41.54 – Nick Silverthorn, 2008
• 13-14 NAG: 4:26.73 – Alexander Katz, 2011
• 15-16 NAG: 4:17.45 – Townley Haas, 2013
• 17-18 NAG: 4:12.33 – Michael Phelps, 2004

Top seed Sean Grieshop of Nitro topped the field today with a 4:19.26 to come within two seconds of the current national age-group record held by Townley Haas.

Grieshop should be the absolute favorite going into tonight’s final as the second fastest qualifier, Logan Houck, was a 4:24.71 to finish more than five second behind him.

Jeff Newkirk of Quest Swimming was just behind Houck this morning with a 4:24.79 giving him the third seed.

Grieshop has the potential to run away from the race tonight, and with such a fast prelim time, the age-group record of 4:17.45 could be in danger of falling.

Girls 200 IM

• Meet Record: 1:56.02 – Ella Eastin, 2013
• 11-12 NAG: 2:03.50 – Clara Smiddy, 2008
• 13-14 NAG: 1:57.70 – Missy Franklin, 2010
• 15-16 NAG: 1:54.03 – Dagny Knutson, 2008
• 17-18 NAG: 1:53.77 – Katie Hoff, 2007

Meet record holder Ella Eastin from SO Cal dropped a 1:58.21 for the fastest 200 IM of the morning over Lauren Barber’s 1:58.39.

Two other girls were under the two minute mark with Sonia Wang of the Aquazot Swim Club rocking a 1:59.02 and Bellevue’s Kim Williams posting a 1:59.74 for the fourth fastest seed.

As the current meet record holder Eastin is the favorite going into tonight’s finals. She entered the meet with the 1:56.02 time that she swam at last year’s Junior Nationals to break the record.

Boys 200 IM

• Meet Record: 1:45.08 – Curtis Ogren, 2013
• 11-12 NAG: 1:56.61 – Chas Morton, 1984
• 13-14 NAG: 1:45.29 – Michael Andrew, 2014
• 15-16 NAG: 1:44.03 – Andrew Seliskar, 2013
• 17-18 NAG: 1:41.39 – David Nolan, 2011

Michael Andrew was the fastest in the pool this morning in the men’s 200m IM, sporting a 1:47.37 to take the top seed. Second overall was Michael Thomas who was a 1:47.53.

Cascade Swim Club’s Abrahm DeVine wasn’t far behind the two leaders in 1:47.89.

Tonight’s final is shaping up to be a close one was the top eight were all within a second and a half of each other. The top three were particularly close with only 52 one-hundredths separating them.

Andrew was entered in the meet as having the fastest seed, so it’s likely he’ll have the slight advantage over his competitors this evening, although it really is anybody’s race.

Girls 50 free

• Meet Record: 22.02 – Abbey Weitzeil, 2013
• 11-12 NAG: 23.15 – Amanda Weir, 1999
• 13-14 NAG: 22.44 – Dara Torres, 1982
• 15-16 NAG: 22.04 – Simone Manuel, 2013
• 17-18 NAG: 21.59 – Simone Manuel, 2014

Stanzi Moseley of Roadrunner Aquatic’s was a 22.40 this morning to grab the top spot over Katrina Konopka’s 22.45.

Moseley went into the meed with a seed time of 22.84, and was just 0.36 seconds off Simone Manuel’s age-group record in the 15-16 year-old category.

Kasy Schmidt was the third fastest while representing Bolles with a 22.66. All the qualifiers for the ‘A’ final were under 23 seconds with Grace Zhao of Palo Alto qualifying for the final as the youngest swimmer (15) in eighth place.

Boys 50 Free

• Meet Record: 18.94 – Caeleb Dressel, 2013
• 11-12 NAG: 21.78 – Vinny Marciano, 2014
• 13-14 NAG: 19.76 – Michael Andrew, 2014
• 15-16 NAG: 19.53 – Ryan Hoffer, 2014
• 17-18 NAG: 18.94 – Caeleb Dressel, 2013

Scottsdale’s Ryan Hoffer was electric this morning, breaking his own age-group mark in the 50 freestyle with a wicked 19.45.

With that swim, Hoffer went under 20 seconds for the 10th time solidifying his absolute dominance in the race. That swim also gives the 16-year-old the fastest seed heading into tonight’s final where his closest competitor will be Andrew Vergani in 20.04.

There was a three-way tie for seventh place with Michael Andrew Thomas Anderson and Mark McGlaughlin who all swam a 20.35.