Jimmy Feigen, Breeja Larson Among Pros To Compete In 7th Annual Bill Nixon Memorial Meet

In its second year as a pro-am, the 7th Annual Bill Nixon Memorial Meet will be hosted by Lakeside Aquatic Club in the Lewisville Independent School District’s Westside Aquatic Center in North Texas June 11-14, 2015. This year the meet’s cash prizes have grown to over $10,000. LAC is bringing back the exciting 50 Free Shoot-Out that was debuted at the meet last year.

The Shoot-Out works like this: the prelims for the 15 and over 50 free swim Saturday morning. The top 32 female and top 32 male finishers from the prelims will move on to the quarterfinals, which will take place during the Saturday Final session. The top 16 female and top 16 male finishers from the quarter final round, will move onto the semifinals (Sunday morning). The top 8 female and top 8 male finishers from the semifinal round, on Sunday morning, will move onto finals on Sunday night.
In addition to the 50 Free Shoot-Out, cash prices will be paid out for the 100’s of stroke.

Pros that are slated to swim at the meet include Olympic Gold Medalist Breeja Larson, Olympic Silver Medalist Jimmy Feigen, World Championship Gold Medalist Megan Romano, Olympian Nina Rangelova, and Olympian Liliana Ibañez. Competing with these pros will be college swimmers as well as top swimmers from North Texas teams and select invited teams.

The top three from last year’s women’s 50 Free Shoot-Out are set to square off again this year, as 2014 winner Nina Rangelova, second-place Lauren Pitzer, and third place Breeja Larson will swim the event again this year at the 2015 Bill Nixon Memorial Swim Meet.
 
MEET THE PROS:

BREEJA LARSON
• 2012 Olympics: Gold, 400m MR; 6th, 100m BR
• 2013 World Championships: Gold, 400m MR, 5th, 100m BR; 12th, 200m BR, 4th 50m BR
• 2014 Pan Pacific Championships: Bronze, 100m BR; 6th, 200m BR
• 2012 Olympic Trials: 1st, 100m BR; 6th, 200m BR
• U.S. Nationals History: 2014: 2nd, 50m BR; 3rd, 100m BR 2nd, 200m BR … 2013: 1st, 100m BR; 1st, 200m BR; 2nd, 50m BR
• She is the current American Record holder in the 100y Br and 200y Br.
• Member of the 2014-15 National Team
• 2014 A&M Graduate

JIMMY FEIGEN
• 2012 Olympics: Silver in 4x100m FR-R
• 2013 World Championships: Silver, 100m FR; Silver, 400m FR-R
• 2014: Pan Pacific Championships: 9th, 50m FR
• 2011 World University Games: 1st, 100m FR; 1st, 4x100m FR-Relay; 2nd, 4x100m MR
• 2014 Short Course Worlds: Silver, 400m MR; Silver, 200m FR-R; Bronze, 400m FR-R; 11th, 50m FR; 12th, 100m FR
• 2013 Duel in the Pool: 4th, 100m FR; 1st, 50m FR; 1st, 400m FR-R
• 2012 Olympic Trial 5th, 100m FR; 5th, 50m FR
• Fastest U.S. men’s 100m Freestyler in 2013
• University of Texas 2013 graduate

MEGAN ROMANO
• 2013 World Championships: Gold, 400m FR-R; Gold, 400m MR
• World University Games: 2013 Gold, 800m FR-R; Silver, 400m FR-R; Silver 100m BK; Bronze, 100m FR; Bronze, 50m FR; Bronze, 400m MR … 2011: Gold, 800m FR-R; Silver, 400m FR-R; Silver, 400m MR; Bronze, 100m FR
• 2013 Duel in the Pool: 7th, 100m FR; 2nd, 400m M-R; 5th, 50m FR; 2nd, 400m FR-R
• Olympic Trials History: 2012: 7th, 200m FR; 8th, 100m BK; 10th, 100m FR; 14th, 50m FR … 2008: (t)32nd, 100m FR; 46th, 200m FR; 55th, 100m BK; (t)71st, 50m FR
• U.S. Nationals History: 2013: 4th, 100m FR; 8th, 100m BK
• Member of the 2013-14 National Team

NINA RANGELOVA
• 2014 Graduate of SMU
• Member of the Bulgarian National Team
• Competed in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing for Bulgaria
• European Championship: finished eighth in the 100-meter freestyle
• Set Bulgarian national records in the 50-meter butterfly, 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly and 200-meter individual medley, 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, and 400- meter freestyle
• 8 Time All-American (NCAA Division I for SMU)
• 7 time Best Bulgarian Swimmer of the Year

LILIANA IBAÑEZ
• 2012 Olympics: as a 2012 Olympian representing Mexico, Ibanez competed in the 100m freestyle and 200m freestyle.
• Competed in the 2007 Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Competed in the 2009 Swimming World Championships in Rome, Italy.
• Swims for Texas A&M

LAURA SOGAR
• Three NCAA Championships medals (2 gold, 1 silver)
• World University Games History: 2013: Silver, 200m BR; Bronze, 100m BR; Bronze, 400m MR
• Olympic Trials History: 2012: 4th, 200m BR; 9th, 100m BR
• 10th fastest All-Time U.S. performer in the women’s 200m Breast
• 2013 Graduate of University of Texas

RACES TO WATCH

#45 Girls 100 LC Meter Breaststroke
Breeja Larson (23) – Pro, 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist / swam for A&M
Laura Sogar (24) – Pro, Bluefish Swim Club
Sarah Vaisse (20) – University of North Texas
Emma Garfield (15) – Lakeside Aquatic Club
Lauren Thompson (16), Mansfield Aquatic Club

#98 Boys 50 LC Meter Freestyle (Shoot-Out Format)
Jimmy Feigen (25) Pro – 2012 Olympic Silver medalist
Brett Ringgold (19) – North Texas Natadores / UT Longhorns (3rd in 2014 Bill Nixon 50 Free Shoot-Out)
Alvin Jiang (16) – Lakeside Aquatic Club (6th in 2014 Bill Nixon 50 Free Shoot-Out)
Brendan Feehery (17) – Lakeside Aquatic Club

#97 Girls 50 LC Meter Freestyle (Shoot-Out Format)
Megan Romano (24) – Pro, 2013 World Championships Gold medalist
Liliana Ibañez (24) – 2012 Olympian / Swims for Texas A&M
Amanda Kendall (24) – 2011 US Nationals / 2012 Olympic Trials
Laruen Pitzer (16) – Lakeside Aquatic Club (last year’s 50 Free Shoot-Out runner up…)
Nina Rangelova (24) – Pro, 2008 Olympian / Swam for SMU
Breeja Larson (23) – Pro, 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist / swam for A&M (3rd in 2014 50 Free Shoot-Out)

#75 Girls 100 LC Meter Freestyle
Megan Romano (24) – Pro, 2013 World Championships Gold medalist
Nina Rangelova (24) – Pro, 2008 Olympian / Swam for SMU
Amanda Kendall (24) – 2011 US Nationals / 2012 Olympic Trials
Laruen Pitzer (16) – Lakeside Aquatic Club

#83 Girls 100 LC Meter Butterfly
Amanda Kendall (24) – 2011 US Nationals / 2012 Olympic Trials
Liliana Ibañez (24) – 2012 Olympian / Swims for Texas A&M
Raena Eldridge (18) – Rockwall Aquatic Center of Excellence
Kara Eisenmann (16) – Lakeside Aquatic Club

#76 Boys 100 LC Meter Freestyle
Jimmy Feigen (25) Pro – 2012 Olympic Silver medalist
Brett Ringgold (19) – North Texas Natadores / UT Longhorns
Michael Thibert (17) – Mansfield Aquatic Club
Alex Zettle (15) – Lakeside Aquatic Club

Additional races of interest

#69 Girls 200 LC Meter Backstroke
Megan Romano (24) – Pro, 2013 World Championships Gold medalist
Tennyson Henry (19) – Rockwood Swim Club
Rileigh Thornton (17) – Lakeside Aquatic Club
Sydney Zupan (19) – Rockwood Swim Club

#84 Boys 100 LC Meter Butterfly
Brett Ringgold (19) – North Texas Natadores / UT Longhorns
Tyler Rauth (22) – SMU
William Karau (16) – North Texas Natadores
David Morejon (17) – Eagle Swimming Association, David 17 ESA-GU 58.12

#95 Girls 200 LC Meter Breaststroke
Breeja Larson (23) – Pro, 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist / swam for A&M
Sarah Vaisse (20) – University of North Texas
Emma Garfield (15) – Lakeside Aquatic Club
Allison Chang (15) – Metroplex Aquatics

#105 Girls 200 LC Meter Freestyle
Megan Romano (24) – 2013 World Championships Gold medalist
Laruen Pitzer (16) – Lakeside Aquatic Club
Jordan Stout (17) – Rockwood Swim Club
Haley Yelle (17) – Mansfield Aquatic Club

#113 Girls 100 LC Meter Backstroke
Megan Romano (24) – Pro, 2013 World Championships Gold medalist
Tennyson Henry (19) – Rockwood Swim Club
Tiffany Sudarma (20) – SMU
Sydney Zupan (19) – Rockwood Swim Club

#32 Boys 200 LC Meter Butterfly
Tyler Rauth (22) – SMU
Thomas Lombardo (16) – Rockwood Swim Club
Spencer Woodward (17) – Lakeside Aquatic Club

Swimming news courtesy of Lakeside Aquatic Club.