NORTH CAROLINA 18 & UNDER WINTER CHAMPIONSHIPS
- December 4-6, 2020
- Triangle Aquatic Center, Cary, North Carolina
- Short Course Yards (25 yard)
- Live stream ($$)
- Results on Meet Mobile: “2020 NCS Winter 18 & U Championships” (or search “Cary”)
Lindsay Flynn of the Mecklenburg Swim Association posted a decisive victory in the women’s 50 free, clocking a 22.27. The time comes in as her 3rd fastest of her career, and just off her lifetime best prelims performance of 22.10. With the swim, the Michigan recruit currently leads the virtual USA Swimming Winter 18 & Under Championships by a large margin. Teammate Teresa Ivan clocked a lifetime best 22.63 for 2nd place, which also currently stands 2nd for Winter Juniors.
NC State recruit Garrett Boone picked up a victory in the men’s 50 free, touching in 20.23. The unattached 18-year-old was right off his personal best of 20.11, but improved on his prelims time of by .12 seconds. He narrowly held off unattached 15-year-old Diggory Dillingham, who posted a new best time of 20.28 for 2nd. The field was extremely tight, with SwimMAC’s Reid Miller taking 3rd with a 20.35, and Austin Lockhart (Aquatic Team of Mecklenburg) coming in 4th with a 20.36. Boone’s swim currently ties for 2nd in the Winter Juniors standings, with Dillingham right behind, in 4th, while Miller and Lockhart are 5th and 6th respectively.
SwimMAC’s Grace Rainey, 16, roared to a new personal best of 2:10.25 in the women’s 200 breast. The swim elevates Rainey to 15th in the all-time 15-16 rankings in the event. Rainey took the lead early, but Mecklenburg Swim Association’s Kaylee Hamblin had a huge swim, keeping the just slightly behind Rainey’s pace. Hamblin hit the wall in 2:11.74, marking an enormous drop from her previous best of 2:15.82. Rainey has taken over the top spot in the Winter Juniors rankings, while Hamblin is sitting in a comfortable 3rd currently.
North Carolina Aquatic Club 17-year-old Sam Hoover led teammate Peter Bretzmann to a 1-2 finish for NCAC. Hoover swam a huge lifetime best of 1:57.18, after entering the meet with a personal best of 2:00.74. Bretzmann had an even bigger drop, taking 2nd with a 1:58.63, well under the 2:03.39 he entered the meet with. SwimMAC had 3rd and 4th place finishers Matthew Kroll and Harrison Powe, who were 1:58.66 and 1:59.34 respectively. Sam Hoover is currently leading the Winter Juniors standings.
Garrett Boone was back in action in the men’s 100 back, leading the field with a 48.06. The swim marks another lifetime best for Boone, and is currently 2nd in the Winter Juniors standings. Boone entered the meet with a personal best of 48.35, marking a .29 second improvement for the future Wolfpack swimmer. SwimMAC’s Baylor Nelson clocked a 48.25 for 2nd, also swimming a lifetime best. Nelson is currently 3rd in the standings.
SwimMAC 17-year-old Logan Zucker won the men’s 500 free decisively with a 4:22.83. The swim marks Zucker, and puts him at the top of the Winter Juniors standings by 6 seconds.
Other Event Winners
- women’s 200 fly: Madeline Menkhaus (MAC) – 2:00.85
- men’s 200 fly: Baylor Nelson (MAC) – 1:46.92
- women’s 500 free: Emma Hastings (ECA) – 4:47.60
- women’s 100 back: Kiley Wilhelm (LTNC) – 54.32