Livermore Aqua Cowboys Time Trial
- December 12-13, 2020
- Livermore Valley Tennis Club, Livermore, California
- SCY (25 yards)
The Livermore Aqua Cowboys, and specifically USA Swimming National Team member Brandon Fischer, raced a short course time trial event last weekend.
For Fischer, who is fitting a swimming career around his day job at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, this was his 3rd sanctioned meet since coronavirus quarantines lifted and some version of racing was allowed to resume. He previously raced in early October at another Livermore time-trial, and he made the trip to Irvine for the US Open in mid-November.
Fischer swam 53.83 in the 100 yard breaststroke and 1:58.09 in the 200 yard breaststroke this weekend, with the breaststrokes being his primary events. He was faster (53.4/1:54.3) in both races in October.
In the 2018-2019 season, the last full season by which USA Swimming has based its National Team selection, Fischer was the 6th-best American in the 100 long course meter breaststroke. That year, he had a 59.86 in the event. Andrew Wilson (58.93) and Michael Andrew (59.14) led all Americans in that event, with the top two at next summer’s Olympic Trials earning a spot in Tokyo.
While Fischer missed his best times, some of his AquaCowboys teammates hit their top marks. Uncommitted high school junior Abigal Herscu swam a 1:02.13 in the 100 breaststroke. That was her fastest-ever swim in the event, shaving .06 seconds off another time trial result from last weekend. Prior to December, her best time was a 1:02.46, which was done more than 18 months ago at the 2019 California State Championship meet. The 2020 California State Championship meet was canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak.
She also swam 57.76 in the 100 fly and 2:06.59 in the 200 IM.
Another uncommitted high school junior Jacques Grove swam a pair of new lifetime bests. He marked a 1:45.24 in the 200 free, which was 7 seconds better than his previous lifetime best, and a 4:38.84 in the 500 free, which was about 1.3 seconds better than his previous lifetime best.
The only swimmer who beat him in the 500 free was 15-year old Jack Hendrick, who swam 4:33.35. That shaved about half-a-second off his best time.