The weekend of October 26-27, 2013 produced some very fast swims at the age-group and senior level. SwimSwam has chosen a dozen among the many deserving swims to highlight:
Jonathan Spires, 15, South Eastern Virginia Aquatics: 50 free (21.63) – Jonathan posted one of the fastest non-high school championship sprint 50s in the country this weekend when he won the SEVA Senior Tri/Quad Meet in Newport News, VA with 21.63. That’s only .09 off his best, achieved at the Tom Dolan Invitational last December, and a great swim coming at the beginning of short course season.
Bryce Kananowicz, 17, Coeur D’Alene Area Swim Team: 100 free (46.50)/ 100 back (49.53) – Bryce won the 100 free and 100 back at Gold Medal Swim Club’s Trick or Treat Pentathlon at the University of Idaho Swim Center, posting lifetime bests in both events. He’s a South Carolina commit.
Kristin Romano, 14, Unattached: 100 free (52.27)/ 200 IM (2:04.32) – Swimming for Lancaster High School, freshman Kristen won the 100 freestyle in 52.27 and the 200 individual medley in a pool record time of 2:04.32 at the ECIC Class AA Championships district meet in Clarence, New York.
Curtis Ogren, 17, Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics: 200 free (1:40.89) – Stanford-bound Curtis Ogren started his short course season off with strong swims at the BAC age group meet in Burlingame, CA. His 1:40.89 in the 200 free is within 1.2 of his lifetime best, and a full 2.5 seconds faster than at this time last year.
Owen Kao, 13, Irvine NovAquatics: 500 free (4:50.07) – At the NOVA vs Canyons IMX Meet in Irvine this past weekend, Owen opened the season by dropping 18.4 seconds from his previous best, swum at the 2013 Far Western Championship meet in April.
Madison Homovich, 13, North Carolina Aquatic Club: 1650 (17:01.23) – Madison dropped 46 seconds in the mile since last October and leads the nation in the 13-14 age group with her 17:01.23 from the NCAC Mile Meet on October 27.
Elizabeth Amato-Hanner, 15, Greater Omaha Aquatics: 200 back (2:03.11) – Elizabeth won the 100/200 free, 100/200 back and 100 fly at the Lincoln Select B Minimum “Spooky Splash” this weekend. Her 200 back time of 2:03.11 beat last year’s best by 6 seconds.
Andrew Seliskar, 17, Nation’s Capital Swim Club: 100 breast (55.33) – Andrew jumped out to lead the nation in the 100 breast with his 55.33 swim at NCAP’s October Open October 18-20 at University of Maryland. This puts him nearly a full second ahead of where he was this time last year. Andrew also had strong early-season times en route to winning the 50/100 frees, both breasts, both flys and both IMs.
Ashley McCauley, 12, Marlins of Raleigh: 200 breast (2:25.68) – With a 2:25.68 in the 200 breast at the MOR Senior Classic meet, Ashley was within a half second of her best time and 9 seconds faster than last October. Ashley holds all the 10U and 11/12 Marlins of Raleigh short course and long course breaststroke records.
Jordan Portela, 14, Lawrence Aquahawks: 100 fly (52.42) Swimming at the COOL Spooktacular in Gladstone, MO, Jordan won the boys’ 13/14 100 fly in a personal best time of 52.42, 3 seconds ahead of last year’s pace. Jordan re-broke his own Lawrence Aquahawks 13/14 team record with the swim.
Sonia Wang, 16, Redlands Swim Team: 200 fly (1:59.48) – Sonia won the 200 fly at the SCS October Senior Invite hosted by Riverside Aquatics Association in Southern California. She was the only girl under the 2:00 barrier and logged her best early-season swim in the event at a timed-finals meet.
Kate Douglass, 11, Westchester Aquatic Club: 400 IM (4:42.83) – In only her second time swimming the 400 individual medley, Kate Douglass went 4:42.83 at the WEST Wolverines’ Halloween Splash meet in New Rochelle, NY. At 11 she still has time to go after Annie Zhu’s Metropolitan Swimming record of 4:27.77 from 2007.
Thanks for recognizing Kristen my daughter. She also went 52.27 to win the 100 free at that meet. She broke the pool record in both events at Clarence high school. The 100 free record was previously held by the defending New York state champ who also swam in the meet. The 2:04.32 was the number one time in the country for a 14 year old girl according to USA swimming.
Thank you so much for recognizing Kate Douglass. She also swam a 2:23.48 in the 200 breast the same day. Out in 1:10.45 and back in 1:13.03. She is a lot of fun to coach – always does her drills & sets correctly – Kate has a great sense of humor – swims 4-5 times per week. She has amazing parents too.
What about Ryan Harty of GMSC? Some of the fastest times already at the Framingham Spooktacular:
50 free – 21.54
100 free – 46.72
100 back – 49.84
200 back – 1:47.99
200 IM – 1:53.38
Other times:
200 free – 1:43.25
100 breast – 1:00.10
100 fly – 52.81
Some incredibly fast swims by him so early in the season.
200 fly – 1:55.88
200 fly should’ve been under the “Other times”
Keep your eyes on Elizabeth – she is already one of the fastest lady swimmers in NE, and she is only a Sophomore!!! Congratulations on a great meet!!
This report is a good addition to the swimswam’s editorial content. I hope there will be one like that every week or at least twice a month.
Look at the Potomac Valley swimming in the next weeks if you want fast swimming for age group swimmers. Very impressive young talents to watch like Sinead Eksteen, Emily Meilus or Cassidy Bayer. You mentioned Andrew Seliskar at the October Open a few days ago. I can also mention Janet Hu at the same meet. 22.84 in the 50 free/54.01 in the 100 fly.
I read each week the national top 10 list posted by USA swimming and I have remarked 2 young new names on the girls’ side.
11-year-old Andrea Santander… Read more »
Other big swims I noticed at the SCS senior meet, were Sean Lee, Alexis Margett, and Benjamin Willmore. Willmore a 14year old, went a 4:09 in the 400IM finishing 7th, although this time isn’t huge, it’s a great start to the beginning of the season and a 14seconds drop from when he last swam it at Far Westerns in April, and puts him first on the top10 list. Sean Lee did amazing! Also a 14 year old, he was a 1:54 in the 200IM, 1:42? in the 200free, 1:51 in the 200back, 52? in the 100fly 21? in the 50free. All these were amazing times for a 14 year old! Alexis Margett also shined, as a 14year old, she beat… Read more »
Impressed by Alexis Margett’s times, especially her 100 fly. So early in the season! I didn’t know her. I will follow her progression in the future now.
Yes, she’s a great swimmer, her technique is very different if you ever watch her swim fly, but she is so strong. She finished at the 2nd 14year old on the top10 list over the Summer with a 1:02, she’s also a 2:18 LCM 2fly, 2:21 in the 200IM, 1:14 in the 100breast and 2:40 in the 200breast/ She excels in the short-axis strokes, her back is probably her weakest stroke. Also, I’ve been watching Benjamin Willmore’s progression, and I have a feeling he’ll be a bigger name in the future. He recently appeared on the Southern California scene over the Summer. I was looking at his times, last year he was a 2;05 200IM, he’s already gone a 1:59… Read more »