2014 US Junior National Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2014 US JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – DAY 3 – FINALS

• Live Results 
• Live Stream (Available Once Meet Starts)
• Wednesday, July 30 – Sunday, August 3
• Irvine, CA – William Woollett, Jr. Aquatic Center
• Prelims 9AM/Finals 6PM Pacific Time
• Friday FINALS Heat Sheet
• Friday FINALS Timeline
• Psych Sheets

Day three of the 2014 Junior National Championships will be a shorter session with only the 400 freestyles, the 100 butterflies, and the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay.

Sierra Schmitt, the junior national champion in the women’s 800 freestyle in night one, claimed the top seed in the women’s 400 freestyle at 4:13.08. CeCe Williams finished right at her hip, finishing second this morning at 4:13.52. They will have to hold off the women’s 200 butterfly junior national champion, Easop Lee. She qualified third this morning. One of our favorites to watch however, is the young Madison Homovich. On night one she was just off of Katie Ledecky’s 800 freestyle time when she was 14.

Townley Haas is in pursuit of his second junior national title of the week. He is the defending junior national champion in this event from last year’s meet record setting swim. With how strong he looked on the back half of his 100, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a sub 3:50 swim from him tonight.

Two 16 year old’s from Indiana will be going head to head in the finals of the women’s 100 butterfly. Carmel’s Veronica Burchill was the only swimmer under a minute this morning at 59.28, but Vanessa Krause from Duneland Swim Club was just off at 1:00.02. This race should be Veronica Burchill’s to win. We know she can maintain her speed throughout this distance after finishing third in the 100 freestyle last night. She should push several finalists under a minute tonight.

Alex Valente is dangerously close to the meet record in the men’s 100 butterfly. Last year, Justin Lynch set the record at 52.91. Valente finished within .20 of that time this morning during prelims. The NAG Record is set at 51.10 by Michael Phelps, so that is still a bit out of reach for Valente this weekend, but it could be one of his longterm goals, as he is only 17.  Michael Andrew qualified for his first A-final of the meet. He will be going for the 15-16 NAG Record of 52.75 this morning. He will need a big swim to reach that time, but it is not completely out of the question. Andrew qualified fourth this morning at 53.90.

Again, we are on full alert for NAG relay records tonight in the men’s 4×200 freestyle relay. Two relay records came crashing down last night during the men’s and women’s 4×100 freestyle relays.

Women’s 400 Freestyle – FINALS

• 2013 US Junior National Champion: 4:10.55 – Danielle Valley
• Meet Record: 4:07.26 – Gillian Ryan – 2012
• 17-18 NAG Record: 4:02.20 – Katie Hoff, 2008
• 15-16 NAG Record: 3:59.82 – Katie Ledecky, 2013
• 13-14 NAG Record: 4:07.15 – Cynthia Woodhead, 1978
• Time to make the 2013 US Junior National Team (#6 Nationally At Selection Meets): 4:12.08 – Stephanie Peters 

Sierra Schmitt worked her way to the front of the pack midway through her race to maintain control of the final. She won the A-Final heat of the women’s 400 freestyle at 4:10.92. This is her second national junior title this week after winning the 800 freestyle on day 1. Madison Homovich had another strong swim to finish second. She dropped close to three seconds from her  morning swim to finish with a 2:12.30 tonight. Easop Lee, another junior national champion this week, finished third at 4:12.65; exactly a second drop from this morning. Stephanie Marchuk was the fourth and final swimmer to finish under 4:13 at 4:12.77.

Jessie Gvozdas finished fifth at 4:13.27, followed by Stephanie Peters at 4:14.01 for sixth.

CeCe Williams and Moriah Simonds rounded out the top 8 in the women’s 400 freestyle at 4:15.82 and 4:16.63.

Taylor Ault of the La Miranda Armada turned into a monster in the final 100 meters to win the B-final of the women’s 400 freestyle at 4:12.84. She split a 1:02.15 in the final 100 to out touch Leah Stevens, who finished second at 4:12.86.

Anina Lund of Badger Swim Club won the C-final of the women’s 400 freestyle with her time of 4:15.35. That is a two and a half second drop from her prelim swim.

Men’s 400 Freestyle – FINALS

• 2013 US Junior National Champion: 3:51.99 – Townley Haas
• Meet Record: 3:51.99 – Townley Haas – 2013
• 17-18 NAG Record: 3:46.08 – Larsen Jensen, 2004
• 15-16 NAG Record: 3:50.68 – Larsen Jensen, 2002
• 13-14 NAG Record: 3:57.61 – Evan Pinion, 2009
• Time to make the 2013 US Junior National Team (#6 Nationally At Selection Meets): 3:53.30 – Clark Smith

Townley Haas from NOVA of Virginia won the 400 freestyle with a 3:52.01. That swim narrowly misses his time from last year and the Junior National meet record. He is only 17, so he will have another shot at the record again next year. Sean Greishop finished second with the sixth fastest 15-16 400 freestyle in history at 3:53.54. Grieshop is only 15 right now, and this week alone he dropped three seconds from his entry time. The same drop again next year would earn him the 15-16 NAG Record.  Brock Turner finished in third with his time of 3:53.89.

The next group of swimmers was lead by Sam Magnan at 3:55.89 for fourth. Michael Messner finished fifth at 3:56.07, followed by Curtis Orgen, the 400 IM junior national champion, at 3:56.10 for sixth.

Adam Linker and Eric Stobbe rounded out the top 8 of the men’s 400 freestyle at 3:57.77 and 3:58.97.

Grant Schenk from Pacific Swim had a big swim from lane 2 to win the B-final of the men’s 400 freestyle. He touched the wall for the win at 3:56.01. John Nunez finished second in the heat with a time of 3:57.27.

Ryan Kao from La Miranda Armada won the C-final with a 3:57.51. That is close to a two second drop from his morning swim.

Women’s 100 Butterfly – FINALS

• 2013 US Junior National Champion: 59.07 – Katie McLaughlin
• Meet Record: 58.69 – Felicia Lee – 2009
• 17-18 NAG Record: 58.41 – Felicia Lee, 2010
• 15-16 NAG Record: 57.93 – Mary T. Meagher, 1981
• 13-14 NAG Record: 59.51 – Kendyl Stewart, 2009
• Time to make the 2013 US Junior National Team (#6 Nationally At Selection Meets): 1:00.07 – Gia Dalesandro

Carmel Swim Club’s Veronica Burchill is the Junior National Champion of the women’s 100 butterfly after getting her hands on the wall first at 59.63. She finished third yesterday in the women’s 100 freestyle last night. Vanessa Krause finished second, breaking a minute for the first time. She touched the wall at 59.80. Victoria Edwards was the third and final swimmer to finish under a minute tonight. She touched the wall for third at 59.98.

Sonia Wang finished fourth at 1:00.27. Haley Mclnerny reached in for fifth at 1:00.29, followed by Lindsey Engel in sixth at 1:00.36.

Eva Merrell and Maddie Banic round out the top 8 swimmers in the women’s 100 butterfly at 1:00.58 and 1:01.05.

The Junior National runner up in the women’s 200 Butterfly from Chattahoochee Gold Swimming, Lauren Case won the B-final of the women’s 100 butterfly with her time of 59.63. Her time tied Veronica Burchill’s winning time from the A-final. Caitlin Casazza finished second at 1:00.73.

Bailey Nero from Fort Collins Area Swim Team won the C-final at 1:00.74.

Men’s 100 Butterfly – FINALS

• 2013 US Junior National Champion: 52.91 – Justin Lynch
• Meet Record: 52.91 – Justin Lynch – 2013
• 17-18 NAG Record: 51.10 – Michael Phelps, 2003
• 15-16 NAG Record: 52.75 – Justin Lynch, 2013
• 13-14 NAG Record: 54.59 – Michael Andrew, 2014
• Time to make the 2013 US Junior National Team (#6 Nationally At Selection Meets): 53.38 – Aaron Whitaker

Alex Valente and Michael Andrew were the first two at the wall at the 50 at 24.6. Alex Valente of Buenaventura Swim Club held onto his final 50 to win the race at 53.09. Justin Lynch’s meet record is safe for another year. Luis Martinez worked his way into second on the second 50 with his time of 53.34. Michael Andrew posted the 6th fastest 15-16 100 butterfly in USA Swimming history to finish third at 53.46. The final swimmer that came in under 54 seconds was Andrew Liang at 53.94.

Sascha Subarsky finished fifth at 54.16, followed by Greg Brocato at 54.21 in sixth.

Rounding out the top 8 of the men’s 100 butterfly is Max Holter and Patrick Park at 54.31 and 54.72.

Maxime Rooney from Pleasanton Seahawks powered through the final 50 to win the B-final of the 100 butterfly. He touched the wall for the win at 53.85. Michael Domagala finished second at 54.62.

Anthony Kim from Charger Aquatics won the C-final with his time of 54.93.

Men’s 4×200 Freestyle Relay – FINALS

• 2013 US Junior National Champion: 7:30.87 – Dynamo Swim Club
• Meet Record: 7:30.87 – Dynamo Swim Club – 2013
• 15-16 NAG Record: 7:39.77 – Aquazot Swim Club – 2010
• 17-18 NAG Record: 7:30.87 – Dynamo Swim Club – 2013
• 15-18 NAG Record: 7:30.87 – Dynamo Swim Club – 2013

Indiana University Swim Team claimed their second Junior National Relay title this week by wining the men’s 4×200 freestyle relay with a new meet and 15-18 NAG Record. The team of Ian Finnerty, Max Irwin, Brandon Colonis, and Blake Pieroni touched the wall at 7:28.28. Blake Pieroni brought it home with an amazing final split, check it out below:

Ian Finnerty: 1:53.15
Max Irwin: 1:51.49
Brandon Colonis: 1:55.45
Blake Pieroni: 1:48.39

Pieroni is only individually entered in the 50 freestyle this week, as his focus is on Nationals next week.

The Dayton Raiders finished second with their time of 7:31.89, followed by Tennessee Aquatics and Santa Clara Swim Club at 7:32.10 and 7:33.49, respectively.