With big meets taking place all across the country this past weekend, it’s no wonder we saw a tremendous number of swimmers make their very first Olympic Trials cuts. Several first-time qualifiers are on the list below. Take a look at the AgonSwim Weekly Wonders for the weekend of June 26-28, 2015:
Sophie Skinner, 15, Northern KY Clippers Swimming: 50m free (25.88) – Skinner scored 3 personal bests, including one new Olympic Trials cut in the 50 free, at the 16th Annual David Webb Invitational hosted by Northern Kentucky Clippers. Skinner won the 50/100/200/400 free, 100 back and 200 IM.
T’lez Foulkes, 13, North Carolina Aquatic Club: 50m free (25.88) – Representing Freeport Aquatic Club at the Bahamas National Championships, Foulkes earned ten new PBs, including 50/100 free, 50/100 back, 50/100/200 breast, 50/100 fly, and 200 IM.
Samantha Shelton, 15, Mission Viejo Nadadores: 100m free (56.07) – Shelton knocked .75 off her 100 free and won the “B” final at the TYR/MVN Fran Crippen Memorial Swim Meet of Champions (SMOC). She picked up best times, including 2 new Olympic Trials cuts (100 free and 400 free).
Ben Forbes, 13, Clovis Swim Club: 100m free (57.01) – At the Age Group Summer Slam hosted by Clovis Swim Club, Forbes improved his best times in six events: 50/100/200 free and 50/100/200 back. He improved his seed time by 1.4 seconds in the 100 free, nearly skipping the 57s altogether and breaking into the 56s.
Tatum Wade, 17, Nashville Aquatic Club: 200m free (2:01.51) – Wade added four new Olympic Trial cuts (200 free, 100 breast, 200 IM and 400 IM) to the one she already had (200 breast) at the Nike Summer Sizzle hosted by Nashville Aquatic Club. Wade also got PBs in the 50 breast and 200 fly.
Spencer Lafata, 16, Badger Swim Club: 1500m free (15:48.77) – Lafata dropped 9 seconds and placed second in the 1500 at the Coupe du Quebec. He earned his first Olympic Trials cut with that swim, and he also picked up a best time in the 400 free.
Nicholas McDowell, 17, Sandpipers of Nevada: 1500m free (15:42.56) – McDowell picked up his first-ever Olympic Trials cut at TYR/MVN Fran Crippen Memorial SMOC. He dropped 11 seconds and finished 7th in the 1500, making Trials by 7.4 seconds. McDowell also went best times in the 400 free, 200 fly, and 200 IM.
Sara Metzsch, 17, Tualatin Hills Swim Club: 100m back (1:02.78) – Metzsch won the “C” final of the 100 back TYR/MVN Fran Crippen Memorial SMOC, dropping 8/10 and getting her first-ever Olympic Trials cut. She also went best times in the 100 free, 200 free, and 200 back.
Emily Weiss, 14, Cardinal Community Swim Club: 100m breast (1:11.49) – Swimming at the Indiana University visitbloomington.com Bucceto Open, Weiss scored her first Olympic Trials cut when she won the 100 breast with 1:11.49. It was her second-fastest swim, but the 1:11.19 she went last summer was just before the Trials qualification period. Weiss got a PB in the 50 free, though.
Kyle Gerard Valdez, 12, Texas Ford Aquatics: 200m breast (2:40.52) – Valdez won the boys 11-12 200 breast, as well as the 400 free, 200 back, and 400 IM at the Texas Open hosted by Texas Longhorn Aquatics. The weekend produced new best times for Valdez in the 100/400 free, 200 breast, 100/200 fly, and 400 IM.
Luca Urlando, 13, Davis Arden Racing Team: 200m fly (2:11.94) – At the Clovis Age Group Summer Slam, Urlando shaved 1.4 seconds off his personal best in the 200 fly, and was 24 seconds faster than he had been last summer at this time. Urlando left the meet with new times in the 100 free, 50/100 back, 100 breast, and 100/200 fly.
Maggie Werba, 18, Oshkosh YMCA Dolphin Swim Team: 200m IM (2:18.25) – Werba punched her first ticket to 2016 Olympic Trials with a second-place finish in the women’s senior 200 IM at Western Great Lakes Open hosted by Lake Country Phoenix Swim Team. In addition, Werba finished the weekend with new PBs in the 100 fly and 200 fly.
11-year-old Colton Frantz from the Sarasota YMCA Sharks
4:40.61 in the 400 free
Anne, it’s the weekend of June 26-28.
A few additions
BOYS
11-year-old Camilo Vargas from Flatiron Athletic Club
34.58 in the 50 breast
15-year-old Reece Whitley from Penn Charter Aquatic Club
1.02.12 in the 100 breast
2.14.82 in the 200 breast
12-year-old Keane Alejandro from Canyons Aquatic Club
2.31.42 in the 200 breast
16-year-old Sean Grieshop from Nitro Swimming
3.54.40 in the 400 free
8.07.60 in the 800 free
15.22.03 in the 1500 free
4.21.08 in the 400 IM
On track to swim very fast times in August. Hopefully with the world junior chalmpionships as main goal of the summer.
12-year-old Dare Rose from Scarlet Aquatics
2.15.54 in… Read more »
Nice to see Tatum Wade add 4 new Olympic Trial cuts with recent swims and accept a scholarship to USC. Coincidentally, Tatum looks like British Actress Michelle Dockery — Lady Mary Crawley in Downtown Abbey.
At the 4-day Aquajets Summer Invite held at University of Minnesota, there were some great swims, most notably by 13-yr old Regan Smith who made the Olympic Trial cuts in 100/200BK! We also watched 12 yr old Hayden Zheng of the host team achieving many fast/PB times including the following national top 10 times:
400IM 5:09.72 – new MN state record (11-12 boys)
200IM 2:23.94
50BR 34.81; 50BR relay split: 33.16
100Breast: 1:13.67
200Breast: 2:39.90
In addition, 12 yr old Melinda Zhang broke the 200FL state record with a time of 2:26.87.
I coached 2 of these kids!! So proud!