2017 SHORT COURSE FAR WESTERN CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Thursday, March 30th-Sunday, April 2nd
- Hosted by Pleasanton Seahawks, Co-Sponsored by Pacific Swimming
- Live Results
Saturday, April 1
A pair of Stanford commits lit it up in the oldest age group. 17-year-old Alex Liang won the boys 200 fly in 1:47.00. Meanwhile Grace Zhao won the girls 100 back in 54.70, plus added a 100 breast title in 1:01.91.
16-year-old Amelia Fackenthal topped the 15-16 200 fly, going 1:59.70 to beat all times in her age group and the 17-18 group. Another impressive swimmer in the lower age groups was Zoie Hartman, who went 1:00.80 for the fastest time of any age group in the 100 breast.
Jonah Cooper of the Pleasanton Seahawks went 48.96 to win the boys 100 back in the 17-18 age group. That beat out Liang’s 49.43.
Claire Tuggle continued to dominate the 11-12 group, going 58.54 to win the 100 IM. That’s about seven tenths off her lifetime-best, which ranks #5 all-time in the age group. In the 10 & Unders, Lillian Struempf of the Terrapins won twice, taking the 500 free (5:36.64) and 100 back (1:04.75). Swim Neptune’s Ethan Mindlin pulled the same double, winning the 500 free (5:24.04) and 100 back (1:03.47).
Sunday, April 2
Yet another Stanford commit blew up on the final day. This time it was 18-year-old Lauren Green who shave another tenth off her lifetime-best in the 50 free to go 22.51 for the win. She topped future teammate Grace Zhao (23.21) in that event. Zhao was coming off a win in the 200 IM (2:01.13).
One age group down, Zoie Hartman won twice. The 16-year-old was 2:00.95 to win the 15-16 200 IM and beat Zhao’s winning time from the 17-18s. Hartman also went 23.13 to win the 50 free, beating all swimmers besides Green in the 17-18s. In the 500, Miranda Heckman went 4:53.42 to win the 15-16s and beat the top 17-18 time by three full seconds.
Chris Jhong had a huge 500 free, going 4:25.75 to win the 17-18s. The high school junior, who swam unattached but usually represents Pleasanton, is building his place as one of the more exciting recruiting prospects in the upcoming recruiting season. Alex Liang won the other two boys events in the 17-18s, going 20.92 to take the 50 free and 1:48.34 in the 200 IM.
Once again, Lillian Struempf excelled in the 10 & Unders. She won the 50 free in 26.10 and added a 28.50 win in the 50 fly. Nathan Wu matched her with wins of 26.83 (50 free) and 28.78 (50 fly).
I am Lillian Struempf…
Such an honor to time so many of these champions this weekend. Parents and coaches you should be so proud. Not just of their times but of their character as well.
It would be nice to put the actual team the kids are swimming for now, as recognition for their longtime coaches, rather than who they are going to swim for next year.
Morrow3 – the swimmers you are referencing were all competing unattached to any club this weekend, per meet results.
correct. Any high school swimmer has to swim unattached right now during high school season. Miranda Heckman is from PLS as well s Chris Jhong. Zoie Hartman is with CROW. Grace Zhao swims for PASA.
As a coach at PASA, I am well aware of the rules for high school participation. But a little research and perhaps a phone call or two and the information is available. Club coaches work really hard to bring these swimmers up from little age groupers to pre-teens and young adults. It would just be nice for the written article to give more information than just reading the results off Meet Mobile.