SwimSwam’s The Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming – 12/26/2013

Believe it or not, not everyone was shopping the weekend before Christmas. There were several age group and senior meets across the country that produced some pretty fast swims. Here are this week’s Daring Dozen:

Collin Schuster, 11, Dubuque Area Swimmin’ Hurricanes: 50 free (25.36) – At the Holiday Classic hosted by Black Hawk Area Swim Team, Schuster achieved eight best times, winning the 50 and 100 free, 100 and 200 back, 100 and 200 fly, and 400 IM, and finishing second in the 200 free.

Jasmine Mau, 18, Kamehameha Swim Club: 100 free (49.21) – Cal-bound Mau was just a tick off her best time (49.04) and .70 faster than she was a year ago winning the 100 free at the Hawaii Swimming Age Group Championships hosted by Hilo Aquatic Club. She now has the tenth fastest 100 recorded so far this year, excluding college swimmers. She also won the 50 free, 200 free (new HI 17-18 record of 1:47.55), 1000 free, 100 back (new HI open and 17-18 record of 54.20), 200 back (new HI open and 17-18 record of 2:00.52), 100 fly and 200 fly.

Hannah Cox, 15, Upper Valley Aquatic Club: 200 free (1:48.68) – Cox won the 200 free at the 2013 New England Senior Championships in a time that was just off her finals swim at Winter Juniors, but still two seconds faster than she was last December. Cox also won the 1000 in a personal best of 9:53.29.

Rylie Lopez, 11, Island Aquatics: 500 free (5:17.81) – Lopez won the 11-12 girls’ 500 free at the Hawaii Swimming Age Group Championships in a time that was 22 seconds faster than she swam it a month ago.

Jared Graham, 14, Penguin Aquatics: 1000 free (9:38.54) – En route to a third-place finish in the mile at the 2013 Washington State Senior Championships Graham split a 9:38.54 at the 1000, 30 seconds faster than he was at the same meet last year. His 1650 time of 16:01.35 was a full 47 seconds faster than last December’s.

Erin Earley, 14, Hopkins Mariner Swim Team: 1650 free (16:21.67) – Earley dropped 20 seconds from her seed time and 50 seconds from her time a year ago to win the mile at the 2013 New England Senior Championships. With that swim, Earley jumped up to the third fastest mile time in the country for 14-year-old girls.

Gregory Dematteo, 16, Bernal’s Gator Swim Club: 100 back (48.85) – Dematteo was just off his best time (from 2013 Winter Juniors) with his prelim swim of 48.85 at the 2013 New England Senior Championships. Last year at the same meet he swam 53.09.

Hannah Weiss, 18, King Aquatic Club: 100 back (52.74)/ 200 back (1:54.61) – Future USC Trojan Weiss picked up four best times (50 free, 100/200 back, 200 IM) at the 2013 Washington State Senior Championships. She was also part of a NAG record-breaking relay at the meet.

Joshua He, 12, Rancho San Dieguito: 100 breast (1:06.85) – He won all nine individual events (50/100/200 free, 200 back, 100/200 breast, 100 fly, 200/400 IM) he swam at San Diego-Imperial Swimming’s Winter Age Group Championships, setting meet records in each of them. At the same meet last year, his 100 breast was 1:13.86.

Brooke Zeiger, 17, Bluefish Swim Club: 200 breast (2:13.46) – Future Minnesota Gopher Zeiger tore up the 2013 New England Senior Championships at RPI. She produced eight new personal best times and won 5 events, setting WPI pool records in each of them (500 free, 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 IM, 400 IM).

Eva Merrell, 13, Aquazot Swim Club: 100 fly (55.29) – Merrell had top-eight finishes in the 100 back (57.10) and 100 fly at Southern California Swimming’s 2013 Winter Senior Invite. Last December she swam 58.22 in the fly and 58.90 in the 100 back.

Corey Okubo, 18, Aquazot Swim Club: 200 back (1:44.54), 200 fly (1:44.83)/ 200 IM (1:46.62)/ 400 IM (3:48.95) – National Junior Team member Okubo picked up a slew of new personal bests at SCS’s 2013 Winter Senior Invite, including 100 free, 100/200 back, 100/200 fly, and 200/400 IM. This should make Princeton Coach Rob Orr smile, as his future Tiger’s times in the 2 fly and both IMs would have easily made last year’s A finals at Ivies. Okubo is 4.1 seconds faster than he was last December in the 4IM, 3s in the 2IM, 1.8s in the 2fl and 2.5s in the 2bk.