A note to you super age-group swimmers: don’t worry, we really WERE paying attention to you. It’s just that NCAAs -first in Minneapolis, then in Austin- took a lot of energy and attention. So here we are with last week’s list…better late than never, right?
There were several championship meets over the weekend of March 21-23. Virginia Swimming hosted the Eastern Zone Southern Region Sectionals at Christiansburg Aquatic Center, while Syracuse Chargers Swim Team put on the Eastern Zone North Region Sectionals at Ithaca College. Further south we had the Eastern Section Southern Zone Age Group Championships hosted by Southern Crescent Aquatic Team at Georgia Tech. Florida was home of both the Florida Gold Coast Senior Championships and the NCSA Spring Championship Meet at the Orlando YMCA Aquatics Center. Out west we saw the Northwest Age Group Regional Championships hosted by Valley Aquatics at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. And yes, there were lots and lots of other meets in between. Here are the Daring Dozen of the week:
Morgan Scott, 13, Central Bucks Swim Team: 50 free (23.48) – Scott picked up her first-ever national time standard with her second-place finish at the Christianburg Sectionals. Entered with a 23.99, she chipped 2/10 off in prelims and another 2/10 in finals. She also went best times in the 100/200 free and 100 back.
Zack O’Haver,13, King Aquatic Club: 100 free (47.67) – Swimming at the Northwest Age Group Championships, O’Haver dropped nearly a full second off his seed time and nearly two from his time of last March and won the 100 free with a new meet record. He also won the 50 free and 200 free (another meet record).
Tristen Ulett, 11, Dynamo Swim Club: 200 free (1:57.64) – At the Southern Sectionals Ulett was second in the 200 free going 2 seconds faster than her seed time and nearly 11 better than a year ago. She also took home personal bests in the 50/100 free, 50/100/200 fly, and 100/400 IM.
Jack Scobee, 14, Aquabears: 500 free (4:29.42) – Scobee won the men’s 500 at Ithaca Sectionals dropping 4 seconds off his seed time and going 9 faster than a year ago. He also finished second in both the 1000 free and the 400 IM.
Michael Brinegar, 14, Donner Swim Club: 1650 free (15:28.29) – Brinegar notched a best time winning the men’s 1650 at the Indiana Senior State Championships. He was exactly a minute faster than he was a year ago. In addition, he took second in the 500 (-16 seconds since March 2013) and third in the 1000 (-22).
Megan Bestor, 18, SwimAtlanta: 100 back (52.60) – Bestor took fourth in a star-studded 100 back “A” final at NCSA Spring Championships. She finished the meet 2 seconds faster than her seed time and 3.2 ahead of where she was at the same meet last year.
Tristan Sanders, 18, Palm Harbor YMCA Piranhas: 200 back (1:41.84) – Sanders won the 200 back at NCSA Spring Championships with a best time, 3.6 seconds better than a year ago at the same meet. He was also second in the 200 free and fourth in the 100 free.
Kevin Houseman, 12, Bainbridge Island Swim Club: 100 breast (1:01.80) – Houseman broke meet records winning both the 50 and 100 breast at the Northwest Age Group Champs. He took more than a second off his seed time in the 100.
Riley Scott, 16, Marin Pirates: 200 breast (2:11.18) – Scott won the 200 breast by two seconds at NCSA Spring Championships. She dropped a second from her third-place finish at last year’s meet. She also took home best times in the 50/100 free, 50/100 breast, 100 fly, and 200 IM.
Kaiser Neverman, 11, Green Bay YMCA: 100 fly (58.16) – Neverman won the boys’ 11-12 100 free, 100 fly and 100 IM at the Wisconsin YMCA State Meet hosted by Schroeder YMCA Swim Team. His 100 fly was a personal best by more than 1.6 seconds, and was nearly 5 ahead of his time from the same meet last year, a 1:02.95 that broke the state record for 9-10 boys.
Hannah Kukurugya, 15, Crown Point Swim Club: 200 fly (1:57.47) – For her first time under 2:00 Kukurugya didn’t just dip under the barrier, she crashed through it. Kukurugya won the 200 fly at the Indiana Senior Champs by three seconds and set the meet record. She was four seconds ahead of last year’s pace. Kukurugya also walked away from the meet with personal bests in the 100 free, 100/200 breast, 100 fly, and 200 IM.
Andrew Abruzzo, 14, Germantown Academy Aquatic Club: 400 IM (4:00.67) – The only “A” finalist under 16 in the men’s 400 IM at the Middle Atlantic Senior Championships in York, PA, Abruzzo took third, just off his prelims time of 4:00.67. He finished the meet with personal bests in the 100/200/500/1000/1650 free, 200 back, 200 fly, and 200/400 IM.
Special thanks to Lyle Campbell for his assistance in putting this list together.
There were several championship meets over the weekend of March 21-23….
I believe these times were for the March 21-23 weekend.
how about Alex Walsh (11), who is basically going to go the olympics. Already went a 2:03.83 to break Katie Hoff’s national record. Also went a 1:58.31 in the 200 back.
How about throwing the old folks a bone….weekly wonders of masters swimming? I can hold out hope I can someday be the fastest person in my age group – assuming I can outlive my competition.
in the 200 Breaststroke ^ sorry
Cooper Hodge went 2:18 LCM at the Sectional Meet in Indianapoils, this should be mentioned
I add to the list 2 girls who have shined in long course last week.
14-year-old Erin Earley with a great and impressive 2.10.95 in the 200 back.
And 11-year-old Sophie Housey (after a 1.52 in the 200 free in yards a few weeks ago) who maintains the momentum with a 59.91 in the 100 free, a 2.09.06 in the 200 free and a 4.33.10 in the 400 free.