A 14-year old Canadian, trained in the United States, is the individual high point award winner for girls at the 2014 Speedo Winter Junior National Championships.
Sound familiar?
Taylor Ruck of the Scottsdale Aquatic Club scored 102 points to beat out Ella Eastin for the individual high point award this weekend in Federal Way, Washington.
This was a bit of a deja-vu moment, flashing back to the 2014 Summer Junior National Championships, where another 14-year old Canadian-American, Missy Franklin, who also excelled in the backstrokes and middle-distance freestyles, would earn the same honor.
This year is about Ruck, though, and she easily won this title with three individual event wins.
Ruck’s individual results on the weekend:
- 500 free – 1st – 4:41.38 (20 points)
- 100 back – 1st – 52.95 (20 points)
- 200 back – 1st – 1:53.13 (20 points)
- 100 yard free – 2nd – 48.54 (17 points)
- 200 yard free – 3rd – 1:45.81 (16 points)
- 400 IM – 9th – 4:13.96 (9 points)
- 200 IM – 26th – 2:02.13 (0 points)
- 1650 free – DFS
Ruck’s male counterpart Ryan Hoffer very nearly made this honor a Scottsdale sweep, but it was fellow National Age Group Record holder Sean Grieshop from Nitro Swimming in Austin, Texas who just squeaked out the mark by 3 points – thanks in part to two extra individual finishes.
Grieshop’s individual results:
- 500 free – 1st – 4:16.59 (20 points) – Meet Record, 15-16 NAG Record
- 1650 free – 1st – 14:45.40 (20 points) – Meet Record, 15-16 NAG Record
- 400 IM – 1st – 3:44.52 (20 points)
- 200 free – 8th – 1:38.67 (11 points)
- 200 IM – 8th – 1:50.74 (11 points)
- 200 breast – 16th – 2:02.97 (1 point)
- 200 back – DFS
One additional correction to this article; Missy Franklin won the 2009 Junior Nats LCM at age 14; but correct to say very similar results between Miss Franklin and Miss Ruck; Missy won the 50/100/200 Free and 100/200 Back while Taylor won the 500 Free, 100/200 Back but also posted 2nd in 100 Free, 3rd in 200 Free, and won the 400 IM B Final with a 4.13. Interesting comparisons for sure.
Taylor Ruck is a Canadian citizen.
Correction to the article, Taylor Ruck’s 200 Back was a 1st place swim; thus 20 pts. For some reason Womens 100 Free A Final seems to be the only video archive missing online. I saw this race live, but I’d sure like to see it again as Ruck was reeling in Stanzi Mosely; was an epic race. I seem to remember Ruck almost catching Mosely in the 200 Free at Junior Nats LCM at Irvine in July; as I remember it, another epic race between these two girls.
Maple Leaf Swimming – it’s one of a few missing online. Not sure what happened, but we’ll keep an eye out in case they show up.
Stellar performance by this young woman. Unlike Missy, I thought Taylor didn’t have the option for US citizenship? Isn’t Canada her only international team option?