LONG ISLAND, N.Y. – The U.S. national team swam strong in its tune-up for the Pan Am Games later this summer, winning team tech at the U.S. Open Synchronized Swimming Championships on Saturday.
The U.S. senior national team finished with 79.2664 points in the technical portion of the team event to top Aruba, which had 69.1929 points. The U.S. did not compete in team free as 2012 Olympian Mary Killman joined the team only five days before the competition.
Killman also competed in solo tech with a program she learned the week before, placing second with 82.1091 points behind Wen Yan Sun, a member of China’s national team, who had 86.3328 points. Emma Baranski of the New Canaan Y Aquianas won the event after the free routine, scoring 157.5135 points. Ri Young Lee from M Synchronized Swimming was second at 154.2223 points, and Dollard Synchro’s Kali Wong was third at 149.1179 points. Both Killman and Yan Sun did not compete in the solo free.
China’s Xue Chen Huang and Wen Yan Sun won the duet with 182.6135 points. Ukraine’sLolita Ananasova and Anna Voloshyna (175.8376) took silver, and USA’s Mariya Koroleva and Anita Alvarez took home bronze (162.1886).
In the combo, which included junior swimmers, Mexico won with 76.8000 points, followed by New England Synchro (71.9000) and Optima Synchro (70.9000).
U.S. national squad members who were recently named to the team that will take part in the Pan Am Games (Toronto, July 10-26) are: Anita Alvarez, Claire Barton, Phoebe Coffin,Mary Killman, Mariya Koroleva, Isabel Malcolmson, Sandra Ortellado, Sarah Rodriguez, Karensa Tjoa and Alison Williams.
U.S. Junior Open
The Walnut Creek Aquanuts’ Gillian Brassil and Elizabeth Wiita won multiple medals in the junior division, teaming up to win duet and finishing first and third in solo.
Mexico won the team competition with 141.5295 points. Canadian teams took the next two spots, with the BC Aquasonics finishing second (132.9811) and Waterloo Synchro third (127.4288).
In duet, Walnut Creek’s Brassil and Wiita won gold with 147.8606 points. Samantha Flores and Madison Lopez from Mexico were second (142.4667) and Optima Synchro’s Caitlin Klauer and Melissa Zhang finished third (138.4213).
Brassil won the solo event, scoring 147.2818 points. Optima Synchro’s Klauer was second (145.5091), just edging Wiita, who had 145.5061 points.
Swimming news courtesy of USA Synchro.