Walsh Sisters, Ella Nelson Headline Music City Invite

2018 Music City Invite

• November 30th-December 2nd, 2018
• Tracy Caulkins Competition Pool at Centennial Sportsplex, Nashville, Tennessee
• 25y (SCY)
• Meet Site
• Psych Sheet

Any Nashville Aquatic Club-hosted meet brings with it plenty of firepower from the home side, including USA Swimming National Teamer Alex Walsh and National Junior Teamers Gretchen Walsh and Ella Nelson. The mid-season Music City Invite, however, has drawn in a number of other powerhouse teams from around the region and country, including the Lakeside Swim Team from Louisville, Carmel Swim Club from Indiana, and the Fort Collins Area Swim team from Colorado, to give it a front-running spot among mid-year age group invites.

The Walsh sisters, 17-year old Alex and 15-year old Gretchen, combine for 10 entries, and combine to hold top times in 7 events at the meet. Alex is seeded 1st in the 100 back (51.45), 100 fly (54.15), and 100 breast (58.19); and is seeded 2nd in the 50 free behind only her sister (22.08). The younger Gretchen, a freestyle phenom, is entered in 6 events, including the 100 free (47.93), 50 free (21.85), 200 IM (1:59.85), and 200 free (1:45.08). She’s also scheduled to swim the 100 back (52.85) and 100 breast (1:03.23). Those two combined hold 9 individual National Age Group Records, all in yards, so record watch will be on this weekend in Nashville.

Nelson, a breaststroke specialist, will also swim 6 races, headed by a top-seeded 2:17.58 in the 200 breaststroke.

While the Fort Collins and Lakeside representatives to the National Junior Team aren’t racing at this meet (we’ll see them a week later at Juniors), both teams have still brought a number of top-tier swimmers. For Fort Collins, that includes 14-year old Mackenzie Nedom, who was the 14th-ranked 13 & under 100 freestyler in the country last season.